I forgot to add...I got into a mess of crappies late one afternoon on Stevens Creek Reservior. It's close to work, so I scooted out a tiny bit early one day and tossed my yak in the water. I had a year-long parking pass for my truck and year-long launch pass for my yak, so I didn't have to worry about tickets or finding the self-pay machine (which isn't close to the boat ramp there...d'oh).

That was in the Fall though but the spot likely has crappie year round. The water level was low (since there's not much rain locally after Spring is over and this was the Fall).

I was exploring the water trying to figure out where to fish when I passed an area that had the tips of some old trees sticking straight up.

My guess is that those trees were right there when that canyon was dammed up to create that reservior. In the rainy season, the water level hides those trees.

When the water level is down, only the top of the former crown of the trees are exposed. That should provide tons of structure year round for fish like crappie and blue gill.

You need to be on the water though to get to that area. I didn't see a way for folks fishing from shore to get close enough. It would be quite a ways to kick if you're in a float tube...launch from the picnic area instead of the boat ramp and you'll be much closer!

The end of that reservior furtherest away from the boat ramp (away from the dam) is where the water comes in and it can get VERY shallow even during the rainy season.

If you head away from the dam, the reservior takes a sharp left (roughly 90 degrees) and maybe a quarter mile later takes a sharp right. After that right turn, if the water is high, there's a bunch of trees in the water but I haven't fished that portion so I can't say if it's any good.

I have seen folks playing panfish from shore near where that left turn starts.

Do you have a way to get out on the water with your son? Or do you need shore/wade fishing info? I've seen waders and tubers at Calero and it's supposed to have plenty of crappie, etc. All I've caught there though are bass.