Most anglers like constant action. Maybe we have short attention spans, or maybe we’ve been led to believe that good fishing requires non-stop activity. But fishermen who go out after muskellunge are just wired differently.
Fishing for muskies is a lifelong pursuit that often borders on obsession. It takes years to get really good at it. Even experienced anglers go hours—even days—without a bite.
But when a 30-pound muskie grabs your lure and high-tails it for deep water, there’s simply nothing like it.
Where to Catch Muskies in Ohio
Ohio is home to several truly exceptional muskellunge fishing lakes. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been stocking muskies diligently in several of the state’s man-made reservoirs for decades, and the results speak for themselves.
Muskellunge in the 40-inch class are quite common in most of these lakes, and some of the Ohio locations we tell you about offer opportunities to target true giants measuring 50 inches and tipping the scales close to 40 pounds.
A muskie that size is literally the fish of a lifetime, but you’ll find them swimming in each of Ohio’s best muskie lakes.
Leesville Lake
Leesville Lake’s reputation as Ohio’s best muskie lake is fairly secure. This 1,011-acre reservoir produces more 40-plus inch muskies than just about anywhere in the state and hosts the long-running Lungefest muskie tournament every June.
Located within the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) in Eastern Ohio, Leesville Lake is also a good numbers lake for muskellunge and has a reputation for being the best place in the state to start if you’re new to muskie fishing.
Generally speaking, muskellunge are fairly evenly distributed throughout the lake’s north and south forks, which is one of the main reasons they’re less difficult to catch here than elsewhere. In spring, anglers catch most muskies in 4 to 10 feet of water.
Focus on the northern shorelines in April—they warm fastest this time of year—and work the coves and creek mouths with bucktails and crankbaits. Muskies feed heavily on shad in spring, following schools of these baitfish into the shallows.
In summer, ample weed growth develops in shallow parts of Leesville Lake, and a thermocline usually sets up at around 12 feet. Baitfish and muskies alike hover right around the thermocline on summer days.
Fishermen often consider Leesville Lake more of a casting lake than a trolling lake. But some local anglers switch to trolling during the dog days of summer, often casting to weed lines during the evening hours and then trolling just above the thermocline from sunset to well after dark.
Another great thing about Leesville Lake is that it offers a decent shot at catching a muskie right from the bank. Bass anglers commonly find themselves tangling with small- to medium-sized muskies that snatch up their lure.
The stretch of shoreline between the dam and the South Fork Campground within Leesville Lake Park is a great area for bank fishing. The park also provides boat launch facilities, and boats are limited to 10 hp.
Clear Fork Reservoir
Located in Richland and Morrow counties in North-Central Ohio, Clear Fork Reservoir spans 1,033 acres and has long ranked among Ohio’s best muskie fisheries. It’s also the Ohio DNR’s muskie broodstock lake.
In recent years, Clear Fork Reservoir hasn’t been putting up the musky numbers that Leesville Lake has. But a significant proportion of the muskies caught here are over 40 inches, making it one of the best places to target trophy fish in Ohio.
The Clear Fork Mohican River feeds the reservoir, and where the river enters the lake is an excellent place to start looking for muskellunge in springtime. The shallow upper end of the lake warms up first, and anglers usually target stumps, laydowns, and developing weed beds in this area.
As Clear Fork Reservoir warms up in summer, North Bay is a great area to target. The bay lies between the lake islands and the northern shore and has 10-foot depths and shallow, weedy humps that almost break the surface.
Several spring holes also feed cold water into Clear Fork Lake along its northern shore, and these are great places to target during the warmer months. The cool waters attract baitfish, and muskies usually follow.
Much like Leesville Lake, Clear Fork is a lake on which anglers rely more on casting than trolling. Focusing on specific pieces of cover and bottom structure is usually effective, and trolling is seen as a backup option if all else fails.
The DNR operates the Clear Fork Fishing Area along the lake’s southern shore, with picnic areas and bank access. In addition, boat launch facilities are available at Clear Fork Marina. No horsepower restrictions are in place, but an 8 mph speed limit is enforced.
While you’re in the area, the Clear Fork Mohican River farther upstream is on our list of the best trout fishing streams in Ohio.
Piedmont Lake
Eastern Ohio’s Piedmont Lake is a long, meandering reservoir that offers 2,386 acres of water and about 37 miles of shoreline. It’s one of the best numbers lakes in Ohio for muskellunge.
Piedmont Lake has one of the highest muskellunge catch rates in the state. Anglers pull trophy-sized fish over 40 inches from this lake, but muskies that measure in the low-to-mid 30s are much more common.
That being said, Ohio’s 55.13-pound state record muskie was caught here in 1972. That fish has been unsurpassed for 50 years now, but who’s to say it can’t happen again?
When the muskie season gets going in April, focus your efforts on water less than 15 feet deep. Muskies seldom venture deeper than that this time of year. Targeting woody cover within casting distance of the bank is a good bet.
There are several small coves along the north shore of the lake, most of which have a scattering of boat docks that provide cover for muskies early and late in the day. Essex Bay is a good area to cover down on the south shore.
The cove that shelters Piedmont Marina is also an excellent area to try for muskellunge. If you launch at the marina, make a few casts around the slips and houseboat docks before heading out into the main lake.
Once summer sets in, anglers catch most muskies trolling near the dam or in the weed and stump-filled bays toward the eastern end of the lake.
Try casting oversized topwater lures around shallow cover at dawn, then troll deeper water for suspended muskies as the sun climbs.
Alum Creek Lake
Just a short drive from Columbus in Central Ohio, 3,330-acre Alum Creek Lake is a muskie powerhouse. Studies by the Ohio DNR have found that this lake has one of the highest muskie growth rates in the state.
Quite a few muskellunge in the 50-inch class have been boated here over the years. It’s fair to expect most of the muskies you catch here to be in the 30s, but there’s always trophy potential in Alum Creek Lake.
Muskellunge in Alum Creek Lake follow reasonably predictable patterns. Late March into April is the best time to catch them in shallow water. The area around the confluence of Alum Creek is among the better places to be this time of year.
By May, most muskies leave shallow cover behind and take to following baitfish—mostly shad, but also carp and suckers—as they move around the lake. This pattern usually persists throughout summer.
As the lake stratifies, trolling right around the thermocline is the best tactic.
Alum Creek Lake is also great for fall muskie fishing. As the water cools in September, muskies become more comfortable in shallower water and start to key in on baitfish in 5- to 12-foot depths.
Try casting 9-inch jerkbaits on the flats above the Cheshire Road bridge in the fall.
The main access to the lake is through Alum Creek State Park, which encompasses almost the entire shoreline. The park includes plenty of bank access, several boat ramps, a full-service marina, and camping.
The main body of Alum Creek Lake has no horsepower restrictions and is close to a major metropolitan area. Not surprisingly, the lake gets very busy on summer weekends.
So plan your visit during spring or fall to beat the crowds. When planning your musky fishing in the summer, shoot for a weekday or fish the no-wake areas in the upper reservoir.
More: Complete Guide to Alum Creek Lake Fishing
Pymatuning Reservoir
Spanning the line between Crawford County, Pennsylvania, and Ashtabula County, Ohio, 16,349-acre Pymatuning Reservoir is both states’ largest reservoir. Some real monster muskies have been caught here, including a 55-inch behemoth in 2017.
Pymatuning is often omitted from discussions of Ohio muskie lakes because it is stocked by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, not the Ohio DNR. However, yearling muskellunge are abundantly stocked on the PA side of the reservoir every year.
Shallow, fertile, and often quite turbid, Pymatuning is divided into northern and southern basins by the east-to-west Route 85/285 causeway that crosses it. After ice-out from late March into April, shallow areas in the northern basin offer the best muskie bite.
Bays behind Clarks, Harris, and Whaley islands are especially productive. Once the lake warms up from May into the summer months, the southern basin is usually better.
The southern basin is significantly deeper (about 30 feet max). It offers numerous protected bays along the western shoreline that harbor muskellunge throughout the warmer months. The area around Stockers Island might be the best stretch of water in this part of the lake.
As weed beds develop, troll or cast along the deeper edges of the vegetation. Underwater humps in the southern basin are worth a few passes, especially on summer mornings and evenings.
Thanks to a cooperative agreement between the two states, anglers can fish the entire lake from a boat with either an Ohio or Pennsylvania fishing license. Bank fishing requires a license from the state you’re standing in.
Access is available through Pymatuning State Park.
With so much water to fish, Pymatuning Reservoir also has some very good fishing for largemouth bass, walleye, and other species.
More: Complete Guide to Pymatuning Lake Fishing
Honorable Mentions
At the time of publication, the Ohio DNR stocks muskellunge in nine lakes across the Buckeye State. In addition to the top-tier lakes listed above, the following lakes have a good shot at putting a muskie in your net.
Caesar Creek Lake
Most of Ohio’s best muskie lakes are clustered in the eastern half of the state, but Caesar Creek Lake is a bit of an outlier. This 2,806-acre reservoir near Dayton is one of the best bets for muskies in Western Ohio.
The DNR has stocked muskellunge in Caesar Creek Lake since 1998, and as the fishery has matured, anglers catch increasing numbers of big fish. As a result, Caesar Creek has produced quite a few 45-inch muskies, and at least one 50-inch giant.
Anglers approach this lake using a combination of casting and trolling. Standing timber was left in the lake’s coves and along many banks, and anglers hook plenty of muskies around the submerged trees. Laydowns are also worth targeting in spring.
Many different areas can be productive for trolling, but the lake’s midsection offers some of the best options. There’s a great stretch of water from the Route 73 bridge to the point opposite the North Pool Boat Ramp, where the creek channel swings close to the bank.
Caesar Creek State Park surrounds the lake and offers camping, bank access, multiple-boat launch areas, and a full-service marina. Boats with unlimited horsepower are permitted on the lake.
Ohio DNR also stocks Caesar Creek Lake with lots of saugeye for anglers looking for faster action and a great meal.
Salt Fork Lake
Salt Fork Lake has produced more than its fair share of trophy muskellunge. Not many lakes in Ohio have given up more muskies between 45 and 50 inches. Even so, it’s very much not a numbers lake.
Granted, muskie fishing is never really a numbers game. But this 3,060-acre reservoir in Eastern Ohio can be incredibly challenging. You might go all day without a strike, but if and when a muskie does take the bait, it’s almost sure to be a big one.
During the warmer months, cast or troll in the dam area and along drop-offs to the main creek channel outside coves and points.
Salt Fork Lake usually has an excellent fall muskie bite as the water cools down.
From September into October, muskies often follow baitfish up into the shallow upper ends of the lake’s main forks. Try around Painters Hollow and the Freedom Road access site on the Rocky Fork Arm.
Salt Fork Lake is a very angler-friendly lake, with a ton of great access through Salt Fork State Park. The park includes cabins and campgrounds, and several boat launch sites. The park also has two marinas, one on the Sugartree Fork and one on the Salt Fork.
Salt Fork Lake also made our list of best catfish fishing lakes in Ohio.
West Branch Reservoir
Northeast Ohio’s West Branch Reservoir spans 2,729 acres within West Branch State Park, and is known for harboring a tremendous muskie population. True giants are rare here, but West Branch is a great place to hook into a few 30- to 36-inch muskies.
Trolling across humps and wind-blown points is a popular tactic on West Branch Reservoir. The lake has long, sloping points, and the most productive approach is usually to fish whichever side of the lake is facing the wind. The best muskie bite is often on a windy day.
Big bucktail spinners measuring 9 or 10 inches are the go-to lures for trolling this lake. Some anglers also find success casting topwater jerkbaits on the shallow flats in the upper half of the lake early in the morning.
Experienced muskie anglers run their lures in a figure-8 pattern at the side of the boat before taking the lure out of the water. This approach may tempt muskies that have followed the lure to strike at the last moment.
This is an especially important tactic on West Branch Reservoir, where the clarity is often so low that anglers might not see a fish just a foot or two below the surface.
Lake Milton
Nestled between Akron and Youngstown in Northeast Ohio, Lake Milton is a solid muskie lake that yields healthy numbers of smaller fish, along with the occasional trophy. A few 50-inch muskellunge have been caught here over the years.
Lake Milton covers 1,693 acres and is more popular among pleasure boaters than muskie anglers. That’s a double-edged sword, as the fish here are relatively unpressured, but all the boat traffic on summer weekends can be maddening.
If you’re fishing between Memorial Day and Labor Day, launch at the crack of dawn to beat the crowds. Muskies often suspend near the dam at the north end of the lake during summer. There are also productive points and humps mid-lake.
Anglers also catch muskellunge on the flats at the upper (southern) end. There are extensive flats under 12 feet deep throughout this area, but the deeper creek channel is well-defined. Expect strikes to happen just above the edge of the channel.
Big topwaters and diving plugs are popular on Lake Milton, and smaller muskies are known to snap up jigs and crankbaits intended for bass and walleye. Boats are allowed with unlimited horsepower, and launch facilities are available in Lake Milton State Park.
If the muskies aren’t biting, tie on a smaller lure and you’ll quickly find out why this is also a good smallmouth bass fishing lake.