Buggs Island Lake, also known as Kerr Reservoir, is easily the best crappie fishing impoundment on the East Coast. Crappie experts say that you have to go to Texas to find fish as large and as plentiful. A 1-pound crappie at Buggs is a baby and 2-pounders are “ho-hum.” At Buggs Island they catch 3 and occasionally 4-pound crappie. Now those are true slabs.
In a recent Crappie Tournament, the winning weight for a 7-fish stringer was over 17 pounds. Two fish caught in the tournament went over 3 pounds. The genes in the crappie here are so good that the Game Department frequently stocks other waters with these fish.
Right now is the time to fish for crappie at Buggs. The fish are ready to spawn and are moving into shallow and catchable waters. And they are hungry after a long, lean winter.
Hitch up your jon boats and let’s go fishing.
