Some of these I would not consider “metro” fisheries at all.
If you’re trying to stay within an hour of the metro I’d focus on the miss and MN river backwaters. They can be in reallllllly shallow and the quality is generally better than other lakes and trophy potential is real.
Loose lips sink ships
I Don’t know of any other backwaters besides the ones I mentioned, where else are they?
There have been thousands of crappies in my boat from Tonka over the last +30 years and never once have we broken the 15″ mark. The numbers there are astronomical. The size structure not so much. So, if you’re looking to eliminate water in search of a +15″, there’s 14,000 acres you could consider crossing-off the list.
I could tell u one of the best largy lakes in the state as the trade, that’s all I’m really good for
A couple lakes in Waconia area put out some around 18inchers
There have been thousands of crappies in my boat from Tonka over the last +30 years and never once have we broken the 15″ mark. The numbers there are astronomical. The size structure not so much. So, if you’re looking to eliminate water in search of a +15″, there’s 14,000 acres you could consider crossing-off the list.
Dang it Brian! You just ruined my morning lol
1st rule of the +16” crappie club is to turn off the GPS on your phone so it doesn’t save your location to the picture. 2nd rule is to lie about where you took the picture. 
I regularly crappie fish many of the areas on the OP list and you can find +15” crappies. They are there and have a lot of pressure on them. Some of these lakes go in swings. The word gets out, they get hit hard, the big ones get removed, and the small ones left. Then it takes a couple of years for the small ones to get big again. Even though I know where the big ones are on some of the lakes. I must wait for them to get big and have to hope the word didn’t get out before I get there or I will have to wait again. Also bigger crappies like different baits than you normally use for crappie. Go bigger. Best of luck.
^^^Sorry! Just calling it like I see it…
Whaletail had some big ones pulled out of it, and posted online. Now it is full of fisherman all the time, and I’m sure it’s still capable of producing those fish but it will be a matter of hitting it at the right time and place to get a shot at them. Personally I’d look elsewhere in the area, there’s a ton of smaller lakes that have WAY less pressure and just as good of shot if you do enough research. Waconia is one I fish a lot, but never got anything close to the teens, 10-11″ers are pretty rare too imo.
Waconia puts out 19″s there are bigger than 16.5″ in the metro 
Most those 19″s wouldn’t make 17″ on a bump board with the mouth closed…
Very few lakes in the metro have targetable populations of 15″+ fish. Many have them, but actually being able to target the big ones (ex: Minnetonka, Waconia) is nearly impossible. You’re searching for a fish that that is in the 99.99th percentile of all the crappies in the lake. It just becomes a numbers game at that point and you hope for the one lucky bite.
My recommendation is to upsize your lures. 15″+ crappies become predators at that size. Walleye sized spoons with a minnow heads. This selectively filters out the bottom 50th percentile size of crappies within a lake and increases the likelihood of getting the big bite.
Largest I’ve caught is a 15 3/4″ and 2 weeks before that my wife caught a 15 1/2″ on the same lake. This is near Mankato. I know the genetics are in that lake. In my experience, the less pressured lakes might have the dinks and the big ones. The heavily pressured lakes down here might have a ton of eater-sized fish, but the big ones don’t survive to get 14-16″. When picking a lake to fish for the day, I decide if I’m going for a meal, or trying to beat my PB. Similar to good public hunting spots, I do not share specific locations with others.
I think BrianF has just hit on something a lot of people overlook. A water that will hold large crappies “consistently” almost always has to be large enough to support several different year classes of crappies that get spread out all through that system AND has to have a forage base that is diverse enough to support the diets of the differing classes[sizes] of crappies. The different year classes of crappies definitely have appetites that reflect their needs based on size. Lake Minnetonka is large enough and diverse enough to support large numbers of quite large fish. The key here is figuring those larger fish out. Minnetonka could easily have 50 loose schools of 15″ fish in it. Smaller bodies of water can have and hold very large crappies but usually their numbers won’t be high because the lake itself will not offer enough of what’s needed to support a large number of the larger crappies. Then too, genetics have to be present that makes a crappie capable of growing to a large size and those genetics do not exit in all waters.
It doesn’t take very long for a serious crappie angle to realize that those big fish, while they may be found in and around smaller fish, have very different needs food-wise and that often-times results in their being deeper, or shallower, or further to the outside where the smaller fish are being caught. As mentioned, big crappies love the seclusion that weeds offer and are often found buried in deep in weeds where they can ambush their prey. Seriously big crappies seldom allow smaller crappies to share the same small area where they are hunting for food and will push them out and away from that area. A 15″ crappie can and will feed on forage in the 3 to 4 inch range that includes sunfish and perch in that size range as well as shad and other soft-rayed forage even larger. Most crappie anglers fail to use baits or plastics that come remotely close to what these big fish will eat.
In short, big crappies start at about 13″ and they get more “unlike” smaller crappies as they grow larger so if one wants to catch truly large crappies they need to get past the idea that they’ll catch any numbers of the big ones if they find and fish smaller crappies. And that is food for thought for the summer as well as winter fishing. Big crappies are every bit as much a predator fish as their toothy buddies and their habits, food sources and preferred waters reflect exactly that.
Most of today’s average crappie anglers dream of the big fish but stay stuck on catching crappies that don’t clear the 12″ mark because they won’t change locations of tactics that address the truly large ones. Which is likely a good thing as these are likely anglers that keep what they catch. For table fare, those big suckers have passed their prime as table fish. A friend and I fish a lot and we target and keep crappies in the 11 to 12 inch range for the table unless we deep hook a bruiser and its bleeding from the gills. If we have to kill it, we keep it and that goes for smaller fish as well. We catch plenty of 14″ and 15″ fish but slip them back in the drink.
To the original poster: If you live inside the Cities you’re probably not more than 15 miles away from that 15″+ fish. You just need to focus on what will catch that animal because that 15″ crappie is in no fashion similar to the 9″ crappies that abound there in the metro. The Red Wing area, the Lake City area, the Wabasha and the Winona area all have waters that hold big crappies…. including that 15′ you so desire. If you’re thinking ice, think a very long walk and no other anglers.
Crappie and several others opinions are 100% in the norm.
Isaiah, I looked at your instagram and will cut you some slack as you are younger. Smaller lakes with trophy fish, especially around the metro with tens of thousands of anglers, generally only stay good due to lack of pressure/knowledge. Who wouldn’t want to catch a giant crappie, and if word gets out a lake is putting out 14″+ crappies its going to be full of anglers by the next weekend. That just adds to the toughness of catching one. In your Instagram I don’t see you tagging lakes, why is that? if you catch a trophy crappie will you tag the lake name? I’m guessing same reason I don’t put lake names in my social media posts, unless its like tonka, LOTW, Red, ML etc. 
Expect to put in a full winters work and maybe have one trophy metro crappie to share, I’m still looing for mine!! There is a few local guys that are dialed, but they have been trying to break the code for years and out there multiple days every week, and are as tight lipped as any.
“Jimmy” just gave you some incredible info. Read it 10x’s and save it.
Heres a link that talks about specific lakes in various regions. It can be tough to word a question on the site sometimes without getting some…reactions. Hopefully its a little helpful for ya even if its a couple years old.
https://www.gameandfishmag.com/editorial/Minnesota-crappie-fishing-guide-2019/359344
Check the Minnesota DNR netting survey reports Wisconsin has some very good information on different lakes. Best chance of 15 inch is finding what lakes have the growth rate and populations that can support these fish.
When looking for slab Crappies these fish have to be 10 plus years old they don`t hang in the normal areas smaller fish live. One DNR tagging report I read it is not unusual for Crappies to cover 13 miles in a day.
One lake I fish for 12 inch plus fish they are out in open water winter and summer in very small schools of 5-10 fish constantly on the move. They will make a move to deep weed edges every so often targeting these fish in winter is difficult, I use Mega 360 to find and stay on these fish. James had an excellent video on targeting these open water fish.
Thanks guys for all of the great info. I’m writing all of it down, this community is fantastic and I’m glad I found a good place for information!
My best advice is target winter kill lakes or river systems/reservoirs.
I have caught some big ones in small metro lakes that winter kill when I used to live down there but I am not going to put the lake name on the internet.
I was talking with a popular MN taxidermist about crappies. He said he has had a lot of crappies brought in that were told to be 16+ but when measured by him they were not that big. His shop has mounted hundreds of crappies from MN but none that were 16 or bigger and only a couple dozen 15+. And for what it’s worth, he was mounting lots of crappies back in the red lake hay day when reports of buckets full 16-17 inch crappies were common.
Point being, most people embellish fish size or don’t know how to use a tape measurer. If you catch a 15+ In MN it is a special fish. 16+ even more so.
Nice post Jimmy Jones. That is helpful in my quest.
I will be upsizing my presentation this spring. I’ll gladly sacrifice bites for quality.
Great post JJ 
Big baits equal big crappies. If your catching 7s 8s 9s 10s, your in the wrong spot. All my big crappies don’t come from schools.
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I was talking with a popular MN taxidermist about crappies. He said he has had a lot of crappies brought in that were told to be 16+ but when measured by him they were not that big. His shop has mounted hundreds of crappies from MN but none that were 16 or bigger and only a couple dozen 15+. And for what it’s worth, he was mounting lots of crappies back in the red lake hay day when reports of buckets full 16-17 inch crappies were common.
Point being, most people embellish fish size or don’t know how to use a tape measurer. If you catch a 15+ In MN it is a special fish. 16+ even more so.
Very true! A good taxidermist/friend of mine told me that most 2 lb crappies weigh 1-1/2 lbs, 10lb walleyes weigh 7-8, and 20 lb pike weigh 15-17. Lol. Thats coming from a guy who has handled thousands of trophy fish. 
Guessing a taxidermist would know. Every woman knows a guy has no clue even what 8 inches is.
Waconia is a nice bet IMO. I have seen some giants come out of there. Also, pretty untapped and not for ice fishing, but Pool 2 has some really nice crappie. I had one last year on jiggin rap that i thought was an 18″ striped bass until it broke the surface and shook the hook boatside.
I would say Waconia maybe 10 or more years ago. That lake gets its ass handed to itself every spring during the spawn and hammered all winter long. Lucky in the winter most people dont fish 80 percent of the lake cause the marina only plows whats easy for them. When I worked in Waconia I would fish 7 days a week in the winter and catching crappies was easy. My biggest out there 15.75″. Used to get alot of 13-14″ers. Last 5 or 6 years it has not been the same. Alot of times its hard just to get a decent meal worth. I always fish the same spot I did with my dad growing up. Maybe up to a dozen other houses near by. Now if not out there on first day or two of driveable ice there would be 75 houses there and just gets worse as year goes on.
IDO regulars have seen these before, but thought this montage from my cell phone photo archive might bring a little hope to someone for a trophy metro crappie this year.
Honestly, the satisfaction from the catch & release of these crappies rivals the satisfaction from the catch & release of my largest muskies. Definitely worth the chase!
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Solid fish Brian!!
To me you have a far better chance to catch a trophy Crappie in Open water than thru the ice. The spawn tends to concentrate those big fish into much smaller search areas. Not saying they can not and are not caught in winter but just easier in open water – In my opinion
I agree with this. My PB crappie was open water.
Watching Crappie Chronicles, Game of Inches, Clayton Schick has taught me how to measure fish. The pros always stress that the fish’s mouth has to be closed, plus I got a good bump board. I got my pb last winter and thought it was 14” at first but a careful measurement showed 13.75. I do that all the time so I know what my next goal is. Makes it more fun for me! Good luck to everyone, I’m insanely jealous of your big uns.
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