Maryland anglers have plenty of places to catch crappie, perhaps the most delicious panfish, but the following lakes and rivers would be our top choices.
The typical limit here is 15 crappies, so grab a couple of buddies, some light tackle, and head out to one of these spots. There’s a fish fry in your future.
Note that in several of the following bodies of water, especially water supply reservoirs, gas motors are prohibited. In several cases, you can launch a kayak, canoe or electric-powered watercraft.
Potomac River
The Potomac is truly a remarkable body of water with any number of game fish, both freshwater and salt, depending on where you fish it and when.
Among your potential quarry, this tidal river is home to some tremendous crappie fishing, especially the stretch near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Cameron Run flows in from the west and Oxon Creek from the east. Coves at these tributaries and the bridge form structures that concentrate crappie in this area.
Fallen trees or any wood structure near shore will hold crappie as they gather to spawn in shallow water in late winter and early spring.
Smaller blade baits, like a Cabelas MeanEye, can be effective.
Striped bass also roam out of Chesapeake Bay and into the Potomac River, joining the crappie as well as trophy largemouth bass and humongous blue catfish.
Access: Fort Washington Marina in Maryland, Gravelly Point in Arlington, VA, and Columbia Island Marina in D.C. are some of the better boat launches in this area.
Choptank River
The Choptank flows into the east side of Chesapeake Bay near Cambridge and has a variety of game fish, including some promising crappie water.
Downriver from the Delaware state line, you’ll find a variety of parks where you can launch your boat, rent a canoe, or fish from shore.
Martinak State Park is one spot to explore. Here you’ve got smaller streams like Watts Creek (where there’s a launch) that will attract spawning and feeding crappie.
Between the towns of Bethlehem and Harmony, the river deepens to 25 feet in places. Crappie seek refuge in more stable conditions found in deeper waters during the heat of summer and again when the water temperatures drop in early winter.
The Choptank can also be loaded with yellow perch and booming with blue catfish, so a mixed stringer is possible. Perch and catfish can vie with crappie for the title of best-eating freshwater fish, so most anglers are okay with bringing home a variety.
Access: Martinak State Park near Denton and Kingston Landing Launch east of Easton offer boat launches and parking.
Lake Habeeb (Rocky Gap)
In northern Maryland, right on the Pennsylvania border, Lake Habeeb (Rocky Gap) offers a mix of shallow and deep water and crappie-loving structure.
With areas near 50 feet or deeper, crappie can find cool water in the heat of summer.
State officials installed concrete structures that concentrate baitfish and attract predators that eat them, such as crappie.
Use a fishfinder to find these structures and target crappie with small jigs tipped with waxworms.
One spot to consider is a deep basin, dropping to either side of 50 feet, located northwest of Rocky Gap Dam.
If you don’t have a small boat, a steep drop-off along the shoreline in this area could make bank fishing productive, especially in the spring and fall. The Lakeside Loop Trail follows the shore.
Access: Lake Habeeb is in Rocky Gap State Park, a popular fishing destination. There’s a boat launch at the campground on the northeast side of the reservoir and a canoe/kayak launch off Pleasant Valley Road on the south shore (east of the casino).
Loch Raven Reservoir
Just north of Baltimore, Loch Raven is sizeable at more than 2,400 acres, and the diversity of species you’re liable to encounter is immense, with everything from largemouth and smallmouth bass to pike, pickerel and catfish.
And there is a good population of crappie, too.
This reservoir is big, but focus your search on shallower coves and creek arms around brush and trees during the spring spawning season.
Crappies are likely to move into deeper water at other times of the year, suspending at different depths depending on conditions. The southeastern arm has some steep drop-offs into 60-plus-foot water near the shore.
Access: Loch Raven Fishing Center on Dulaney Valley Road on the reservoir’s north side is open seasonally from early April through October. The center offers bait and tackle, boat rentals, bank access and a boat launch.
Little Seneca Lake
About an hour northwest of Washington, D.C., Little Seneca Lake offers anglers an accessible body of water with various species.
At only 500 acres, this lake is less intimidating than huge reservoirs but still has ample largemouth bass, tiger muskies, and crappie populations. There are some good coves and creek arms all around the lake, including near the Clarksburg Road crossing. Look for stickups and other cover.
The largest crappie will be shallow during the spawn but likely to spend much of the days at other times of the year suspended a bit deeper, still around cover if you can find it. However, crappie at times will move into shallower water all summer and into the fall to feed, especially in low-light conditions.
When crappie move into deeper water during the hottest and coldest times, there is some particularly deep water southeast of the Clarksburg Road bridge.
Access: Black Hill Regional Park has a boat launch and rentals as well as shore fishing access on Lake Ridge Drive.
Mattawoman Creek
This long, but fairly accessible and fishable creek flows from Cedarville down to meet the Potomac River near Indian Head.
Mattawoman Creek, which anglers most often fish in its wider, tidal-influenced section closer to the Potomac, features a trophy snakehead fishery, largemouth bass, and good populations of crappie.
One attractive feature for crappie anglers are bridge crossings, such as Bumpy Oak Road, Rte. 225, Rte. 227. Bridge pilings are notorious crappie magnets, so if you wanted to maximize your efforts, you could bridge hop.
Maryland biologists have called the 30-mile Mattawoman River the best, most productive tributary to the Chesapeake, and the state is working to protect it and the species that call it home as best they can.
Access: The Mason Springs Conservancy Kayak Launch is at the intersection of Livingston Road and Hawthorne Road (Rte. 225).
Lake Artemesia
Right next to the University of Maryland campus in College Park, the small Lake Artemesia makes for an easy day trip to fish from shore or a kayak.
State officials have documented crappie as large as 16 inches in this 38-acre lake, which also has a fishing pier but no boat launching.
Especially in smaller lakes, where deep water isn’t available, crappie often hold in the shade right under docks, weed beds, overhanging or submerged tree branches, or other structures.
There is a kayak program available at times, with limited availability.
Nature buffs will also enjoy a find butterfly garden and birding trail at Lake Artemesia Park.
Access: There’s parking on the corner of 55th Avenue and Berwyn Road.
Piney Run Lake
Piney Run Lake near Eldersburg is a popular crappie lake with a host of other species as well.
Crappie will hold near fallen trees, brush piles, weed beds and similar structure at different depths, depending on the time of year.
You’ll often find them in particularly shallow water, such as the backs of coves, during the spring spawning period. For much of the rest of the year, you likely will need to also search deeper waters.
If fishing from the bank when crappie have moved deep, try the southeast corner, where depths go from dry land to 30-plus feet in less than 100 feet. These ledges are a good place to start searching for suspended crappie.
Be prepared to cover water at various depths until you find fish. Once you can get a live minnow or a jig or similar small lure close to crappie, you should be in business.
The 300-acre reservoir is about 45 minutes west of Baltimore.
Access: Martz Road is a loop that runs right by the lake, where a boat house offers seasonal rentals on the west side of the lake. There is a $10 launch fee.
Triadelphia Reservoir
This 800-acre lake has bass, pike, tiger muskie, and a solid population of crappie.
Crappie will seek out near-shore cover such as laydowns, brush and beaver dams, especially as they prepare to spawn in late winter into spring. You often can catch them staging near creek mouths and into the backs of coves over this period.
At other times of year, such as once the summer heat sets in, try to find them schooled up in deeper water, especially holding along steeper drops.
Triadelphia is a Maryland gem, surrounded by gorgeous woods full of birds. It’s about 45 minutes west of Baltimore and an hour north of Washington, D.C.
Access: Greenbridge Recreation Area on the southwest side and Triadelphia Lake Recreation Area on the northwest side offer boat launches and bank access.
Smithville Lake
This small lake, just west of the Delaware state line and north of Federalsburg, is a promising spot for panfish anglers who might catch both white and black crappie, as well as largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill and other species.
A severe storm in the 1990s dropped ice-covered trees into the lake. Just like that, Smithville had even more prime crappie structure.
This narrow, mile-long lake also is very shallow, under 10 feet, which will suit crappie well during the spring when the move in along its brushy shores. Weeds are likely to grow up as the warm season progresses.
When fish move deeper for summer or mid-winter, try along the slightly deeper southern end closer to the dam at Possum Hill Road or along the outside of weed lines. A kayak or other small watercraft would serve you well.
Access: Smithville Lake’s public access is along Noble Road. There is a gravel launch.
Catch More Crappie
Now that you know where to go, dive a bit deeper into HOW to catch these fish with our simple guide to crappie fishing.