# Alum Creek Spring Musky



## KingSteve (Apr 9, 2019)

Plan a little 2 day trip from the Cleveland area to try and bag mine and my son's first musky. Been fishing West Branch near Ravenna the last couple years but no musky. I've done some looking and researching and have seen that below the dam and in the creek near the spillway hold fish. Also off the dam lakeside. Any other advice would be appreciated.


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

I’m not a musky guy, but saugeye fisherman routinely catch them below the dam in the spillway on Joshy’s and stick baits both day and night. There have been several I’ve heard about and seen just the past few weeks. I catch them spring and summer trolling flicker shad around points and flat 2-8’ deep. Have also caught them casting jigs and roadrunners around woody structure April and May crappie fishing.

Good luck and tight lines!
Brahmabull


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

Post closer to your trip & you will get plenty of help. Lots of fish in the spillway & no shortage in the lake.


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## sixtyminutes (Jan 3, 2009)

I don't often target Musky except early, early spring. My limited experience with Musky in Alum is that the odds for Musky holding shallow, near cover just like bass is pretty high when the water is cold. They will be back in the coves not only near the main lake. If the lake is up to full pool there will be plenty of cover shallow. Because they are shallow it's a good time to cast for them. Later in the year I am happy to catch them by accident while saugeye fishing. Alum Musky have earned a reputation for eating small (for musky) baits. There are always fish in the spillway also. Good luck! They are a bucket list fish in my book.


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## Morrowtucky Mike (May 2, 2018)

If in a boat trolling the beach area has always been a good bet. Or do like I do, don’t target them at Alum and you’ll catch plenty. Almost every time I specifically troll for them I get skunked then next day troll for saugeye or crappie and BAM gotta musky lol and like Josh and sixtyminutes said, you definitely don’t need musky size lures.


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## Harry1959 (Mar 17, 2011)

You’ve been musky fishing West Branch and going to try alumn Creek. I’ve never fished WB, only fished alumn once..... I thought WB was one of, if not the best musky lake in the state?


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

Harry1959 said:


> You’ve been musky fishing West Branch and going to try alumn Creek. I’ve never fished WB, only fished alumn once..... I thought WB was one of, if not the best musky lake in the state?


I didn’t want to say that, but statistically...yes.


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## KingSteve (Apr 9, 2019)

WB is supposed to be one of the best musky lakes in the state. Your chances are much better on a boat at WB. I shore fish as I am boatless for the last few years. You can catch musky at WB from shore. Your luck is just much better in a boat. I figured I'd try Alum cause the fish below the dam are in a more condensed area making them a little easier to find. Not giving up on WB, just would love to fish Alum.


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## polebender (Oct 29, 2011)

I’ve caught quite a few muskies at Alum while bass fishing. All of them were caught on a chatterbait or jerkbait! All from shallow water.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

KingSteve said:


> WB is supposed to be one of the best musky lakes in the state. Your chances are much better on a boat at WB. I shore fish as I am boatless for the last few years. You can catch musky at WB from shore. Your luck is just much better in a boat. I figured I'd try Alum cause the fish below the dam are in a more condensed area making them a little easier to find. Not giving up on WB, just would love to fish Alum.


Being your a bank angler I see where your coming from.... early march they can stack up on the face of the dam. Hard to beat a rattle trap.... 
There are always some below the dam,but they seen to realky wake up right after they start dumping some water. You will see them blowing up on bait. Then things will quiet down and you'll see the carp and shad schools will just swim around with them. 
I know a few guys that target them down there. They'll usually start with muskie baits and bigger rattle traps. If that dont work then they'll down size to saugeye sized baits. Every alum muskie I have ever caught have been on crappie to saugeye sized baits. 
Except a couple I've caught in 1/2oz rattle traps actually targeting them... 
I must admit tho,after a season of chasing them down there it kinda gets to be like fishing a pond. If you have the time and willing to travel the hole creek holds them from the dam to big walnut. 
Guys even target them in the sciota and big walnut. Just check out Google maps and look for some access spots. Imo it's a cool experience catching them down stream in the smaller sections of the creek.....


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## KingSteve (Apr 9, 2019)

Thanks. I had planned on starting below the dam and working my way down stream. I saw a spillway next to Otterbein Lake. Thought that may be a good area as they may sit at the edge of the current feeding on bait fish. I know from fishing at WB that musky dont require the big baits. Most good sized musky that I have seen guys catch have been on bass and walleye lures. I have spinners and swim baits that I use for pike up here. The swim baits are 4.5 to 6in and the pike kill them. I do have rattle traps, rapalas, rooster tails, buck tails, and some smaller musky dawgs. I'm not particularly looking for a giant, although that's always nice. If we could hook a couple in the 30 plus inch range I'll be happy. 




Saugeyefisher said:


> Being your a bank angler I see where your coming from.... early march they can stack up on the face of the dam. Hard to beat a rattle trap....
> There are always some below the dam,but they seen to realky wake up right after they start dumping some water. You will see them blowing up on bait. Then things will quiet down and you'll see the carp and shad schools will just swim around with them.
> I know a few guys that target them down there. They'll usually start with muskie baits and bigger rattle traps. If that dont work then they'll down size to saugeye sized baits. Every alum muskie I have ever caught have been on crappie to saugeye sized baits.
> Except a couple I've caught in 1/2oz rattle traps actually targeting them...
> ...


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## Ronny (Feb 4, 2015)

Don't sell yourself short on West Branch from shore. Use shad rap/flicker shad in crawfish color. Work the rocks in front of the marina and the bay west of the beach. This time of year through spring. Snow storms included.


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2020)

For you bank anglers looking for muskie, Alum Creek spillway provides a good opportunity to land the elusive fish. Access is easy and the fish are there. Check out the YouTube video “up close video of Alum Creek Muskie”. Very interesting (and cool) underwater vid taken from a GoPro camera tied to the end of a fishing rod/line. Many other videos of Alum Creek fishing. Good luck


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## John Garwood (Jul 5, 2016)

KingSteve said:


> Plan a little 2 day trip from the Cleveland area to try and bag mine and my son's first musky. Been fishing West Branch near Ravenna the last couple years but no musky. I've done some looking and researching and have seen that below the dam and in the creek near the spillway hold fish. Also off the dam lakeside. Any other advice would be appreciated.


below the dam is good when they are releasing A LOT of water. When it is at normal flow it is hit or miss and more likely miss. Here is the Army Corp of Engineers website to check. Anything above 300 cfs is going to be good I catch them saugeye fishing, havent really tried just for Musky
http://www.lrh-wc.usace.army.mil/wm/?basin/sci/acs


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## John Garwood (Jul 5, 2016)

KingSteve said:


> Thanks. I had planned on starting below the dam and working my way down stream. I saw a spillway next to Otterbein Lake. Thought that may be a good area as they may sit at the edge of the current feeding on bait fish. I know from fishing at WB that musky dont require the big baits. Most good sized musky that I have seen guys catch have been on bass and walleye lures. I have spinners and swim baits that I use for pike up here. The swim baits are 4.5 to 6in and the pike kill them. I do have rattle traps, rapalas, rooster tails, buck tails, and some smaller musky dawgs. I'm not particularly looking for a giant, although that's always nice. If we could hook a couple in the 30 plus inch range I'll be happy.


There is a low head dam in Westerville on Alum Creek ( the Actual creek) that is what the call Otterbien lake


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2020)

John , Thanks for posting the Army Corp website. I don’t fish the spillway enough to know what the good/ bad flow rates are. That will be very helpful to me and those coming in from out of town.


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## tim sapara (Apr 6, 2019)

I live by west branch. Full of musky. This time of yr is the time to hit them at the branch. The damn area hinkley creek area . Last yr in hinkley creek which feeds into west branch on Northside of lake was full this time of yr. Stacked from the shoreline all the way to rte 5 tunnel. You cant catch a musky in the branch you have an issue.


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## KingSteve (Apr 9, 2019)

Thanks for the info Tim. Looks like that area is only accessible by boat. As I mentioned above I have been boatless the last few years and have only shore fished for Musky. I'm not an expert on west branch, nor am I a musky expert. The only issue I have is being able to gain access to certain areas without a boat. Again, thanks for the info. It is appreciated.







tim sapara said:


> I live by west branch. Full of musky. This time of yr is the time to hit them at the branch. The damn area hinkley creek area . Last yr in hinkley creek which feeds into west branch on Northside of lake was full this time of yr. Stacked from the shoreline all the way to rte 5 tunnel. You cant catch a musky in the branch you have an issue.


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## tim sapara (Apr 6, 2019)

If you park on Knapp rd at the buckeye trail entrance. Follow the trail 1 mile. You'll come right up to hinkley creek tunnel. The buckeye trail goes right over the creek. From the tunnel to the lake is apr150 yrds. Creek will be full as well as the mouth of the creek and the shoreline surrounding area. Plus dont forget the whole dam area!


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## KingSteve (Apr 9, 2019)

Thanks again Tim. It is appreciated. I will not forget the dam. Come hell or high water I'll get my first musky this year.





tim sapara said:


> If you park on Knapp rd at the buckeye trail entrance. Follow the trail 1 mile. You'll come right up to hinkley creek tunnel. The buckeye trail goes right over the creek. From the tunnel to the lake is apr150 yrds. Creek will be full as well as the mouth of the creek and the shoreline surrounding area. Plus dont forget the whole dam area!


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## BrandonMiller526 (Dec 18, 2018)

One of the most successful videos I've seen was a guy catching 3-4 inch bluegill than weightlessly fishing them on the side with the outflow. He would stay up top and get a friend to net from the walkway.


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

IMO West Branch is very similar to Alum Creek, depth wise, structure wise, and clarity, and heavy summer boat traffic.


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## tim sapara (Apr 6, 2019)

NewbreedFishing said:


> IMO West Branch is very similar to Alum Creek, depth wise, structure wise, and clarity, and heavy summer boat traffic.


Ok.


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## KingSteve (Apr 9, 2019)

Headed on down to Alum Creek this morning to give a little try for some musky. Gonna check the place out as well as I have never fished there before. Have to do something to keep sane in this crazy time. Hopefully me and my son will be rewarded with our first musky.


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## Ronny (Feb 4, 2015)

Isn't Cleveland under lock down?


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## KingSteve (Apr 9, 2019)

No more than any other part of the state. Schools closed, bars and restaurants closed, all toilet paper and hand sanitizer gone. 

Got back a little bit ago from wetting the line. Fished beneath the dam for a little while, the spillway downstream, and the New Galena boat ramp area. Had some bites but caught nothing. Was just nice to get out and fish for a while with all this craziness going on. I'll try again in a few weeks.






Ronny said:


> Isn't Cleveland under lock down?


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## sjwano (Sep 13, 2018)

Looking to visit Alum tomorrow for the first time out of my pedal kayak. Interested in musky, bass and saugeye. Usually fish Caesar's creek for the same. Was thinking of putting in at the beach and casting coves/timber in the morning, trolling for whatever bites in the afternoon. Any recent reports on Musky activity in the lake? Given somewhat limited mobility, would I be better off putting in farther north? Thanks!


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## BigFishBerg (Sep 19, 2018)

sjwano said:


> Looking to visit Alum tomorrow for the first time out of my pedal kayak. Interested in musky, bass and saugeye. Usually fish Caesar's creek for the same. Was thinking of putting in at the beach and casting coves/timber in the morning, trolling for whatever bites in the afternoon. Any recent reports on Musky activity in the lake? Given somewhat limited mobility, would I be better off putting in farther north? Thanks!


I don’t have a “report” but I will say that most of the guys in Ch. 41 muskies inc that fish Alum regularly would tell you that in the springtime, focus on middle / northern end of lake. Find timber, and fish it hard. They should be chasing right now too!


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## Earthworms (Dec 15, 2014)

Honestly i am in 41 and have no idea what you are "hearing". Oh ya, its great up north i forgot.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Up north? Does he mean up north of the beach? Like maybe 200 yards north of there? Maybe that's what he means. lol


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## BigFishBerg (Sep 19, 2018)

Earthworms said:


> Honestly i am in 41 and have no idea what you are "hearing". Oh ya, its great up north i forgot.


I stand corrected. my apologies then.


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## BigFishBerg (Sep 19, 2018)

BigFishBerg said:


> I stand corrected. my apologies then.


I always thought early and late in the year coves between campground and 37 were good. you would obviously would know more than I do! i stand corrected.


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