# Mahoning River



## Logan Stoffer (Feb 3, 2018)

The past couple of years I've read articles on people pulling nice walleyes out of the Mahoning River during the walleye spawn. I'm out of the Alliance area and once the walleye start their spawn in spring I am wondering which area is best. In between Berlin and Lake Milton (The Mahoning River)? Behind the Lake Milton dam(The Mahoning River)? What baits should I throw. Also are there any other fun species to target there? What should I use for them?


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## Pooch (Jun 16, 2014)

The fishing was always good below Berlin in early spring. Odnr had the same regulations in play as the Maumee river for time and hook restrictions if that tells you anything.


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## Logan Stoffer (Feb 3, 2018)

Pooch said:


> The fishing was always good below Berlin in early spring. Odnr had the same regulations in play as the Maumee river for time and hook restrictions if that tells you anything.


By 62 and 225?


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## Pooch (Jun 16, 2014)

Directly below Dam


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## Logan Stoffer (Feb 3, 2018)

Pooch said:


> Directly below Dam


Awesome, Thanks!!


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## JiggingJacks (May 4, 2017)

It’s a good spot for walleye but you’ll find white bass, crappie, smallmouth, channel cats, and carp. Just some notes there’s a area your allowed to fish to then it turns into private property. Also gates leading there are open from 7-3. Some older guys fish there often are a great source of information.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Good points, JJ. I haven't been down there in years, but there was a time when that property owner closed his property to fishermen. He got tired of the garbage being strewn all over! As I recall his property starts about where the big rock is. 

Logan, if you go down in there, you will have absolutely no problem determining which is "the big rock"!


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## Logan Stoffer (Feb 3, 2018)

buckeyebowman said:


> Good points, JJ. I haven't been down there in years, but there was a time when that property owner closed his property to fishermen. He got tired of the garbage being strewn all over! As I recall his property starts about where the big rock is.
> 
> Logan, if you go down in there, you will have absolutely no problem determining which is "the big rock"!


Thanks for the advice! Is the way down there to take the back road that comes off of bonner

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## fishnmachine (Sep 20, 2014)

Vandals and thieves frequent that parking area....even loosened all the lug nuts on a friend's sons truck...not worth the hassle


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

Logan Stoffer said:


> Thanks for the advice! Is the way down there to take the back road that comes off of bonner
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


 Yep Bonner goes past the entrance to the dam / parking lot. For the small area to fish now with the private property posted it’s not worth the hassle to me, go below Milton dam and lot more area to fish, or out to mosquito spillway.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

There are walleye all up and down the Mahoning, it's just working out access to the river. I think a lot of walleye and muskie got flushed into the river when Milton dam was breached and the lake drained. It was about 30 years ago when we started hearing about guys catching these huge muskies up around Leavittsburg. 

Would like to see them get rid of all the low head dams on the Mahoning.


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## Rootstown308 (Mar 15, 2012)

Find a good spot on the river itself with google maps. Spillways are a zoo in the spring. I throw jerk baits and cranks in summer and fall especially when the waters up


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## Tdunne21 (Apr 12, 2013)

Logan Stoffer said:


> The past couple of years I've read articles on people pulling nice walleyes out of the Mahoning River during the walleye spawn. I'm out of the Alliance area and once the walleye start their spawn in spring I am wondering which area is best. In between Berlin and Lake Milton (The Mahoning River)? Behind the Lake Milton dam(The Mahoning River)? What baits should I throw. Also are there any other fun species to target there? What should I use for them?


Dead end of rt 62 theres a bridge anglers slam walleye an white bass. Try a soft plastic or natural color swim bait


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## Logan Stoffer (Feb 3, 2018)

Thank all of you guys for your responses

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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

speaking of the Mahoning River, I saw something interesting in the paper today in the "Legal Notices" which normally aren't very interesting. *LEGAL NOTICE RWQUEST* FOR *QUALIFICATIONS For a preliminary engineering/cost estimate and Hydraulic Modeling City of Youngstown Dam Removal and River Restoration. Apparently *the city of Youngstown is looking to remove 3 low head dams on the Mahoning River swithin the city boundaries. Also on the docket are streamflow estimates, bank restoration, removal of sediment, etc. They want the bids by March 23, and the estimates done by July 31/ Looks like they're moving pretty quickly. I'm pretty sure this may be tied in with amphitheatre project near the Covelli Center. Whatever, I look at it as a positive for this long suffering river!


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## Logan Stoffer (Feb 3, 2018)

buckeyebowman said:


> speaking of the Mahoning River, I saw something interesting in the paper today in the "Legal Notices" which normally aren't very interesting. *LEGAL NOTICE RWQUEST* FOR *QUALIFICATIONS For a preliminary engineering/cost estimate and Hydraulic Modeling City of Youngstown Dam Removal and River Restoration. Apparently *the city of Youngstown is looking to remove 3 low head dams on the Mahoning River swithin the city boundaries. Also on the docket are streamflow estimates, bank restoration, removal of sediment, etc. They want the bids by March 23, and the estimates done by July 31/ Looks like they're moving pretty quickly. I'm pretty sure this may be tied in with amphitheatre project near the Covelli Center. Whatever, I look at it as a positive for this long suffering river!


Wow...very interesting. Definitely a plus in the king run

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## Youngev419 (May 14, 2015)

Heading home this weekend for Easter and was hoping to float the stretch from below Berlin dam to Milton where I'll take out. I have been below Milton before but never Berlin.

I know I will be dragging my kayak from the parking lot but is there room to launch before you get to the private property? I don't need a ramp per say, but I can see there's the dam and then a little bit down it looks like a small overhead damn, can I launch past that or is that into the private property? Don't want to trespass.


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## Logan Stoffer (Feb 3, 2018)

Youngev419 said:


> Heading home this weekend for Easter and was hoping to float the stretch from below Berlin dam to Milton where I'll take out. I have been below Milton before but never Berlin.
> 
> I know I will be dragging my kayak from the parking lot but is there room to launch before you get to the private property? I don't need a ramp per say, but I can see there's the dam and then a little bit down it looks like a small overhead damn, can I launch past that or is that into the private property? Don't want to trespass.


I have no clue.. I drove past to check it out for shore locations but a majority is private property. If there is a public ramp idk where it is

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## Pooch (Jun 16, 2014)

Yes, there's room.


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## Youngev419 (May 14, 2015)

Thanks, Pooch.


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## Pooch (Jun 16, 2014)

You will see the posted property signs unless someone tore them down. Don't venture far from the damn on land.


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## Logan Stoffer (Feb 3, 2018)

Pooch said:


> You will see the posted property signs unless someone tore them down. Don't venture far from the damn on land.


Hiw do I get to the dam?

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## Pooch (Jun 16, 2014)

Google maps brother.


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## Logan Stoffer (Feb 3, 2018)

I have but someone said that it was all private property to get back there 

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## Pooch (Jun 16, 2014)

Access from parking lot off bonner Rd.


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## JiggingJacks (May 4, 2017)

Was down there tuesday and wednesday water is very low. Heres a link to see the discharge from the dam along with the water temperature and gage height. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?03090500 .


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## Youngev419 (May 14, 2015)

JiggingJacks said:


> Was down there tuesday and wednesday water is very low. Heres a link to see the discharge from the dam along with the water temperature and gage height. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?03090500 .


Thanks I did see that on my app. It will be a slow float but excited to get out on a new stretch. At the very least I'm hoping any holes we do find along that stretch should be holding!


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

That’s a steep hill to go to the water below the dam, but doable , down river near the campground on the left are some deeper holes got a nice Muskie one time bass fishing.


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## wolfenstein (Jan 6, 2014)

JiggingJacks said:


> Was down there tuesday and wednesday water is very low. Heres a link to see the discharge from the dam along with the water temperature and gage height. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?03090500 .


I was just checking flow, thinking about fishing in the morning. Was wondering if the gage was broke. Should be letting water out soon with all the rain


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## JiggingJacks (May 4, 2017)

Not sure if it’s broken. Not much water was being released only the side chute was open when I was there. Thinking with this rain should help but I’m gonna head up to maumee tomorrow good luck though they are down there for sure


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Berlin and Milton are flood control and "navigation" reservoirs connected to the Ohio River. If the Ohio is up they won't get a water call from the Corps of Engineers. That only happens when the Ohio is down and they need the water for the barge traffic. 

I have to believe that both lakes have to be close to Summer pool level with all the rain we've had lately, but there's always a little "extra" built in for when they need to hold back water.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Berlin "dam" spillway fishing acess...from my understanding it's a relatively small area to fish? Can I walk down river in the river to fish? 

Thanks,
Don.


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## fishnmachine (Sep 20, 2014)

Negative...landowner owns stream bottom...Google "who owns ohio streams" for info...any skies yet at the dam??? Took your pic last year with my daughter right before the lightning storm been wanting to take her up to see if she can hook up....she's on spring break from Kent wondering if it's time...pm me if you want...


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Thanks for the info...fishnmachine. and thank you for taking that pic last year that lighting storm was something else. 

I sent you a pm.

Don.


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## Pooch (Jun 16, 2014)

If you can figure out where the landowner who complained and started all that with the state about trespassing property actually ends you could probably get away with it. The family I believe lives in Florida. They inherited the land if I remember correctly. They were up here visiting and saw the trash and abuse their land was taking and pitched a complaint to the state and the wardens are the ones who patrol the violations now. Private security via taxpayers money, lol. Try and find the property boundaries on the tax maps and just maybe the owners just down stream might not have a problem fishing or giving you access across their land. Just a thought. The newspaper had an article about all this not to many years ago about the situation. I can't blame the owners for being pissed about what they seen but the state just maybe could have tried to talk them into some kinda of easement deal along the banks or use of the river bottom.

Before anyone snaps back at me, trust me I understand the owners view about the past abuse of their property. But to go to the point of not allowing us to wade or anchor in the river???? Kinda of ridiculous in my eyes.


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