CENTRAL OHIO
Buckeye Lake (Fairfield, Licking, and Perry counties) - Hybrid striped bass weighing up to 10 pounds are active along the north shore between Sellers Point and Watkins Island in four to eight feet of water. Try using chicken livers fished on the bottom or suspended under a bobber. Largemouth bass are being caught in the channels on plastic baits. Crappie and channel catfish are moving into more shallow water and the channels as the water temperature increases. Use small jigs or minnows to catch crappie in channel openings and around any available cover. Saugeye are active lake wide, use jigs tipped with a minnow or crankbaits fished near the bottom.
Hoover Reservoir (Delaware and Franklin counties) - Lake water temperatures last week were in the mid to upper 40 degrees Fahrenheit. As temperatures climb this week, crappies should move from deep water into shallower water. Target creek channels with woody shoreline cover using jigs and minnows. Look for areas around submerged timber. Saugeye in the five to seven pound range are located by the dam in good numbers right now. Try using minnow-imitating lures for saugeye. White bass should be moving up the creeks in two to three weeks if the weather continues to warm. They can be caught on small jigs or rooster tails. There is a 10 horsepower limit at this reservoir.
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NORTHWEST OHIO
Schoonover Park (Allen County) Water clarity is clear and the water levels are normal. Bluegills are being caught in one to four feet of water by casting jigs or still fishing with wax worms or night crawlers. The north end of the bay is the best spot.
Lima Lake (Allen County) - Water clarity is clear and the water levels are normal. Rainbow trout are being caught in one and eight feet of water. Casting spinners, Powerbaits and jigs or still fishing corn under a bobber are the best bets. The fishing dock and the boat ramp area are producing the best catches.
Maumee River (Wood and Lucas Counties) The water temperature is 46 degrees and the water level is low. A few walleye in the 18 to 22-inch range have been taken near Blue Grass Island. Fishing pressure is low.
Sandusky River (Sandusky County) The water temperature is 44 degrees and the water level is low. The rapids by the Miles Newton Bridge, Roger Young Park and Walsh Park are the only places to fish when the water is this low. Some fish have been taken. Fishing pressure is average.
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NORTHEAST OHIO
LaDue Reservoir (Geauga County) Anglers are reeling in crappie, bluegills, and walleye at this 1,467-acre lake. Anglers should fish from for crappie under the State Route 44 bridge with jigs or minnows. Bluegills, many measuring over six inches are also being caught in shallow bays. A few anglers are picking up walleye while trolling the shoreline or casting crankbaits along State Route 422. Electric motors only.
Nimisila Reservoir (Summit County) - Anglers are catching crappie, averaging about nine inches in length, at this 742-acre lake. Small jigs with wax worms or minnows under a float have produced a few fish in near shore areas. The northwest corner along the dike and the area around the parking lot at the office are good locations. New brush piles, located just south of the park office parking lot and placed by Division of Wildlife fish management crews, are producing nice catches of panfish. Electric motors only.
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SOUTHWEST OHIO
Grand Lake St. Marys (Mercer and Auglaize Counties) Anglers are beginning to catch crappie, many over eight inches, near boat docks and brushy structure in the channels. Crappies are being caught on live minnows, tube jigs or jigs with twister tails. Preferred colors are chartreuse and purple.
Hueston Woods (Preble County) Crappies are being caught with live minnows under a bobber. Try casting 15 to 20-feet off the bank and near structure. Fish are eight to 13-inches in size.
Adams Lake (Adams County) Stocked with trout on March 13, 2009. Trout are being caught on wax worms under a bobber. Channel cats and bullheads are being taken on chicken livers.
Rocky Fork Lake (Highland County) Trout will be stocked on April 4, and a youth fishing derby will take place at this time. Fishing will be youth only, 15 and under from 1pm-4pm. Registration starts at 10am. The Division of Wildlife will be on hand for this fishing event and will also provide hands on activities in Archery, and shotgun shooting from 11am-4pm. All guns and ammo are provided, please do not bring your own. Trout will be stocked in a blocked-off bay at the campground marina which has excellent shoreline fishing access. Try using small spinners or jigs tipped with waxworms. The daily catch limit is five trout per angler.
Rush Run Lake (Preble County) Stocked with trout on March 19, 2009.
Clark Lake (Clark County) Stocked with trout on March 27, 2009.
Stonelick Lake (Clermont County) Stocked with trout on March 28, 2009.
Sycamore S.P. Lake (Montgomery County) Stocked with trout on March 27, 2009. Trout are being caught on Providence Rd. near Diamond Mill. They are in the 1-2 lb. range. Anglers are reporting success on; corn, Powerbait, small spinners, and jigs. Try fishing two to four feet deep and be patient. Access to the lake is a 300 yard trail down a long hill; there are steps available if you look for them. Travel light for the walk and use small tackle and especially small hooks.
Greenville Creek (Darke County) Smallmouth are being caught on one inch softcraws. Try the stretch of creek between Greenville and Gettysburg.
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SOUTHEAST OHIO
Lake Logan (Hocking County) Annual stocking of saugeye occur in this 317-acre lake, providing anglers with good fishing opportunity of 12 to 15-inch fish. Most anglers fish minnows floating or in six to 10 foot depths. The beach area of the lake is a typical saugeye hotspot in early spring. Lake Logan also has a fair population of white crappie. Popular crappie bait includes fishing jigs with smaller twister tails or a minnow-tipped jig.
Tycoon Lake (Gallia County) Early season crappie fishing is always popular in this 204-acre lake. Successful anglers report that fishing with minnows or white or chartreuse twister tails in two to eight foot depths near brush piles, stick-ups or old submerged fencerows have produced catches of seven to nine inch long fish. Tycoon is also a favorite bass fishing destination. Jig n pig combos have been typical early spring success bait while fished along the old fencerows or among the many subsurface stumps. Other largemouth hot spots include the northwest corner from the south dam; water northwest of the south dam parking lot from near shore to mid-lake; water near the south shore of the east dam; and the entire northwest shore associated with the topographic inlet. An 18-inch minimum length limit has been in effect for Tycoons largemouth bass since 2001.
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LAKE ERIE
**From March 1 through April 30 the walleye bag limit reduces to 4 fish per day, returning to 6 fish per day on May 1. The minimum size limit for walleye is 15.**
**The daily bag limit for Lake Erie yellow perch is 25 fish per angler in waters west of the Huron pier. The limit will remain at 30 fish per angler in Ohio waters from Huron eastward. Any boats landing west of Huron, Ohio will be subject to the 25 fish daily bag limit, while boats landing at Huron or points east will be subject to a 30 fish daily bag limit. Shore-based anglers west of the Huron pier will be subject to a 25 fish daily bag limit, while those on the pier and eastward will remain at 30 fish daily.**
**From September 1, 2008 through May 15, 2009 the steelhead trout daily bag limit is 2 fish. The minimum size limit for steelhead is 12 inches.**
**The black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) daily bag limit is 5 fish through April 30, 2009 with a 14 minimum size limit. May 1 through June 26 is closed to possession (catch and release only) with the limit returning to 5 fish on June 27, 2009.**
Western Basin
Walleye are being caught in the western basin on days that weather allows. The week of 3/23 was excellent until Saturday and Sunday when cold weather and wind slowed fishing. Most reports have come from reefs in the Camp Perry firing range and to a lesser extent nearshore from Locust Point to Crane Creek. Jig fishermen typically have success in spawning and staging areas such as the Camp Perry reefs, Maumee Bay, the Bass Islands, and various nearshore areas from Toledo to Cedar Point. Early trollers will have success fishing the open water around the Camp Perry reef complex and the Bass Islands.
Based on the nearshore marine forecast the water temperature is 42 off of Toledo and 38 off of Cleveland.
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OHIO RIVER
Stuart Station (Adams County) Catfish are being caught on cut bait. Try fishing about an hour after the warm water discharge stops. The discharge times will vary depending on the plant output.
Greenup Dam (Scioto County) Anglers report great success fishing greenup for sauger, saugeye and walleye while fishing from the rip-rap on the point off the Ohio shore. Most successful baits have been jigs with three inch twisters that are chartreuse or bubblegum colored. White bass fishing has also been good the past week with anglers using pearl colored artificial shad cast from the fishing platform at greenup. Water levels have fluctuated in the upper 20 foot range with recent rainfall. For realtime water level data click here
New Cumberland Lock (Jefferson County) - Anglers are catching 12 to 15-inch sauger in the tailwaters of the New Cumberland Lock on the Ohio River. Current river conditions near normal flow leads to better fishing from the West Virginia shore, but anglers are still catching a few fish from the Ohio side. If the flow of the river increases due to expected rain, Ohio fishing will improve. Early morning hours are best when fishing live minnows on the bottom. Anglers should bring bait since there are no bait shops nearby. As the water warms, fish will also bite on 2-inch white, plastic grubs. Note: no parking is permitted along State Route 7. Also, due to construction, there are areas closed to shore anglers near the New Cumberland Lock and Dam.
Report by ODNR.