According to Lewis's data, there were 41 Ohio Huskie Muskies, 212 honorable mentions and 12 muskies under 30 inches caught from Clear Fork in 2004.

"There is no reason why 2005 should not produce as many if not more fish," Lewis claimed, "and August anglers always have a good shot at some action."

For more information on Clear Fork Reservoir muskie fishing, contact the ODOW's District Two office at (419) 424-5000 or write them at 952 Lima Ave, Box A, Findlay, OH 45840.

LEESVILLE LAKE
Leesville Lake is a 1,000-acre muskie smorgasbord in Carroll County. The lake may be accessed two miles southeast of Sherrodsville off state Route 212. There is a 10-horsepower motor limit in effect.

Leesville is one of eight reservoirs in the state that receives an annual stocking of muskies. The ODOW stocks Leesville at a rate of one 9-inch muskie fingerling per surface-acre of water.

Leesville has a longstanding and widespread reputation as a phenomenal muskie lake. In biologist Lewis' estimation, Leesville Lake is the best in the state, continually producing high numbers of large fish. "Many anglers view Leesville as a casting lake," he noted, "but there are great trolling opportunities as well," he noted.

Anglers should fish around cool-flowing tributaries or troll near the thermocline in deep water. Many successful fishermen troll continuously around the dam area, targeting both the eastern and western shorelines, typically running lures at depths of 12 to 15 feet, which is where the thermocline normally develops at Leesville. When passing good muskie cover, stop and cast for a while. "Some anglers have found night fishing to be for muskies in August," Lewis remarked.

Leesville leads the state almost every year in the number of muskies caught. In 2004, Leesville Lake anglers reported catching 83 Huskie Muskie qualifiers, 439 honorable mentions and 26 muskies under 30 inches. "This exceptional lake should be another top producer in 2005," Lewis said.

More information on Leesville Lake may be obtained by contacting the ODOW's District Three office at (330) 644-2293 or by writing them at 912 Portage Lakes Drive, Akron, OH 44319. Anglers may also contact Clow's Landing marina on the lake at (740) 269-5371 or the Petersburg Landing marina at (330) 627-4270.

LAKE MILTON
Lake Milton has 23 miles of shoreline in Mahoning County and may be accessed off SR 534, 15 miles west of Youngstown. Milton has no horsepower restrictions.

This 1,684-acre lake often flies under the radar of Ohio muskie anglers. According to Lewis, 11 Huskie Muskie qualifiers, 70 honorable mentions and one muskie under 30 inches were caught from Lake Milton during the 2004 fishing season.

"These numbers are impressive because the lake is not even on the state's list of annually stocked muskie waters," Lewis noted. He added: "We only stock this lake if we have fish left over from our scheduled stockings."

Though there has been an excess of fish in the stocking program during the past four out of five years, and Lake Milton has received stockings on all of those occasions, a large percentage of its muskie population comes from neighboring Berlin Reservoir, which contains a natural population of muskies that often find their way into Lake Milton.

Berlin Reservoir is drained every winter, and the fish are able to make it through the dam and into Lake Milton. This yearly drawdown has helped Milton's fish populations tremendously.

"Anglers who elect to fish Lake Milton this August will, in all likelihood, find very few other muskie anglers on the lake," biologist Heyob noted.