# Acton Lake ice fishing



## Nwohiofisherman (Feb 7, 2012)

Does anyone have any reports regarding the ice on acton? Also does any one have any recommendations on what to fish for. I fished it this fall and caught some crappies but have never fished it through the ice. PM's are welcomed.
Thanks!


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## Hillbilly910 (Jan 6, 2009)

your primarily gonna catch dink crappie. The bluegills are small. A decent bass every now and then.
Ive been icing it for years, and am still trying to figure a pattern out.
Have caught keeper crappie, but its always random, and not repeatable from what ive found(hot hole syndrome).

the area from the beach to the island will normally give up fish, 6-12fow.


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## Nwohiofisherman (Feb 7, 2012)

Thanks guys! Might be trying it this weekend.


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## Nwohiofisherman (Feb 7, 2012)

Fished acton today. I was fishing by the dam in about 22 feet of water. Ice ranged from 9-12 inches. Caught over 20 crappies only a couple over 9 inches. Most fish came on a spike or gulp minnow. Most of them were suspended but I did catch a few off the bottom. No bluegills only crappies


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Sounds like our day the other day. Me and buddy will be hitting at first light tomorrow. Prob around midlake. Driving green expedition so track us down if anyone is out there

Salmonid


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## Hillbilly910 (Jan 6, 2009)

you guys keep an eye out for drain holes. Alot of water standing on the ice. Some holes/cracks have opened and started draining, and its raining right now.(i wasnt at acton, but im sure conditions are the same)

On the whole, the ice will be fine, but i'd watch your step closely, makes for a long day with a wet leg.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Had quite the trip this morning, left West side of Dayton around 6:30am, roads were glassed over so it took a solid hr plus to get to Ramp at Acton, wanted to fish dredge hole and we did for at least a an hr, never marked a fish in any of the 8 fow there so loaded up and was about to head back to Dam area and once leaving marina, turned left for the dam and made it about 150 ft up the hill before the ice stopped me so I slowly backed down and got a running start, LOL made it about 1/3 rd the way up before spinning out and started backing down and truck start to slide sideways down the road picking up speed, I was headed for a road sign and was able to speed steer to avoid it but ended up slightly off road and it took about 20 minutes to get out and back down to marina road. That was exciting so now we decided to drive back to beach and walk, and we did walk, a whole bunch before ending up out in front of lodge point. 18 FOW, we had fished several places getting out to there BTW, anyways in a few hrs of fishing, between the two of us, managed to mark maybe 10 fish total, managed about 4 bites and I landed the only fish, a 9" skinny crappie. fish were just not in any of the areas we fished.. never saw any shad schools or any signs of life, 

Ice was still 8-10" everywhere and we walked the white ridges out there with no probs, only had about 1" of water on top of the ice in some places... Long day, a lot of walking pulling the sled and shanty and hardly any fish... sounds like a day on any of Ohio's public waterways, Ha ha

Planning on heading back to try a few other places at Acton later this week. 

Salmonid


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## zaraspook (Jun 16, 2009)

Salmonid.......hey man, that's a lot of excitement and work packed into one day! Your heart got a work out. I prefer the convenience factors at my place.


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

zaraspook said:


> Salmonid.......hey man, that's a lot of excitement and work packed into one day! Your heart got a work out. I prefer the convenience factors at my place.


I agree sounds like You guys worked hard, but I gotta know if You kept the 9" skinny crappie? j/k


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Tom, I put it back so it would be a skinny 9.25 when you get him this spring...LOL

Im wondering if you guys caught and kept all the keepers from Acton this spring as we seem to be getting 9-10 shorts to a keeper and there not quality keepers either...mostly 9-10" 

Looking to hit it later this week for another round...

Salmonid


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

Salmonid said:


> Tom, I put it back so it would be a skinny 9.25 when you get him this spring...LOL
> 
> Im wondering if you guys caught and kept all the keepers from Acton this spring as we seem to be getting 9-10 shorts to a keeper and there not quality keepers either...mostly 9-10"
> 
> ...


 Great, my wife just cooked the last bag of Crappie fillets.

You know I fished Acton for Crappie from mid-March till mid June, the ratio of keepers to throw backs got worse and worse as Summer approached. At one time I thought I had caught every 7" Crappie in the lake. I may add Brookville and East Fork to my Spring Crappie lakes this year, seeing I have a larger boat now.

Hey one other thing has anyone heard and more about HP limit at Acton and Cowan?


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## Murky&deep (Aug 28, 2013)

here's the thing. The dnr says that acton is full of big crappies and excellent for saugeye. So where are they when guys work it so hard? These reservoirs in sw Ohio just plain lack good weed lines, big weed flats, and what it takes to hold fish that guys can locate. I know a fella in NE Ohio fishing a lake and catching 100 plus gill in three hours; not giants but plenty to fillet. This lake is loaded with weeds and fish. It's too bad that the dnr can not devise a structure plan on lakes. Hold more consistent water levels, introduce good weeds, keep those dern grass carp out of the lakes, and do more than just stock fish; strive to make fishing lakes with real habitat. Too much to ask?


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

Murky&deep said:


> here's the thing. The dnr says that acton is full of big crappies and excellent for saugeye. So where are they when guys work it so hard? These reservoirs in sw Ohio just plain lack good weed lines, big weed flats, and what it takes to hold fish that guys can locate. I know a fella in NE Ohio fishing a lake and catching 100 plus gill in three hours; not giants but plenty to fillet. This lake is loaded with weeds and fish. It's too bad that the dnr can not devise a structure plan on lakes. Hold more consistent water levels, introduce good weeds, keep those dern grass carp out of the lakes, and do more than just stock fish; strive to make fishing lakes with real habitat. Too much to ask?


 Agreed, what would it cost to submerge some fish attractors (X mas trees), Ive had secret thoughts of helping them out! You know It would be nice if Ohio but half the effort into there lakes and rivers as Kentucky does!


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## Hillbilly910 (Jan 6, 2009)

they did an x-mas tree dump, about 5-6 years ago, most of the spots are gone, except some remnet brush.


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## fishwhacker (Jul 16, 2010)

From the research I have done they say xmas trees are about the worst trees to dump because of there thickness and they only last a little while. I would say just dumping hard wood trees with a few branches that have already fallen by storms would be awesome...especially acton where there isnt as much farm runoff since it is in the middle of a state park as some lakes


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

fishwhacker said:


> From the research I have done they say xmas trees are about the worst trees to dump because of there thickness and they only last a little while. I would say just dumping hard wood trees with a few branches that have already fallen by storms would be awesome...especially acton where there isnt as much farm runoff since it is in the middle of a state park as some lakes


 Yeah Ive read mixed reports of Xmas trees but they are free and readily available. I have to disagree with the farm runoff thing, the North west end of Acton where the main creek comes in is surrounded by farms, thats probably why it has so much silt! actually I talked to a man who worked for Miami U. and he said there is a big movement to promote no-till farming in that area, to combat the silt problems.


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## liprippersc78 (Oct 26, 2013)

well i know that we had great success in acton in the april and may last season. Never fished it in the boat til this past season. but me and my dad put a good hurting on some nice crappie. lots of 11 and 12 inchers. caught share of dinks too but overall did very well. hope they remove the hp restriction as it kills the batteries using the trolling motor to get across the lake!


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## teacher (Dec 3, 2011)

Nice fish.


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## johnnywalleye (Jan 27, 2007)

email received from odnr, stated acton and cowan will have the 10 and under hp, plus greater than 10 hp using idle mode. expect more boats on the water in the spring at these lakes.


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## johnnywalleye (Jan 27, 2007)

i deleted the email. the info was on ohio game fishing last fall. cowan and action will be added to the list of lakes like burr oak in spring 2014. cowan parking lot will be overcrowded in the spring. odnr watercraft has list of lakes with unlimited hp/ idle mode but acton and cowan not added yet. probably add after the new licenses are sold.


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## johnnywalleye (Jan 27, 2007)

i emailed odnr on the internet and received email from xenia odnr that unlimited hp/idle mode would be in effect at cowan and acton. big boat fisherman pay for the same fishing license as little boat fisherman, etc... 
i do not agree with odnr but money talks.


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