# paint creek?



## crappie4me (Jan 25, 2009)

anybody been out to paint creek to fish for saugeye?


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## TPfisher (Aug 31, 2009)

i was thinking about going soon.


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## crappie4me (Jan 25, 2009)

i went out saturday..soon as i got there they let some of the water out of the lake into the creek and it muddied it up pretty bad.only caught 1 dink saugeye. i thought that there would be quite a few people there but there was only me my buddy and 1 other guy


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## bumblebee (Mar 14, 2007)

i've went twice within the last month-- caught 44 nice fish one trip then only around 5 the next. the lake is really low and diffecult to launch.


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## TPfisher (Aug 31, 2009)

ive been wanting to get back up there but not willing to make the hour drive if its really high


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## slaughtereyez (Jul 13, 2009)

anyone have an idea of about how far paint creek is from Toledo?


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## bumblebee (Mar 14, 2007)

I live in North Dayton and it takes me a little over an hour so I would guess 3-4 hours. Its a great place to fish and there are some really nice places to stay---Lazy H for instance.


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## crappie4me (Jan 25, 2009)

from toledo to paint creek its somewhere near 230 miles


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## wildman (Sep 3, 2008)

Have not fished it for saugeyes but it is 40 min. east of Cincinnati


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## slaughtereyez (Jul 13, 2009)

thanks for the replies guys...sounds like a nice place to fish...definitely going to have to check it out....


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## bumblebee (Mar 14, 2007)

The lake was extreamly low a couple of weeks ago. As far as I could tell the only launch available is by the marina/dam. Hope this helps


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## Guest (Dec 23, 2009)

bumblebee said:


> The lake was extreamly low a couple of weeks ago. As far as I could tell the only launch available is by the marina/dam. Hope this helps


 Anyone know the condition of the spillway?? Still high and muddy??


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## nikmark (May 26, 2009)

Looks like it's only running about 300 c.f.s. right now.
http://www.lrh-wc.usace.army.mil/wc/scins.htm


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## Guest (Dec 23, 2009)

Thanks for the info. That was lower then I was hoping for, much lower.


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## crappie4me (Jan 25, 2009)

anybody been up to the spillway recently?


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## CptOrdnance (Jun 5, 2009)

Have a little cabin just a few miles from the lake but haven't been there since last month's deer season. I almost quit fishing Paint because I fish twice as hard and catch half as much. My Buddie and I talked about tryin' Saugeyes one time next month.... if I actually do it, I'll put up a post... good or bad.


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## crappie4me (Jan 25, 2009)

thanks a lot


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## TPfisher (Aug 31, 2009)

oh so its really low now. i was thinking about going tomorrow on the holiday. got the itch to catch a few saugeyes or crappie or something lol.


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## TPfisher (Aug 31, 2009)

went out today and should have stayed home. didn't even get a bite in 4 hours


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## crappie4me (Jan 25, 2009)

bummer..i too have taken that long ride to many times to come up empty.


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## wedebrook (Jul 29, 2009)

TPfisher said:


> went out today and should have stayed home. didn't even get a bite in 4 hours


I fished the spillway on the 16th for about 3 hours with the same result. Water looked good, though... nice and clear, thawed, good flow, but not a single fish was pulled from the water during our stay.


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## TPfisher (Aug 31, 2009)

wedebrook said:


> I fished the spillway on the 16th for about 3 hours with the same result. Water looked good, though... nice and clear, thawed, good flow, but not a single fish was pulled from the water during our stay.


I've come to the conclusion that clear water=crappy fishing there.


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## wedebrook (Jul 29, 2009)

TPfisher said:


> I've come to the conclusion that clear water=crappy fishing there.


Yeah, and it drives me crazy. I am going to make a Thursday morning trip up there this week. I'm sure its probably a little stained, maybe even muddy right now from the rain and little bit of snow we had. But, I reaaaaaaaaaally want to snag up a couple saugeye for dinner.


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## TPfisher (Aug 31, 2009)

you might see me up there Wedebrook. I don't have class until 6:30 and its on my way home at UC Clermont. and some saugeye fillets sound pretty flippin good. I just ran out of my Erie perch from the fall.


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## wedebrook (Jul 29, 2009)

I didn't make it out on Thursday, and went against my better judgement this morning and headed out the spillway despite the cold weather, wind, and high pressure. I ended up fishing from about 10:30-12:30 with not even a strike. I took some pictures and video of the conditions at Paint Creek Spillway today, so if anyone is considering going anytime soon, have a look at these first:

The water is up a bit, murky and flowing pretty fast coming out. It does slow down a little downstream, but still murky. 








And here are the videos of the water flow at the spillway:
http://s790.photobucket.com/albums/yy182/wedebrook/?action=view&current=VIDEO00071.flv
http://s790.photobucket.com/albums/yy182/wedebrook/?action=view&current=VIDEO00061.flv

Disclaimer: No fish were harmed in the making of this expedition.


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## crappie4me (Jan 25, 2009)

still looks the same as when i was there a month ago


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## Fishing Nut (Oct 17, 2009)

I went today water was flowing @ 461 cfs and cold watched 4 short saugeyes pulled off the wall but they were all short


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## TPfisher (Aug 31, 2009)

well damn, we just can't catch anything but a cold up there huh?


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## wedebrook (Jul 29, 2009)

TPfisher said:


> well damn, we just can't catch anything but a cold up there huh?


LOL. It's certainly not for a lack of effort.  I will probably hit it up again a couple more times this week. At least someone seeing a few small ones pulled out is better than seeing none pulled out. Its a step in the right direction, as far as I'm concerned. I may make another trip out there Tuesday, since I don't have any class that day. I'm not giving up on the spillway this year until I bring home some dinner! 

Side Note: Anyone know what's going on at the marina? They aren't taking it out, are they? I really hope they are just rebuilding the docks. I fished them last year about 4-5 times and felt like I was going to end up in the water every time I walked the ramps.


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## crappie4me (Jan 25, 2009)

thats the attitude!!..give it hell..i know theres fish in there its just a matter of when they will bite.


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## TPfisher (Aug 31, 2009)

wedebrook said:


> LOL. It's certainly not for a lack of effort.  I will probably hit it up again a couple more times this week. At least someone seeing a few small ones pulled out is better than seeing none pulled out. Its a step in the right direction, as far as I'm concerned. I may make another trip out there Tuesday, since I don't have any class that day. I'm not giving up on the spillway this year until I bring home some dinner!
> 
> Side Note: Anyone know what's going on at the marina? They aren't taking it out, are they? I really hope they are just rebuilding the docks. I fished them last year about 4-5 times and felt like I was going to end up in the water every time I walked the ramps.


I am heading out there Tomorrow. no class, and a serious case of cabin fever. I'm gonna go all out on those fish. I'm bringing everything I have ever used to catch saugeye in the past and trying all of it.I am hoping this little bit of a warm-up might open their mouths a bit. Again, wedebrook, I'll be there in my red fleece and jeans. I'm trying to decide if I want to go in the morning and just fish all day. I've heard the evening bite can be more productive. I might jsut make a day of it. Cya guys out there.


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## sc83 (Apr 16, 2008)

Probably gonna go on Wed. Anyone know if you can get minnows at Cole's right now, or the closest place to get them.


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## TPfisher (Aug 31, 2009)

yeah you can get minnows at Cole's


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## wedebrook (Jul 29, 2009)

sc83 said:


> Probably gonna go on Wed. Anyone know if you can get minnows at Cole's right now, or the closest place to get them.


I got some from there on the 16th when I went out. I just didn't know the name of the place.


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## sc83 (Apr 16, 2008)

Thanks. Gonna try and get there early.


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## wedebrook (Jul 29, 2009)

Went today from about 10:00 to 12:30...nothing doing. There was only one other person there, an older woman, and she didn't even get a strike while I was there, either. The lake is frozen over, though, with some pretty thick ice. I actually saw a few shad frozen in the ice and the banks are littered with dead shad. Is it normal for them to drop the reservoir so low in winter, or is this something they are doing to assist with the construction they have going on at the marina? It has to be down around 12-15 feet or so from what I saw of it last summer and fall. This is the dock near the dam:
















So are these water levels normal for winter? I know they tend to let some water out during the winter months, but is it usually this much?


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## timjr (Jul 23, 2009)

was there sunday morning caught 4 dinks and lost 4.
was there tuesday evening fished till after dark and got 1 dink seen a couple small crappie caught just before dark.


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## rossco (Jan 30, 2008)

http://www.lrh-wc.usace.army.mil/wc/scins.htm

wedebrook-
According to the Army Corps of Engineers site, Paint Creek is about a foot above normal "winter pool". You can use the link above to track spillway outflows, lake levels, water temp, etc. Hope it helps. 

rossco


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## wedebrook (Jul 29, 2009)

That's a great link, thanks.


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## sc83 (Apr 16, 2008)

Fished from about 1030-1230 today and didn't get bit. There were several other people there. One guy had 2 good size saugyes on a stringer, other than that nothing happening.


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## johnnywalleye (Jan 27, 2007)

if there's a better lake in OHIO, then let it be known, some will say CJ but for me its PC, you columbus boys thinks its Alum, shows how much you know, even Deer Creek is better than ALum. PC are you catchin saugeyes or feedin the fish?


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## Fishing Nut (Oct 17, 2009)

The water level is normal they drop it 10.5' for the winter. Some of the best fishing is actually when the lake is this low.


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## steveg11943 (Jun 27, 2008)

I don't know if thats normal for winter pool, but if you look at wedebrooks first pic and look across the lake at the bend in the road thats where the water level will be in the spring.We went there one spring and put in and could touch the top of the parking lot light poles setting in the boat, rest room was completely under water.


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## wedebrook (Jul 29, 2009)

Looks like the flow from the spillway is under 300 right now, compared to the 460 from last week...I may go try it out tomorrow. Anyone know if they got the roads cleared off around there, like Rapid Forge, for example? This is my first winter fishing Paint Creek and I'm trying to log as much time on the water as possible...


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## wedebrook (Jul 29, 2009)

Hit up the spillway from about 12:30-3:00 today with no luck. By the time I left, there were about 8-10 lines in the water, but I didn't see anything pulled out. They came through while I was down there and plowed the roads, so they are at least partially cleared.


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