Tom Evans.

OCTOBER
Muskellunge
Salt Fork Lake
This Guernsey County lake is stocked with muskies and is also a great walleye destination.

Landing a muskie measuring 36 inches or longer qualifies you for a Fish Ohio Award. Try big crankbaits, wobbling lures or jerkbaits, and be sure to use a wire leader!

Access may be had off U.S. Route 22 in Jefferson.

Largemouth Bass
Nettle Lake
This northwestern Williams County lake in Edon, at 95 acres, is the largest naturally formed lake in Ohio.

Nettle Lake offers anglers a shot at an excellent largemouth bass population. The lake also has good fishing for channel catfish and a fair number of crappies and bluegills.

Smallmouth Bass
Hocking River
This smallmouth bass water flows through Hocking and Athens counties. Electro-shocking surveys indicate a good concentration of bronzebacks from the confluence of Clear Creek in Hocking County to the Plains in Athens County.

Most smallmouth bass from this river top 12 inches. They can go as large as 19 inches. There is a 15-inch minimum-length limit in effect from the Route 328 bridge south of Logan to the Route 278 bridge in Nelsonville.

The daily creel limit along this stretch is one fish.

NOVEMBER
Northern Pike
St. Joseph River
The St. Joseph flows through Williams County and is known for giving up battle-ready pike along the stretch near Montpelier Park. Cast baits that mimic the pike’s natural diet into pools of slower-moving water with abundant vegetation cover.

Access is off Route 107.

Steelhead Trout
Huron River
This Lake Erie tributary flows through Huron County, offering anglers plenty of places to wet a line for steelhead trout.

The daily creel limit is two trout from Sept. 1 through May 15, and then five trout from May 16 through Aug. 31. There is a 12-inch minimum length on steelies all year.

The best fishing is from October through April.

Access may be had off River Road in Milan.

Rainbow Trout
Punderson Lake
This 82-acre lake in Geauga County is stocked with catchable rainbow trout (10 to 12 inches) and occasionally, brood-stock trout (16 to 28 inches) in April and November.

Punderson is one of the few Ohio lakes where holdover trout may be found, and it’s one of the most popular trout destinations in the northeast region.

Access is off Route 44 just north of South Newbury.

DECEMBER
Saugers
Markland Pool
This stretch of the Ohio River flows through Hamilton and Clermont counties. Here, saugeye fishing is good from November through April, with most fish ranging from 10 to 16 inches.

Fish near gravel bars adjacent to stream confluences and near warmwater discharges. Tempt big saugers with minnows and small jigs.

For access, check DeLorme’s Ohio Atlas and Gazetteer, maps 75 and 82.

Walleyes
M. J. Kirwan Reservoir
This Portage County walleye impoundment is in West Branch State Park. In addition to excellent walleye action, Kirwan is home to largemouth and smallmouth bass and muskies.

Access is off Route 5 near Charlestown.

Crappies
Lake LeComte
This 133-acre lake in Hancock County offers anglers a good population of crappies. LeComte is also home to saugeyes, channel catfish, largemouth bass, yellow perch and bullheads.

Access is off Route 5 east of Ravenna.

Find more about Ohio fishing and hunting at OhioGameandFish.com