Cross Creek Crappies

Well, this is a tough post for me. Crappies are on fire. Last few times out I noticed little if any pressure. There are plenty to be caught over the size limit. Plenty.
Which is why im posting this. Thin em out guys, wayyy too many, they all wont survive anyway, they will stunt too. I've seen the cycles, I watched the lake get built, been fishing it since. This is a great year for size, take advantage, last time out was middle afternoon, 4 hours over 75 fish, kept 10 over 10".

Sweet!! On a boat or from shore??

Wife and I in a boat. Yeah, we covered a lot of water and concentrated on the groups on the flasher,...lots of groups...lots and lots..many well within casting distance from shore. Rig up a slip bobber, use a fatter thill with a barrel swivel 18" up from bait and pile on split shot so you can cast far, start 6' down keep dropping slip knot till you hit em and keep it moving..green, white, chartreuse jig with a fathead or twister tail in white or yellow, rooster tails, small cranks. Weird, its like spring and fall happening now. But believe me, there are tons. I know whats gonna happen if guys don't start thinning. Most of the ones we kept were closer to 12-13", I just didn't have time to clean more cause I had to go back to work. Hopefully we get good ice this winter so more people can thin em out.

Mike who

You don't need live bait, doesn't matter

Been awhile,like years.

yeah we caught some nice ones there years ago. Way bigger than any river saugeye. Saugeyes are kind of rare in the river but every one I've caught was 13-17" range. Cross Creek I'd say 90% of the saugeyes we caught were bigger than 17 and a lot over 20. 

luvinbluegills
I need shore fishing. If this is true, I'll make the drive from Pittsburgh!

I've tried fishing from shore a few times when work had me close to the lake.  I got skunked every time...  Not a ton of access from shore.  There is a pretty nice stretch along the North shore, where Cross Creek enters the lake.  The creek itself, looks like it should hold some fish.  There is a parking lot, right where the lake starts.  Then a path that takes you through a field, then to some old road that hugs the side of the lake for about 1/4 of a mile.  There is one cove in this section, but mostly main lake.  It goes into the woods, away from the lake for another 1/4 mile, then back to the lake for a little.  I did not venture into that wooded area though.  It looks promising overall.  If you have a bike and a system to carry gear, you could probably cover a good bit of water.  No doubt, a boat is the way to go, on most lakes.

Any special regs for non powered boats since it is a county park? I know some counties have their own permit requirements. Crappie are all I am fishing for so may be worth the drive for me.

I always did too, 'til my brother took me to a spot he knew which sounds exactly like the spot you're describing. Is there a small covered bridge near there?

80

Fished it a couple times since first post, good to see a few boats out trying, a buddy sunday kept a limit over 10" in four hours, I was trophy hunting with huge chubs for eyes, water still too warm in the "flats"...its only flat outside the creek channel...stay in the channel, it makes an "S", find a map, I have an old original that I might get reproduced with enough interest, shows the location of the 3 underwater bridges too. The panfish are following huge clouds of bait right now and are really concentrated cause theyre hungry

Where the lake enters, walk the shoreline past the first cove, creek channel hugs it for a hundred yards or so, 8-10' depths within stepping distance, don't wade you'll drown. The panfish are using it like a highway, following the young of the year baitfish

Where the lake enters?? Don't you mean where the creek enters?