For larger numbers of more average-sized fish, Brown recommends 194-acre Lake Fayetteville, which, he said, always harbors a really dense crappie population but feels relatively little fishing pressure. The city-owned lake is within a family-friendly park on the northern edge of Fayetteville.

DISTRICT 2: NORTH-CENTRAL
Biologist Ken Shirley, who has worked in Boone, Marion, Baxter, Searcy, Stone, Izard and Independence counties for many years, picks Bull Shoals and Norfork Lake as his district's top crappie destinations for 2007.

"They both had a huge spawn in 2002, and there are some huge fish in both lakes, but they're getting up there in age now," he said. "The spring of 2007 will be a great year for big crappie on both lakes."

A long and narrow lake, Bull Shoals covers 45,500 acres in Boone, Marion and Baxter counties. Norfork is also long, narrow and full of feeder creeks. The lake covers 22,000 acres, mostly in Baxter County. Because Bull Shoals, Norfork and Table Rock Lake cross into Missouri, consider the $10 White River border lakes license, which enables you to fish in Missouri without a Missouri non-resident license.

DISTRICT 3: NORTHEAST
You'll find an interesting variety of fishing in Fulton, Sharp, Randolph, Clay, Lawrence, Greene, Craighead, Jackson, Poinsett and Mississippi counties. "The crappie fishing in this district is driven more by numbers than by size," said biologist Sam Barkley from his Jonesboro office. "Lake Poinsett has a fairly good crappie population, along with Lake Charles."

Both lakes adjoin namesake state parks. Poinsett's 600 acres lie just off state Highway 163 in south-central Poinsett County, while you'll find 650-acre Charles, which has a 10-inch length limit on crappie, off state Highway 25 in central Lawrence County. Target standing timber and any flooded brush in both lakes.

Shallow Lake Ashbaugh nestles against the Dave Donaldson/Black River WMA in northwest Greene County. "(It) has an emerging population of 3/4-pound crappie," Barkley said.

The district's hottest spot may be at the end of the handicapped-accessible pier on Lake Hogue in western Poinsett County. "When water's running through the pipe between the large and small sections of the lake, they really catch 'em," Barkley noted.