# Evans Lake



## Agordon07 (May 8, 2012)

So im lookin to see if anyone has fished Evans lake before? I wanna find some goods spots to try out for bass and what are some good ways to catch them out there?? Any ideas??


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## heidlers (May 24, 2010)

probably speaking a bit out of school here, but I seem like I have read/heard that it is a private lake. You'd need to fish it with a resident...I think. There is at least one fellow on this site that might hook you up if you ask nicely?  That "fellow" does pretty well with the Northern's in that lake!! I've been envious of the pics he posts.


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## tippy (Mar 7, 2012)

Evans & pine was open last saturday for a Bass tournipe. I think it was $100.00 to enter. all money whent to a charity. That was the only day they were open to the public. They stoped fishing in these two lakes years ago. They built condo's on one side of evans. the other side theirs a gulf course. I don't remember why they stoped fishing. I only live two miles from pine. years ago we use to catch northern pike from these two lakes. that really hurt reds bait shop on RT7 when they stoped fishing. I probably spelled tournipe wrong.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

tippy said:


> Evans & pine was open last saturday for a Bass tournipe. I think it was $100.00 to enter. all money whent to a charity. That was the only day they were open to the public. They stoped fishing in these two lakes years ago. They built condo's on one side of evans. the other side theirs a gulf course. I don't remember why they stoped fishing. I only live two miles from pine. years ago we use to catch northern pike from these two lakes. that really hurt reds bait shop on RT7 when they stoped fishing. I probably spelled tournipe wrong.


They stopped the fishing on those lakes because Ohio Water Service doesn't own them anymore. Now the owner is Aqua Ohio. They decided to maximize their investment by selling lake front homesites. There sure are some fancy digs on the lakes now. An additional selling point was that the lakes would be private, for residents and their guests only. The golf course has been there as long as I can remember. It used to be called Fonderlac Country Club. Now it's called The Lake Club.

I fished both lakes back in the day and they were both great then, and probably still are if you could get on them. I'd fish the spillway on the north end of Pine Lake and haul in 12" to 15" Crappie hand over fist. Evans had big Pike, big Bass, big Walleye, big just about everything! 

I knew a guy who worked at Evans for Ohio Water Service, and he showed me a photo. It was of two guys who worked for Arbogast bait company when they were in Akron. Maybe they're still in Akron, I don't know. Anyway, Arbogast had a deal with OWS that they could send guys, with their own boat, and fish Evans or Pine anytime they wanted in order to test new lure designs. These two guys really got into the bass in a big, big way. They came back to the ramp, which was right beside the boathouse, with two livewells stuffed with LM's! The lake manager caught them and read them the riot act. They tried the old "don't you know who we are" deal, but the lake manager wasn't having any of it. He told them to go cull their catch. 

When they came back they took a picture of their combined 10 fish limit and weighed it in the boathouse.

The stringer weighed 95lbs and a few ounces!!! This from Ohio! It looked like something you'd see from Florida, but there was the Evans Lake boathouse right there in the background.


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## Barney (Jun 4, 2007)

I fished the United Way fundraiser tournament last week. Those lakes are not what their rumered to be. Most of the fish in Pine are less than 2lb; average limits were 7 to 9 lbs. And at Evans there were a few bigger bass, but many teams failed to limit.


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## Dinger (Aug 24, 2005)

...wondering why there was a 5 fish limit on a private lake in this urban legend.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

my club fishes there (evans) a few times a year. usually takes 15-17lbs. just look for deep weed edges with wood.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Dinger said:


> ...wondering why there was a 5 fish limit on a private lake in this urban legend.


No legend, I saw the pic. Back when Ohio Water Service was operating them as pay-to-fish lakes 5 bass per man was their limit. They owned the lakes so they could set the length and bag limits, and they enforced them. A pretty enlightened approach back in the day.

According to the guy who showed me the pic there is a borrow pit in the northeastern part of Evans, not far from the spillway, where they took some of the dirt to build the spillway. It was around the edges of this pit where the guys from Arbogast caught most of the bass.

Johnboy has it right, you need deep edges preferably with weeds and wood. The biggest bass I ever caught out of there, about 6.5lbs, I caught in Calla Rd. bay slow rolling a spinnerbait on the bottom. I went by the lake a few weeks ago and saw a bunch of guys fishing in a tournament, don't know if it was the United Way or not, and saw most of them pounding the shore. Well, the water is way down and the good points are all out of the water. I could see right off that they weren't going to catch much that way! The bass have pulled away from shore and don't come in close until after dark. Nod, nod!


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## broon76 (Mar 28, 2012)

I fished the practice day at Evans with a buddy of mine who fished the Tournament. I guess that had (recently) put something in the water to kill the Weeds. And boy did it work. we fished 5 hours and got 2 4lbers and 1 3lb in the boat, and 2 others around the same size fell off at the boat. 

The water is ver Clear. If your looking for Gills, head over towards the sunken Bridge near shore you can reach down and pluck them out of the water. I hooked a few of them and a couple small crappie on cranks while bass fishing.

also caught 6 big shad on crankbaits to start the day, which makes me wonder... No Weeds an Abundance of Shad = tough bite?


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## vc1111 (Apr 13, 2004)

> According to the guy who showed me the pic there is a borrow pit in the northeastern part of Evans, not far from the spillway, where they took some of the dirt to build the spillway.


I fished those lakes for nearly 2 decades. I heard many stories. Fishing is like that, but still Evans is a fine lake in the very early season. 

That 'pit' is actually in Pine Lake, not Evans. I'm not sure why it was created...it is way too deep and too small to be an excavation for the purposes of acquiring dirt for a spillway. I actually think it was a peat pit. Ohio had numerous peat bogs at one time, which were exploited for the peat. Or, it may have simply been an old water well, something which was common on early Ohio farms.


The bigger bass in Evans usually came about the first three weeks of April, and sometimes when the snow was still a threat. That the recent tournament had lesser results than the lake can potentially deliver does not surprise me. It was actually held when the bass fishing is traditionally much tougher for Evans.

I still know of a certain plastic bait the largemouth in Evans simply cannot resist, although I always preferred to target the outstanding population of Northern Pike which flourished in those waters before the diversion of one of the feeder creeks (which changed the ph of lake so that the company did not have to remove so much 'hardness' prior to selling the water to its subscribers).


Evans is a fine bass lake, but it is and always was the step-sister to nearby Pine Lake (now under the same private corporate ownership) when it came to trophy bass. Fewer numbers of largemouth can be had at Pine, generally speaking, but that is where the REAL big boys usually came from. I have seen a _few_ true hogs come from Evans. The biggest was just over 8 lbs, but never one over 9 lbs. But hey, who knows... the size of the fish in a given body of water is a complex function of water composition, microbiology, and forage density and makeup. That many 9 lbers at one time? Well...maybe. In nearly two decades of fishing it very hard, almost daily usually, I never saw one.

The 'time' for Evans, which was one of five lakes included in what was once called The Five Lakes In The Valley, was pretty much before the internet and cameras in cell phones...and rumors and stories spread about boat ramps and tackle stores like the tallest tales from a sewing circle of bored old women. Example: One day a friend of mine kept 5 largemouth bass from Evans. He put them in a live well and showed them off at the boat house before taking them to a newly dug 3 acre pond he was trying to stock. The very next day I was with him when he was approached at a local bait and tackle store...the rumor was that he kept ten 7 pounders from Evans to eat.

Those lakes were a true natural treasure for our area and I miss fishing them very much. But things change and hunting and fishing are changing too...sometimes for the better and sometimes not. 

I remember going to the boat house back in those day and hearing guys grumble whenever the price of a "season pass" would be raised from say, $35 a year to $40 a year. I would always tell them to keep their mouths shut and pay it because, for all of us, it was close and for the money we all enjoyed hours and hours of fine fishing on beautiful Ohio waters every year.

Now I generally have to spend nearly that much money on gasoline for a single to trip to Misquito or West Branch or Milton...where the pike and largemouth fishing cannot hold a candle to what we had in our back yards in those days.

I remember seeing the first 'high-end' home being built right on the water's edge at Evans. I turned to Larry, my fishing partner of nearly 4 decades, and said, "That contruction is the beginning of the end of fishing these waters." And I was, unfortunately, right.

But I had my times on those waters and for that I am grateful. I still have dozens of pictures of some of the pike and bass we caught and released from those beautiful Ohio lakes.


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## HookBender (Apr 2, 2012)

Such a bittersweet post. But what great stories this is stirring up!


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## slik (Oct 5, 2008)

vc1111 said:


> I fished those lakes for nearly 2 decades. I heard many stories. Fishing is like that, but still Evans is a fine lake in the very early season.
> 
> That 'pit' is actually in Pine Lake, not Evans. I'm not sure why it was created...it is way too deep and too small to be an excavation for the purposes of acquiring dirt for a spillway. I actually think it was a peat pit. Ohio had numerous peat bogs at one time, which were exploited for the peat. Or, it may have simply been an old water well, something which was common on early Ohio farms.
> 
> ...


Can you give me an idea of where this pit is on pine?


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## vc1111 (Apr 13, 2004)

Without gps coordinates for you it would be tough. I used a telephone pole on the north side of the lake along with a stump in the water on the west side and lined those up. You have to remember that was how we did it back in the day.

Generally (and I do mean generally), the pit is on the west side of the lake about 200 yards from shore. 

It was always THE spot for crappie and largemouth and sometimes boats would be circling it, anchored up with bobbers out, within conversational distance of each other. As I recall it was around 20 feet deep, so if you come upon it using a depth finder there will be no doubt. It is located in about 9 or 10 feet of water and on the west side of the hole there is a shallow area of about 5 feet. 

Intriguing, isn't it?


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## slik (Oct 5, 2008)

vc1111 said:


> Without gps coordinates for you it would be tough. I used a telephone pole on the north side of the lake along with a stump in the water on the west side and lined those up. You have to remember that was how we did it back in the day.
> 
> Generally (and I do mean generally), the pit is on the west side of the lake about 200 yards from shore.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much. Lotta fond memories of my dad taking us out early Saturday mornings while the sun was barely up. This was back in the early seventies. I have been fishing pine lately but need to get to know the lake a lot better. Yup. It's still loaded with big crappie haha.


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## Shed Hunter 365 (Dec 3, 2007)

Is there any walleye in Evans or Pine. Any numbers?


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## Agordon07 (May 8, 2012)

I just fished evans yesturday and my dad caught 5 HUGE bass off of pumpkin seed worm wacky rigged! He literally pulled in 3 in one hour and the other 2 were later in the day. The whole time we were out there we didnt see any pike or walleye but ive heard theres a ton of pike. If you plan on fishing evans I would definately suggest going for the bass because there big and ready to eat!


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## HCF (Apr 7, 2005)

Gosh great times had at both Evans an pine, Dad used to take me growing up, always a blast to catch pike on ultra light, many great times an good crappie fishing. Said that its not open to public anymore, I'd be more then happy to pay to fish these again


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Shed Hunter 365 said:


> Is there any walleye in Evans or Pine. Any numbers?


There were in Evans, I don't know about Pine. A friend had a spot out from the pump house on the golf course where Paulin Rd. comes down the hill from South Ave. Ext. Paulin Rd. used to continue across the creek valley and go to the old farm house that's on the East bank. Where the road crossed Yellow Creek there's what is left of the old bridge down there, and that's where my friend figured he was picking up the 'eyes. It used to be pretty good, but I have no idea what the fishery is like today.


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## vc1111 (Apr 13, 2004)

The stocking of walleye in Evans ended many, many years ago. Your odds of catching a walleye in there now are about like hitting the lottery. It could happen, but I wouldn't count on it.

As for pike, it all about location and season. If you know where the fresh water springs are beneath the surface along the shoreline, you can experience a top water explosion that you have to see to believe. It took me years to discover them and they are still there today. The pike love to lay near them when the water heats up because they are a steady, permanent, source of cool water. Before and after the water heats up, they are elsewhere. I could tell you where, but then I'd have to kill you.


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## Shed Hunter 365 (Dec 3, 2007)

What size pike can you catch in Evans? Any preferred method?


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## thepikeslayer (Jan 15, 2012)

I live on Evans Lake and have been fishing it 3-4 times a week since April. The lake is lower than i have ever seen it, and a lot of the good largemouth spots are out of the water which is a shame. Been catching some nice bass out there but not like last year due to the low water level. Biggest bass was 6 lbs, and i've caught prob a dozen 4 lbs or bigger mainly on lures.

I typically go Pike fishing though since they are a lot more fun to catch in my opinion. Sure would love to know where those freshwater springs are now that the lake has warmed up...hint hint! I'd post Pike pics on here but, people get all upset over it because it's a private lake and i dont want to make anyone cry so, you'll just have to take my word for it.

As for Walleye...i've never seen or heard of anyone catching any in recent years. They were in there years ago but, not any longer. As much as i've been fishing out there i would have caught one by now. 

As for going about fishing Evans...you have to be a waterfront landowner to qualify for the fishing permit and then you have to buy the fishing permit for the low low price of $520 a season! So at that cost the fishing better be good out here.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Pikeslayer;
" I'd post Pike pics on here but, people get all upset over it because it's a private lake and i dont want to make anyone cry so, you'll just have to take my word for it".

WHAT!!???
Your Legal, Right?
Your just sharing good times with fellow fisherman, and we would LOVE to see your pics,,, I wouldn't worry about it.

I have the original maps of Pine, Evans, Beaver, Hamilton,,, from Kinzua to Canton.
I'd be MORE than happy to post 'em or send them, if it'll help ya?
I live a cuppla blocks away from Evans, and most of my neighbors grew up fishing those lakes,,, I'm sure they'd be glad to tell some of their stories,,,
I'll check on those springs and holes. 
Thanks


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## Shed Hunter 365 (Dec 3, 2007)

What type of method do you utilize for the pike?


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## JF1 (Mar 25, 2008)

I fished united way too, and it was just a tough day of fishing. Typically, the lake fishes much better. I think the front that pushed through, along with the lake being so low contributed to it fishing tougher than usual.


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## Shed Hunter 365 (Dec 3, 2007)

I am also having difficulty locating maps on Pine and Evans. Any help would be appreciated.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

thepikeslayer said:


> Absolutely legal! Attached is a pic of a 35" a caught the other day. I stuck my foot in there for scale purposes because i was by myself and couldn't get a good pic holding her by myself...i wear an 11 1/2 shoe to give you an idea. I feel the same way, i love to see what other fishermen are catching and hearing their stories.
> 
> *If you could post or send me your map of Evans i would greatly appreciate it! I cant get a map of this lake anywhere. Aqua Ohio who owns the lake couldn't even find any maps to give me when i asked for them and internet has nothing i can find. I'd love to pick the brain of someone who really knows this lake and could give me a few pointers*.


PM SENT.
Map Is Here,,, and so is a ton of info,,, if ya' like.
jer


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

Wow, you guys have a lot of knowledge about those lakes. I wonder if you could answer a question about one of the other lakes that were in the Lakes of the Valley group of lakes. Is Liberty Lake still open to fishing? I fished Liberty a couple of times years ago. At the time the guys were talking that the lake was going to be drained because the dam was in need of repair. Did they ever fix the dam and reopen the lake? That was a killer bass lake. And to share a story...... 

The two times I fished Liberty were as the second day of the championship of a bass circuit that I used to fish. The top 10 from the first day (we fished Mosquito the first day) qualified to fish the second day. Each team had their weights zeroed and then got to fish Liberty the second day. They divided the lake into 10 sections with buoys and stakes on shore, and each team fished each "hole" for 45 minutes and then would idle to a point on the lake to find out which "hole" they were fishing next. (yes we had permission to use our gas motors to idle to and from each "hole") The old BASS Mega Bucks tournament style. It was very cool. It took 23 to 25 lbs. to win the tournament. If I remember correctly, no team weighed less than 14 lbs. Every team reported losing numerous fish over 4 lbs. or the weights would have been higher. I know I personally lost one of about 5 lbs, and my dad lost one that would have went over 7. Anyhow....... I'd love to get on that lake again if at all possible. Anyone have any info?


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## thepikeslayer (Jan 15, 2012)

Shed Hunter 365 said:


> What type of method do you utilize for the pike?


I dont really use just one method. i use a combination of spoons, spinners, Lures or live bait. It really just depends on time of day, depth of water, structures, grass etc.

I prefer casting and focus on fishing one area at a time but, i've had a lot of success trolling as well.


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## Rmelz (May 24, 2011)

Pikeslayer, I would like to see your big pike pics. I don't think anyone would hate. There was a guy on here last year (It may be you I don't know) who was talking about all the pike he was catching at evans, and people though he was kind of out of place bragging about the pike since it's a private lake and they are way easier to catch there than in most places. But personally I don't care where the fish are caught, if I could fish there I would, and I would still be proud of my catches. I do see the other side of it though, it seems more rewarding when you really have to work to catch a big pike vs fish a private lake.


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## FishNinja (May 25, 2011)

I also live on Evans and would like a map or any info you have Doboy....I would really appreciate it. I have one old topographical?? map....I can prob make copies of it and get them to you Pikeslayer. I dont know how accurate it is though...


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Bassbme said:


> Wow, you guys have a lot of knowledge about those lakes. I wonder if you could answer a question about one of the other lakes that were in the Lakes of the Valley group of lakes. Is Liberty Lake still open to fishing? I fished Liberty a couple of times years ago. At the time the guys were talking that the lake was going to be drained because the dam was in need of repair. Did they ever fix the dam and reopen the lake? That was a killer bass lake. And to share a story......
> 
> The two times I fished Liberty were as the second day of the championship of a bass circuit that I used to fish. The top 10 from the first day (we fished Mosquito the first day) qualified to fish the second day. Each team had their weights zeroed and then got to fish Liberty the second day. They divided the lake into 10 sections with buoys and stakes on shore, and each team fished each "hole" for 45 minutes and then would idle to a point on the lake to find out which "hole" they were fishing next. (yes we had permission to use our gas motors to idle to and from each "hole") The old BASS Mega Bucks tournament style. It was very cool. It took 23 to 25 lbs. to win the tournament. If I remember correctly, no team weighed less than 14 lbs. Every team reported losing numerous fish over 4 lbs. or the weights would have been higher. I know I personally lost one of about 5 lbs, and my dad lost one that would have went over 7. Anyhow....... I'd love to get on that lake again if at all possible. Anyone have any info?


I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but first, I want to make sure we're talking about the same lake. What we always referred to as Liberty Lake was located on Tibbets-Wick Rd, just E of US RT 422. Basically E of Niles, or the section of Niles known as McKinley Heights. I notice that in my DeLorme atlas & gazeteer they have it labeled as "Lower Girard Lake".

If that's the one unfortunately it is drained and closed, the dam breached! As I recall, the city of Girard bought the lake to maybe use it as an auxiliary water supply. When the dam was inspected it was found to be dangerous. A bunch of legal wrangling ensued against the seller (either Ohio Water Service or Aqua Ohio), but basically Girard ended shooting a bunch of taxpayer's money up a cat's hind end! 

You can see it from St Rt 11 on the W side of the highway just N or the Tibbets-Wick ramps. The basin is full of brush and weeds with Squaw Creek flowing through. On the E side of 11 you can see the dam for Girard Lake. It's still full, but no fishing allowed. Both were fabulous fishing lakes! 

They opened Girard for fishing some years back, but, as I understand it, every time they tried to do something up there they'd suffer a lot of vandalism. I guess the poachers sneaking in at night didn't like the competition!


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## Rocket3167 (Feb 4, 2014)

Doboy-I would like to see if you can send me a map of Evans Lake?


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## neofishwebber (Jan 24, 2014)

I know people that live off of upper girard lake. The dam at the bottom lake will not be repairs. The upper lake is closed .they are starting to patrol it due to litter dumping and ignorance. It is an awesome lake .people ruined it

Sent from my ZTE V768 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## tippy (Mar 7, 2012)

Type in Map of Evans Lake in Ohio. Theirs lots of info their. You might find a map their. Found this on my computer.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

Here Ya go Rocket,,,, how's that for service?


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## Rocket3167 (Feb 4, 2014)

Doboy said:


> Here Ya go Rocket,,,, how's that for service?


Appreciate the maps!


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