LAKE CONWAY
This 6,700-acre AGFC lake, located adjacent to Interstate 40 in Faulkner County, yields some of the most consistent action for big crappie anywhere in the state. Fishing is superb in April, when the spawn gets underway. Crappie weighing 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds are not uncommon, and most limit stringers of 20 fish will be anchored by fish of such size.

The Greens Lake and Adams Lake areas on the east side are good bets early in the month. The flooded timber adjacent the boat lanes at the Highway 89 bridge (just east of I-40 at the Mayflower exit) is especially good for pre-spawn fish, and plenty of big slabs are taken from this spot by anglers fishing from the bank on both sides of the highway bridge. This is a great place to pull off I-40 for a few minutes of fishing and a respite from interstate travel.

In late March or April, when the water has warmed to the magic 58- to 60-degree mark, crappie leave deep-water haunts and move toward shore. Small jig/spinner combos worked around brush or timber flats in 2 to 5 feet of water are deadly.

As a general rule, the farther you go up the arms of the lake, the better your chances of finding spawning fish become. This is true of all three of Conway's major creek arms: Palarm Creek on the northeast, Stone Dam Creek on the northwest, and Pierce Creek on the far southeast corner. I-40 travelers can stop and fish from the pier on the Pierce Creek arm, just a few miles east of the interstate on state Highway 89 (the Mayflower exit).

Exit 135 (Mayflower) on I-40 offers access by way of state Highway 365 to docks on the west side of the lake, or by state Highway 89 and Clinton Road to docks on the east side. A free map of the lake and additional information are available from the AGFC.

LAKES DUNN & AUSTELL
The 90 miles of Interstate 40 from Little Rock east to Forrest City cross flat-as-a-pancake delta farmland. At Forrest City, however, travelers notice a subtle rise in the terrain, a narrow band of low hills called Crowley's Ridge. North on the ridge, about a 15-minute drive from I-40, are two more fine crappie lakes: lakes Dunn and Austell in 7,000-acre Village Creek State Park.

Most folks who fish Dunn and Austell are after one thing: big bass. That's good for crappie fans, because crappie are practically untouched here. Really big crappie -- fish of 1 1/2 pounds and up -- are rare, but they're always a possibility. The scarcity of true slabs hardly matters, because there are times when you can catch 8- to 16-ounce crappie one after another, as fast as you can drop a jig. Most folks who fish Dunn and Austell are after one thing: big bass. That's good for crappie fans, because crappie are practically untouched here.

Dunn and Austell are small -- 65 and 85 acres, respectively -- so crappie are generally easy to find during the spawn, which typically begins mid to late April. Anglers should concentrate their efforts around standing trees, stumps, logs and other cover skirting the shoreline. The northern shore of Austell, between the swimming beach and the boat dock, produces the earliest consistent crappie action, followed shortly by the wooded coves on Dunn's north side.

To reach Dunn and Austell, take exit 242 off I-40 just east of Forrest City and travel 12 miles north on state Highway 284 to Village Creek State Park. Signs on park roads direct you to the lakes, each of which has a concrete boat ramp and easily accessible bank-fishing areas. The daily crappie limit is 30 fish. For more info, contact Village Creek State Park at (870) 238-9406.

(Editor's Note: Keith Sutton is the author of Fishing Arkansas: A Year-round Guide to Angling Adventures in the Natural State. To order an autographed copy, send a check or money order for $28.25 to C & C Outdoors, 15601 Mountain Dr., Alexander, AR 72002. Arkansas residents should include sales tax.)