Carlyle Lake Crappie Report – April 22, 2025

Let’s call it what it is—Carlyle’s been stingy. I haven’t been posting direct fishing reports lately, and it’s not because I’m holding out on y’all. Between guiding, the wind, and spring storms, I just haven’t been able to get out there like I normally do. But we had two boats out today, and I wanted to give a quick honest update.

It was flat tough. Water is dropping fast—flowing out at 10,000 cfs—and that combined with runoff from all this rain has turned the lake into chocolate milk. Temps were hovering between 62–65 degrees, depending on which arm you were in.

We made the rounds. Hit all the major crappie haunts, from north to south, east to west. Didn’t matter—every spot looked about the same. We found fish where they’re supposed to be this time of year… but they’re tight-lipped. Jigs, minnows, color changes, depth adjustments—nothin’ flipped the switch today.

That said, I’m not sounding the alarm just yet. This happens just about every year—a good ol’ spring slump, not a crash. Between the weather swings, muddy inflow, and falling water, the fish just get lockjaw. But once the lake stabilizes—level and clarity—you can bet these crappie will fire off again. Timing’s everything, and when it flips back on, we’ll be ready to hit it hot.

We’ve also got something special happening this weekend—AmVets Outdoors is bringing their event to Carlyle! We’re getting 10 veterans out on the water Saturday and Sunday for a couple days of fishing, food, and well-earned fun. Rain or shine, biting or not, it’s gonna be a damn good time. These guys and gals deserve it, and we’re proud to play a small part in making it happen. hang tight. Clean your rods, check your line, and sharpen your hooks. The next window could pop any day now… and when it does, we’ll be on ‘em.

Stay tuned. Stay ready. Stay dry.
– Jason