WHITE CLAY LAKE
This lake, a couple miles east of Shawano Lake, is crystal clear and has abundant cattails around the shorelines. On the north end, the cattails give way to reed beds.

“This is where I like to start,” Peterson said. “Go 400 to 500 yards past the cattails to the reed beds. The north end of the lake is heating up at this time of year and is loaded with crappies. This particular structure is right next to a dropoff that goes down to 40 feet. The crappies come out of the deep water at night to feed in the shallows, and then go back to the deep.”

While the best fishing is at sunrise or sundown, you can also find them during midday with your electronics.

“In the midday, look for schools on the edge of the dropoff,” Peterson said. “Here the fish will hold until evening when they move into the shallows again.”

Fish average 9 to 10 inches, with some bigger ones mixed in. So even though they may not be the biggest crappies, you can catch good numbers of fish once you have them dialed in.

ROBERTS LAKE
This lake has two boat landings, but most people access the water by the free launch at the Wild Rose Restaurant & Bar.

“Straight off of the Wild Rose are the reed beds,” Peterson said. “Right there is a steep dropoff. It goes from reeds to cabbage to 20 feet. Fish the reed edges at night and then go deeper when the sun comes out. They don’t move much during the day, so search through 9 to 12 feet of water until you find the school.”

Another good spot is along the eastern shore where there are many fish cribs or brushpiles. This structure attracts baitfish and, consequently, crappies.

“The cribs on the northeast side are in 17 to 18 feet of water,” the Shawano-area guide said. “These crappies are used to eating small perch, so I’ve found that black and green are good colors to use. I like the plastic Flu-flu Jigs and plastic tubes. Glow Demons in red or fluorescent green also work. I might switch to pink and white if I’m not doing well with the other colors.”

Crappies average 9 to 10 inches, with a few 15- to 16-inchers, too.

WOLF RIVER
The Wolf River is a large system known for its walleyes, but if you want to add another species to your stringer, go to a backwater to catch crappies, especially near New London.

“This river has a lot of fingers that are loaded with brush,” Peterson said. “Go to the shallow banks where the water is only 2 to 5 feet deep. In fact, you can tie your boat up to the brush.”

However, it is this brush that can make fishing difficult. Peterson recommends using a cane pole or other long rod, because this isn’t a cast-and-retrieve situation. Instead, you are trying to deliver a vertical presentation inside the pockets of brush.