Tom Evans.

Buckeye State anglers will have no problem finding a place to wet a line in the coming year. With Lake Erie’s abundant walleye and smallmouth bass populations; inland lakes full of bass, catfish, saugeyes and muskellunge; mighty rivers swimming with tackle-busting pike; inland ponds full of plentiful panfish and streams stocked with catchable trout, the only thing an angler needs to worry about is where to fish first!

This year, we’ve rounded up 36 of Ohio’s hottest angling spots by species and month to make that decision easier. Regulations vary widely by location, so always check current fishing laws before heading out.

JANUARY
Largemouth Bass
Dillon Reservoir
Anglers can expect to take good numbers of 12- to 15-inch bass here. During winter months, try jigging a plastic worm in deeper portions of the lake. The lower two-thirds of the lake are deeper. At the dam, depths reach down to 33 feet.

Access is off Dillon Hills Drive near the dam in Dillon State Park, or off Route 146.

Walleyes
Findlay Reservoir#1
This 185-acre Hancock County reservoir contains an excellent number of walleyes, most in the 14- to 21- inch range. There are also good populations of channel catfish and yellow perch.

For access sites, check DeLorme’s Ohio Atlas and Gazetteer, Map 36.

Muskellunge
Cowan Lake
This 681-acre lake in Clinton County hosts a fair number of muskellunge. Most range from 24 to 36 inches, but there are monsters over 40 inches long and weighing in at 20 pounds swimming here! Cowan Lake is also home to largemouth bass, saugeyes, bluegills and bullheads.

Access may be had through Cowan Lake State Park or off Route 730 in Vernon.

FEBRUARY
Saugeyes
Piedmont Lake
This Belmont County lake offers anglers 2,273 acres of excellent saugeye fishing. Anglers often take fish ranging from 12 to 17 inches. Fish jig-and-minnow or jig-and-night-crawler combinations in five to 10 feet of water for saugeye success.

See DeLorme’s Ohio Atlas and Gazetteer, Map 62 for access sites.

Bluegills
Seneca Lake
This big lake (3,508 acres) in Noble and Guernsey counties is home to a good number of bluegills more than 6 inches in length. Seneca Lake also offers anglers opportunities for largemouth bass, channel catfish, walleyes, saugeyes, striped bass and crappies.

Access is off Route 313.

Walleyes
Lake Erie
This Great Lake is a perennial in our pages for a reason -- it’s one of the best walleye waters in the Buckeye State! There’s a six-fish limit from May through February, four fish per person in March and April. The length limit is 15 inches.

Start drilling your walleye-sized auger holes (no wider than 12 inches) in the bays of the western basin. For access sites, check DeLorme’s Ohio Atlas and Gazetteer, maps 27 and 28.

MARCH
Black Crappies
East Fork Lake
This 1,971-acre lake in Clermont County offers anglers a good number of black crappies in the 8- to 12-inch range. Fish 10 to 20 feet deep around wooded bays and dropoffs in fall and late winter.

Access is off Route 222 northeast of Union.

Rainbow Trout
Van Wert Reservoir#1
This 65-acre water in Van Wert County is stocked each spring with 10- to 14-inch rainbows. Anglers may catch larger holdover trout here as well. Reservoir #1 also holds yellow perch and largemouth bass.

Access is off U.S. Route 127 south of the City of Van Wert.

Largemouth Bass
Deer Creek Lake
This productive bass lake spans Pickaway and Fayette counties. For lunker largemouths in late winter, fish dropoffs where the water is deepest.

Access may be had off Route 207 near Pancoastburg.