Fishing Report For Clear Fork Reservoir, OH

By Rick Seaman

May 5, 2025

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Fishing Report Clear Fork Reservoir, OH

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Clear Fork Reservoir, OH

Largemouth Bass

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

The bass are currently preparing for the spawn, which means they are feeding heavily. The upper end of the lake, where the Clear Fork Mohican River flows in, is an ideal spawn area. There are fields of stumps which bass love for ambushing bait. Bass also like to build nests next to these stumps as protective cover. Due to the 10-horsepower motor restriction, the lake receives limited fishing pressure. Jerkbaits have been good throughout winter, and are still catching fish. As the water warms, they will chase more active lures. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits and topwater are good choices, as are jigs and worms.

Black Crappie - White Crappie

Current Report: Fair
Outlook: Fair To Good

Clear Fork Reservoir has lots of cover for crappie with brush, stumps, lay-downs and planted brush piles. For the last couple years, crappie fishing has been a bit slow. Spring is the premiere time to be on the water as crappie move into shallow coves to spawn. Expect to find crappie in 3 to 6 feet of water. Once the spawn is over, and the hot Summer sun warms the shallows, crappie retreat to depths of 10 to 15 feet or deeper. Light tackle with 4 lb to 8 lb line is ideal for casting small crappie jigs or live minnows.

Channel Catfish

Current Report: Fair To Good
Outlook: Good

Working the river end of the lake is always a good choice when searching for channel cats, early in the season. They are currently being caught on live shad, cut bait, prepared baits and nightcrawlers. Fishing for channel catfish is often productive around any kind of structure. Fishing late in the day until midnight often produces some of the best action, as this is prime feeding time for catfish. As the water warms, they become more active throughout the lake. Submerged road beds, creek channels and rocky points are all good places to begin. Use a slip sinker or Carolina rig setup.

Fishing Video

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie, white crappie, bluegill, white bass, yellow perch and saugeye at Clear Fork Reservoir in Ohio.

Clear Fork Reservoir is a 1,000-acre lake with 14 miles of shoreline. There is plenty of locations with access for fishing from the bank. The lake has populations of bass, muskie, perch, white bass, catfish, crappie and bluegill.

Primary fish species to catch

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Today's Weather & Forecast

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Fishing License

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Map - Fishing & Access

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".