Many serious crappie fishermen consider The Key River area to be some of the best big crappie fishing in North America & many of them fish for nothing but crappie on their annual trips up north.
Maribou Jigs set three feet deep on weighted small round bobbers work best in weed beds.
Small Mr. Twister Grubs & special crappie tube jigs work well also.
Live bait fishermen use minnows & bobber & they can get their limit in a hurry on a good crappie hole.
We use light outfits with six pound test Stren line.
One to three pound Black Crappie are common & when they are hitting you can catch all you want.
Check with local stores or lodges for information on the best places & time.
The Georgian Bay Bass Hole is full of them in Spring & summer & fall.
There is a pan fish hole on The Key River that is full of Big Crappie & pan-fish & the kids can catch them on small twister grubs one after another.
The Key River is full of crappie & you have to know where to find them in backwater bays out on Georgian Bay & around islands.
We have caught black crappies up to 3 1/2 pounds in The Georgian Bay Bass Hole & that one was caught trolling a small deep diving plug & that is how we found out they were there by accident. We turned him loose & had no camera back then. We returned to this same area many times & they were always there & still are.
The Goergian Bay Bass Hole in the top of this blog post with a picture of me fishing it is the best big crappie hole in all of Canada.
You can stand there & catch all the 1 to 1/2 pound Black Crappie you want one right after another & never leave your campsite not to mention largemouth & smallmouth bass that come in there to feed or the large pike & muskie right behind them.
March 17, 2008 at 7:00 pm |
Thanks for the helpful info.
April 3, 2008 at 7:17 am |
Hello all, I was just wondering what the best water access point would be for the Key River area for spring crappie fishing with the kids?
Not that familiar with the area..How would I get there?
Thank you
June 5, 2008 at 5:00 pm |
Key Marine or Camp Dore right on Hwy 69, 50 miles south of Sudbury City Hall and 50 miles north of Parry Sound City Hall. Both sites have rental boats and cabins.
Ed
August 20, 2008 at 12:05 am |
NEED INFO FOR ME TO GET TO UR PLACE.I AM FROM TORONTO
THANKS
August 20, 2008 at 12:06 am |
WONDERING IF I BRING MY BOAT,WHERE CAN I FIND THE CRAPPIE AT THE AREA?
THANKS
September 21, 2008 at 6:49 am |
The best thing to do is contact Camp Dore & ask them where to stay & fish for crappie as the fish move often. I have caught many of them where the Key River starts in the deep hole under the rapids in early spring & back in The Little Key River which is very shallow & also in good holes not far from Camp Dore where water levels would not make a difference as it is very deep along the cliff faces. Crappie fishing is a matter of finding them first & the only way to do that is try different depths usually with live minnows first & then with crappie jigs after you find them. The Key River is 8 miles long & there is a fabulous panifish hole that is 7 miles out on the left but it may be dry because of low water. I have camped right on it before & the fishing there for kids is fabulous just standing on the rocks & casting & the water is shallow there. Crappies eat minnows & fry mostly so try areas where you will find their food. They will be around or nearby somewhere & usually in schools. They like warm water & that is why The Key River is good for them as it is much warmer than out in Georgian Bay around islands & shoals on the big water.If they are deep you have to fish deep & visa versa. Also remember that most Canadians fish only for yellow pickerel & usually by trolling Rapalas & many locals do not fish at all including lodge owners. They grew up there & fishing is just something to do when they want fish for dinner & yellow pickerel or perch is their favorite & also for me. Personally I like yellow perch deep fried better than any other fish & it would seem the fish in Georgian Bay have the same preference including crappie. Small perch hide out in weedbeds & crappie come into them in schools to feed sooner or later. Crappie pros use deep trolling rigs & special methods to locate big crappie which is half the battle. Georgian Bay fishing is totally unpredictable from year to year or from day to day as far as that goes. If I were there I know I could put you on good crappie holes because I know where they are. Unfortunately I am not. The first of July is usually a good time to go for crappie & other panfish as you will get them in the weedbeds at this time. In early spring go up rivers & find the warm water & deep holes nearby. They will be around somewhere either in the swallow weeds or deep holes. You can buy minnows at the lodges & stores up there or you can take a minnow trap or net & catch your own. Big crappie like to lay under beaver huts, tree limbs & heavy weeds in early spring. The best place to net or trap minnows is under beaver huts. If you go out to the bay go up bays & rivers as far as you can go to the end by boat & you will find schools of big black crappie back in there but not usually out on Georgian Bay itself where the clear deep water is to cold for them. When you go past Key Harbour Lodge veer to the right & go way back in & you will find them at the ends of the bays & rivers where they come into Georgian Bay from the upper Pickerel & French River. Do not go out past Dead Island looking for good crappie fishing because the water is way to cold for them out that way.