Segner also recommended fishing on Sugar Lake just east of Clearwater Lake, or Pleasant Lake in the town of Annandale.

"There are a lot of other smaller lakes in the area that can have great crappie fishing depending on the time of year, so stop on by when you are in the area and we'll give you the latest reports," Segner added.

The big lakes in the Brainerd area tend to get most of the fishing pressure, and for good reason. The waters of the Gull Chain and the Whitefish Chain offer some tremendous crappie fishing, but there are several medium-sized lakes that are also really good.

Diedrich also spoke very highly of the Sauk Rive Chain of lakes off Highway 23 west of St. Cloud and Annandale.

"The crappie population in these lakes is good, and the average size is pretty good, too," he said.

Horseshoe, Cedar Island, Schneider and Knaus are the most commonly fished lakes in the Sauk River Chain, which has a lot of undeveloped shoreline.

"There's quite a bit of water to fish between Horseshoe and Cedar Island, which is great for crappies in the springtime," Diedrich said.

For more information on the Clearwater Lake area, contact the Annandale Area Chamber of Commerce at (320) 274-2474, or online at AnnandaleChamber.org Call the Richmond Area Chamber of Commerce at (320) 597-5300. Give Little Jim's Bait a ring at (320) 274-5297.

BRAINERD AREA
The big lakes in the Brainerd area tend to get most of the fishing pressure, and for good reason. The waters of the Gull Chain and the Whitefish Chain offer some tremendous crappie fishing, but there are several medium-sized lakes that are also really good.

Jason Erlandson works at Dave's Sportland Bait & Tackle on Highway 371 just south of Nisswa. He recommended fishing North Long, Hubert or Sylvan lakes for this year's early-spring crappie bite.

"Those lakes are not pressured as much and tend to be overlooked by a lot of people who either don't know about them or just forget that they are there," Erlandson said.

The key to each of these lakes is not to fish too shallow right after ice-out.

"Once in a while you'll catch a straggler in the shallowest stuff, but they tend to hang off the cabbage weeds in 6 to 9 feet of water," Erlandson said.

A secret he uses is finding the deeper holes in the middle of a shallow-water area, such as a flat or mid-lake reef.

"The first few days after the ice goes out is when we catch probably the biggest fish before the spawn, and those holes are a great place to fish," he said.

On Lake Hubert just east of Sportland Bait & Tackle on County Road 13, Erlandson said the best spot to fish is around the hole on the east side. A massive shoreline flat there gives way to a 15-foot hole.