Catfish Pay Lakes near Youngstown, Ohio

Ohio is renowned for offering an extensive choice of outdoor activities. Whether you like camping, hunting, or fishing, you’ll find plenty of trails, parks, and lakes to suit your chosen hobby. For keen fishermen around Youngstown looking for spots to catch catfish, several great locations are on offer. Even if you’re looking for a more relaxed trip, catfishing pay lakes in Ohio are the perfect location for you to hang out and have a fun day out with friends and family. Here at Cochran Chevrolet, we’ve put together a list of the best local lakes to check out for a fishing trip.

Salt Fork Lake

Located in eastern Ohio near Cambridge, Salt Fork Lake offers a prime destination throughout the fishing season for catfish, walleye, and crappie. Keen fishermen have also reported success in finding muskie during the summer and bass in the late spring.

Lake Milton

This reservoir is just a short drive from Youngstown and Warren, making it an ideal choice if you don’t have much time to spare. Interstate 76 runs through the lake, making this fishing destination easy to reach. In addition to catfish, you can also find sunfish and bass here. The lake is situated within Lake Milton State Park. The state park provides plenty of amenities for recreation and relaxation. If your friends or family members would like to spend the time differently while you go fishing, they’ll find playgrounds, walking trails, and much more to explore.

Mosquito Lake State Park

Image via Flickr by Jack Pearce

If you’re combining your fishing trip with a camping vacation or other outdoor activities, you won’t find a better fishing location than Mosquito Creek Lake. It’s located in Mosquito Lake State Park, which features seating areas, children’s playgrounds, and permanent grills for barbecuing. There are also shaded areas with pavilion seating for hot days.

Mosquito Creek Lake is home to channel catfish, as well as crappie, walleye, and yellow perch. The lake plays host to various fishing tournaments throughout the season.

You can either fish from the dock or rent a boat to go further out onto the lake. Boats on offer include small fishing boats, larger pontoons, and kayaks.

Seneka Lake

This is one of the most popular fishing lakes in eastern Ohio. Located in Noble and Guernsey counties, Seneka Lake has a limit of 399 horsepower for boats.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) includes catfish, bass, rainbow trout, and bluegill on its list of species in the lake. The Seneka Marina includes a boat rental and campsite if you plan on staying there for several days. The lake also boasts 45 miles of coastline, allowing you to fish from the shore. Fishing from the shore is a particularly effective way to catch your fill during the early part of the season. Later in the year, you’re likely to have more luck if you can cast your line into the deeper parts of the lake.

Just in case you want to take a break from fishing, you’ll also find recreational activities on offer on the water. The Dockside Restaurant offers a place to get a tasty bite to eat after a long day on the lake.

Springfield Lake

The ODNR recommends Springfield Lake as one of the best locations to find channel catfish. You can hire boats at the north and south ends of the lake. There are also plenty of places where you can fish from the shoreline.

If you’re unsure about which bait to use, shrimps, nightcrawlers, and cut bait are all recommended. In addition to catfish, you’re also likely to land walleye and bluegill at this 289-acre lake.

Piedmont Lake

This lake is the perfect location if you like your fishing trips quiet. The lake operators enforce a 10-horsepower limit for boat engines. You’ll also find numerous small bays where you can relax while fishing for hours on end.

Piedmont has a reputation for producing excellent muskie and holds the state record for the largest muskie ever caught. But it also is home to channel catfish and shovelhead catfish. Each Wednesday, a bass tournament is held at the lake that is open to the public.

Lake Glacier

If you don’t want to drive too far out of Youngstown, Lake Glacier may be a good bet for your next fishing expedition to a pay lake in Ohio. It’s located just 1.3 miles away, making it an ideal choice for a quick trip. You can fish from the bank using a fly rod if you wish.

Fishermen report catching catfish, rainbow trout, bass, and carp, among other species. One popular area appears to be where the Mahoning River enters the lake, according to some online reviews.

Newport Lake

Located just 2.8 miles out of Youngstown, this reservoir offers you the chance to catch a variety of species, including catfish. You can fish here using bait, spinners, or flies. Apart from catfish, common catches here include bluegill, sunfish, crappie, and carp.

Glacier Lake and Newport Lake are located within Mill Creek Park. The park offers other recreational activities, including trails to explore on foot. You can rent boats on both lakes. All boats must return to shore by 6:30pm. Boat rentals are available between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend, while private canoes and boats are permitted between March 1 and November 30, when the fishing season comes to an end.

Finally, before you put your hook in the water, don’t forget that you’ll need a state fishing license to fish at all of the pay lakes we’ve mentioned on this list.

So, that’s it! The team at Cochran Chevrolet has hopefully given you some useful tips to expand your fishing experiences around northeast Ohio. Did we talk about one of your favorite spots? Is there a lake or river you enjoy fishing at that you’d like to let us know about? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us with your Ohio fishing trip recommendations and we’ll be delighted to include them in our future lists.