Lake O’ the Pines is an excellent Crappie Lake. Most fisherman associate great Crappie Fishing with Spring, but the best fishing is in the 
Winter. December, January and February are the best months to fish for Crappie on Lake O’ the Pines
After the spawn, when the weather gets hot, Crappie will scatter all over the lake and settle in to their summer pattern. Although the lake is full of fish, they can be difficult to find. In October , when the lake temperature starts to drop, the fish start moving into the creek channels and drop offs waiting to move to deeper water. Once December arrives, Crappie have moved into the deep water and set up a holding pattern until the water starts to warm in the Spring. Lake O’ the Pines is deepest at the Southeast end by the damn, and that is where you will find a huge concentration of Crappie and Crappie Fisherman.
The Crappie will be in 25 to 40 feet of water between Johnson Creek and the damn. When the weather is good you will not have a problem finding the fish. Just look fro the boats…where there are boats, there are Crappie. On December 26th 2014 I counted 96 boats fishing for Crappie, and all were catching fish.
During December and January Crappie will bite minnows and jigs alike. I have found that the white curly tail bodies on a road runner work well although they will bite almost any jig you present. Some fisherman will fish with a pole in each hand and slowly troll over the deep water. I prefer watch the fish finder, then anchor up when I see a concentration of fish. I will fish with both minnows and jigs at the same time. Most of the Crappie caught are nice sized fish measuring in the 13 to 15 inch range. Texas Parks and Wildlife rules for Lake O’ the Pines requires you to keep every fish you catch regardless of size since they are coming up from deep water. The limit is 25.
If you love to Crappie Fish you need to come to the lake in the Winter. Pine Cove Cabin is located right on Lake O’ the Pines and is a great place to stay if you want to fish or just enjoy a weekend getaway. Jefferson Texas is only 10 minutes away so bring your wife and you both will have a weekend to remember.
