DISTRICT TWO
Mike Wilkerson, an ODOW fisheries biologist in District Two, picked Pleasant Hill Reservoir as a first choice.

“Pleasant Hill has the best numbers of crappies and the best trophy potential,” he said. “There isn’t a lot of shoreline access, but anglers with boats can do well. There are no limitations on motor size there.”

Wilkerson also said that there’s no size limit for crappies at Pleasant Hill Reservoir.

“The lower end of the lake is best,” he added, “especially around the shoreline near the fallen trees.”

Pleasant Hill Reservoir lies in Richland and Ashland counties. The lake has 781 acres of fishing water, with a marina, parking lot, launch site and campgrounds on the lake’s northern shore. The lake can most easily be reached off state Route 95.

Wilkerson’s next pick is Charles Mill Lake.

“The best crappie fishing on Charles Mill Lake is usually near the marina and along that side of the lake,” he said. “Anglers should fish around the trees near the deeper water.”

He added that there’s no size limit on crappies here. Charles Mill Lake also lies in Richland and Ashland counties. The lake has some 1,350 acres of water that features many small islands, bays and channels. Charles Mill Lake has a marina, campgrounds, cottages and boat-launching facilities.

There is a 10-horsepower engine limit on Charles Mill Lake, which is bisected by state Route 430. Most of the lake’s facilities can be reached off this route. The lake may also be reached off U.S. Route 30 and state routes 39 and 603.

Clear Fork Reservoir is Wilkerson’s third pick in District Two. Composed of 966 acres of water in Marrow and Richland counties, Clear Fork Reservoir has traditionally been a Buckeye State hotspot for slabs.

Clear Fork Reservoir can be reach off state Route 97, which borders the lake’s southern shoreline. Marina and boat-launching facilities are at the lake’s northern end, and there is access all along the south shoreline.

Fishing from the northern shore is prohibited, and anglers are advised to stay away from the dam area because access there is also restricted.

For more information, Buckeye State anglers may contact the ODOW’s District Two office at (419) 424-5000 or write them at 952 Lima Avenue, Findlay, OH 45840.

DISTRICT THREE
Biologist Andy Burk claims Ohio’s District Three also has a lot of good crappie lakes.

“My first pick will have to be Mosquito Lake,” Burk said. Mosquito Lake is renowned for producing consistent numbers of big crappies every year.

“Mosquito Lake crappies range from 13 to 15 inches,” he said. “And there are a lot of them.”

Mosquito Lake lies in Trumbull County. This 6,550-acre impoundment has parking lots, boat ramps and camping areas. Summer recreational action is heavy, but early-spring fishermen usually do not have to worry about water-skiers and such.

Near the middle of the lake, toward the dam end, there is a 25 mile-per-hour speed zone and a ski zone that boat anglers need to be aware of. Also, the lake’s northern end is a wildlife refuge where hunting and fishing are prohibited.

Find the crappies on Mosquito Lake by fishing the fallen timber along the shoreline and also along the deep dropoffs from a point adjacent to the shallow-water flats.