# Spring Valley Wildlife Preserve



## collinmesser (Apr 1, 2018)

Fished for about 90 minutes at Spring Valley this morning in the rain. This is a nice time of year to fish there because the top isn’t covered in algae yet. 

Lots of largemouth jumping. Despite this they didn’t want a frog or a 1/2 oz white spinner. Switched to a Texas rigged Zoom Speed Craw and instantly starting getting bites. Only brought one to the shore, but lost two others close to the bank. A few other nibbles. 

The cut down all of the trees along the river side of the bank. I’m not sure why but it made for great fishing conditions. You have more casting space and the fallen trees are just laying evenly spaced along the shore. There were tons of bass jumping in any of the areas by the trees. I’ll post some pictures later from my computer.


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## ruffhunter (Dec 10, 2005)

I had no idea there was a lake and the wildlife area was that much land. What other kind of fish and do the gills have any size? also what are the depths? thanks


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## collinmesser (Apr 1, 2018)

No idea on the depth, I’ve never been out in a boat there. I’m not sure how boat friendly it would be with the algae and weeds. But it’d be amazing in a kayak. 

I haven’t fished for carp or cats but sometimes I see left over sticks set up. And I’ve see carp rolling on the service. I think the gills are a good size and plentiful. I don’t know about crappie either.


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## collinmesser (Apr 1, 2018)




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## ruffhunter (Dec 10, 2005)

thanks for the photos. i found a photo of the trees up at the same location. should make for some good structure. ill try it towards the end of the week and when i get back from turkey hunting. thanks.


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## ruffhunter (Dec 10, 2005)

is there a muskrat in the first photo??


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

That body of water, known as the spring valley marsh ...Is only a few feet deep at its max. .. however, the mud and silt on the bottom is probably another 3 feet deep! so whatever you do, do not get out of your boat ..LOL..( ask me how i know that..lol)
there are some dandy largemouth in there ... and there seems to be a lot of bluegills but I have never caught one bigger than 6 inches ..

I have paddled a canoe or kayak over every square inch of that place ...Between fishing and duckhunting


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## Ant (Mar 27, 2013)

Used to duck hunt there and I can vouch for what 9left said.I had to cut my self out of waders one time up in the north end.They were fairly new.Place can be dangerous.


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## zaraspook (Jun 16, 2009)

collinmesser said:


> Fished for about 90 minutes at Spring Valley this morning in the rain. This is a nice time of year to fish there because the top isn’t covered in algae yet.
> 
> Lots of largemouth jumping. Despite this they didn’t want a frog or a 1/2 oz white spinner. Switched to a Texas rigged Zoom Speed Craw and instantly starting getting bites. Only brought one to the shore, but lost two others close to the bank. A few other nibbles.
> 
> The cut down all of the trees along the river side of the bank. I’m not sure why but it made for great fishing conditions. You have more casting space and the fallen trees are just laying evenly spaced along the shore. There were tons of bass jumping in any of the areas by the trees. I’ll post some pictures later from my computer.


As a teenager I caught my first top-water largemouth at Spring Valley. That was more than a few years ago. 13 incher took a floating Rapala. Great timing to pull that memory from the catacombs of my mind. This weekend I'm hosting an annual guys crappie fishing, beer, and poker outing at my Grand Lake St Marys lake place. The guys are neighborhood teenage friends and include a fishing bud who was with me on that day at Spring Valley.


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## CincyFishDudes (Sep 17, 2019)

We always have a good time fishing around Grand Valley Nature Preserve. Such a beautiful area. [Whoops, this thread is for Spring Valley, not Grand Valley, not sure how to delete my post.... sorry]
Here are a couple videos of us fishing around there.... mostly just small largies.


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## Lil Crappie (Jun 17, 2013)

Ant said:


> Used to duck hunt there and I can vouch for what 9left said.I had to cut my self out of waders one time up in the north end.They were fairly new.Place can be dangerous.


Same story! Scary if no one around. Lay flat and go slow. There used to be swamp rattlers in there called Massasauga.


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## sjwano (Sep 13, 2018)

Couple questions. I assume it’s the lake on the bottom of this image that is part of the spring valley wildlife area? And the best way to access the lake is from collett road?

also, are the gravel pit lakes that are adjacent to roxanna new Burlington public? I assume no... thanks


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

I used to bowfish there in my fanboat when I lived in the area . Saw alot of nice largemouth and panfish . It weeds up very quick . 

The bottom is a very soft , organic bottom. I'd think anything fished on the bottom would settle in to the organic matter and be buried . Lots of carp there but the average size is on the smaller side


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## yakguy (Jan 24, 2015)

Carpn said:


> I used to bowfish there in my fanboat when I lived in the area . Saw alot of nice largemouth and panfish . It weeds up very quick .
> 
> The bottom is a very soft , organic bottom. I'd think anything fished on the bottom would settle in to the organic matter and be buried . Lots of carp there but the average size is on the smaller side


Your location and road are correct. You can also walk 60 ft west of the Spring Valley and fish the LM River, have caught some SM bass in that area.


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## sjwano (Sep 13, 2018)

yakguy said:


> Your location and road are correct. You can also walk 60 ft west of the Spring Valley and fish the LM River, have caught some SM bass in that area.


Thanks. I have waded that stretch (using the little lot just off RNB road as you cross the river) and managed a couple LMB. But driving around was stumped on access to the lake. I'm thinking of taking the yak out there tomorrow for a bit.


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## SICKOFIT (Feb 23, 2014)

ruffhunter said:


> is there a muskrat in the first photo??


That's a stump


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## SICKOFIT (Feb 23, 2014)

sjwano said:


> View attachment 349781
> Couple questions. I assume it’s the lake on the bottom of this image that is part of the spring valley wildlife area? And the best way to access the lake is from collett road?
> 
> also, are the gravel pit lakes that are adjacent to roxanna new Burlington public? I assume no... thanks
> ...


The gravel pit lakes are off limits to everyone. I have worked for that company for many years and I can't even fish there. Beware because it is heavily patrolled by the Warren County Game Warden


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## sjwano (Sep 13, 2018)

I gave spring valley a shot today for the first time. It is very shallow as stated, and the soft bottom was no joke. The deepest area of 3-4 feet was generally parallel with the bike path and the cut trees. The depth finder read deeper a few times but with the false bottom anything that runs deeper than a foot or two would hang up every cast. I managed one nice bass on a top water bait, actually trolling it as I was exploring the north end. No takers on spinner baits, swim baits, or a floating rapala. Tried a jig and worm but they seemed to sink into the vegetation/muck too often. As clear and shallow as it was, seems like it may be a tricky bite. I’ll try it again but techniques beside top water have me a bit stumped.


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

sjwano said:


> I gave spring valley a shot today for the first time. It is very shallow as stated, and the soft bottom was no joke. The deepest area of 3-4 feet was generally parallel with the bike path and the cut trees. The depth finder read deeper a few times but with the false bottom anything that runs deeper than a foot or two would hang up every cast. I managed one nice bass on a top water bait, actually trolling it as I was exploring the north end. No takers on spinner baits, swim baits, or a floating rapala. Tried a jig and worm but they seemed to sink into the vegetation/muck too often. As clear and shallow as it was, seems like it may be a tricky bite. I’ll try it again but techniques beside top water have me a bit stumped.


Thats odd that you caught a fish on topwater and not on a spinner...Seems like it should be the other way around for this time of year


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