There are some small lakes/reservoirs in Madison county, south of the Thruway that are a short drive away - might be worth trying out. Lake Moraine comes to mind.
It's a little bit of a drive, but not as bad as heading all the way out this way. Not sure about some of the lakes as you head up Rte 12 towards Old Forge, but I'd imagine some of them may have crappie too.