Want to have a crappie day? Head to Owyhee Reservoir, just over the Idaho-Oregon border

Looking for an action-packed fishing trip the whole family can enjoy? Look no further than eastern Oregon’s Owyhee Reservoir. Located less than two hours from Boise, Owyhee is home to a variety of species — including an absolutely loaded crappie population.

Crappie are a schooling fish known for having prolific populations, but they are especially thick at Owyhee right now. Just about every rocky point and shoreline has a school on it, and the fish aren’t particularly finicky. Just about any style of panfish jig will catch fish, and if you tie on two jigs at a time, there’s a good chance you’ll double up on crappie. The fish aren’t as big as the crappie at C.J. Strike and Brownlee reservoirs, but most are 8-to-10 inches, which is a good size for the frying pan.

Owyhee is also known as a trophy bass lake for both largemouth and smallmouth. They are harder to find than the crappie, but a solid effort usually yields several nice fish, and bass over five pounds are not uncommon. Be warned — even large bass lures like crankbaits, soft plastics and football-head jigs will occasionally get eaten by ravenous crappie. It’s mildly annoying if you were hoping for a lunker bass, but catching lots of fish is never a bad problem to have!

Fishing Owyhee requires an Oregon license (one-day tags are available), and if you’re launching a boat, you must have proof of a completed boater safety class in either Idaho or Oregon. Tight lines!

Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters since he was a teen. Share your fish stories, adventures and questions with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com, or visit www.tightlines208.com for the latest local fishing reports and upcoming class offerings.