# Most Crowded/Pressured Lake?



## Wow (May 17, 2010)

I trust fishermen, like you, to answer this question better than the ODNR. This question has two parts. Last year, in 2010, what was the most crowded lake you saw? Recreational boaters or fisherman? And what N.E. Ohio lake has seen the most fishing pressure, from your experience? Thanks, --Tim........................................................................................................


----------



## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

Definatly Spencer Lake. Way to many people their! all lined up on the main bank casting for bass and not catching anything.


----------



## Iraqvet (Aug 27, 2009)

For me,I think mosquito for both parts of the question...


----------



## BigBag (Jan 11, 2009)

Portage Lakes


----------



## markfish (Nov 22, 2007)

first milton and all the we daddys boats out at 6.30am running the bowi line and then there berlin in summer you got to be there early and get out early,and that can be a treat at both lakes waiting for them to back there boat in then start working on the thing trying to start them and blocking the hole ramp in the process cause they cant back in right,


----------



## mirrocraft mike (Mar 17, 2006)

I vote 
Atwood Lake
By far for recreational boating.There has got be more pontoon boats per square inch of water then any other lake. Its a sight to see.
THANK GOD for a 25hp limit. Many of them are fishing family's and have some cool set ups. Most are pleasure boaters. Unfortunately there play ground is in some of the best fishing areas ...lol


Berlin 
takes a very close second.
To many rich kids with Daddys money playing in FAST boats and some Dads too. I usually stop going here after Memorial Day just for that reason.


Mosquito
for fisherman Seems the parking lot is always full.Still plenty of room to fish.

Like any lake most get very crowded on Holidays.

Fishing or boating we all have a equal right and LOVE for the water.
Boat safe in 2011


----------



## wave warrior (Oct 2, 2005)

im with mike on atwood, live 15 min away but dont even go there memorial day thru labor day, its just to crowded

tappan has become pretty busy as well with heavy pleasure boating and jet skis but thats where i take my camper so not much i can do but deal with it!! fish early then head over to the ******* yacht club/boater swim area and chill


----------



## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

mirrocraft mike said:


> I vote
> Atwood Lake
> By far for recreational boating.There has got be more pontoon boats per square inch of water then any other lake. Its a sight to see.
> THANK GOD for a 25hp limit. Many of them are fishing family's and have some cool set ups. Most are pleasure boaters. Unfortunately there play ground is in some of the best fishing areas ...lol
> ...


Mike, don't forget the sail boats on Atwood during the summer. I love, love, love Atwood lake crowded or not I still prefer to fish it over most lakes.


----------



## KSUFLASH (Apr 14, 2004)

Portage Lakes. Between the multiple bass tourneys, weekend warriors, casual boaters, and resident pontoon'ers. This lake is the busiest I have ever seen.

It's one thing to see it busy at the ramp. It's another to see it busy on the water.

-KSU


----------



## dmills4124 (Apr 9, 2008)

Markfish; I can't agree with you more! Milton is just rediculous when it comes to go-fast boats running the bouy line making all those boats in the rental spaces get beat to pieces from the wake that they create a short distance away. They need stricter enforcment and to move the bouy line out much farther. That lake needs regs like portage. 
Portage has high fishing and boating pressure but it is well regulated to be fair for most everyone and the enforcement is very present. 
Berlin is just a joke.
just my three cents worth.
later ya'll
donm


----------



## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

I have another one that gets hammered with high speed boats and is a nightmare at the launch ramps after Memorial Day and that's Pleasant Hill! In my opinion that lake is too damn small to be unrestricted, if you take away the half of the lake that is no wake it's even smaller still. I almost lost my life twice out there because jerks in their speed boats. And the Launch situation is even worse, because the same guys that buzz past the fisherman are the same jerks who think they own the launch ramps. It's the main reason I quit fishing there altogether which is a damn shame because it's a good Saugeye lake.


----------



## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

I would say that the Portage Lakes are the most crowded. Specifically, Turkeyfoot and the other small lakes off of Turkeyfoot. The narrow, shallow, channels make navigating difficult at times. Especially with people renting pontoon boats out there. Lots of fishing and boating pressure. Thankfully, most of the area is a no wake zone. I have trouble catching any bass out there.


----------



## MadMac (May 2, 2005)

Everyone seems to be calling out the lakes they fish the most. No mention of West Branch? lol


----------



## BigBag (Jan 11, 2009)

Saugeye Sam, 
Yes, Pleasant hill does get nasty. Nothing beats a Lake Erie boat coming about 20mph down the center of that lake. It kicks off a killer wave, if you are close to that rock wall and dont see it coming, it can pretty much throw your boat into the wall. Dont give up though, the fishing is still on fire down there!


----------



## mirrocraft mike (Mar 17, 2006)

MadMac said:


> Everyone seems to be calling out the lakes they fish the most. No mention of West Branch? lol


I was on stand by for you....lol
Besides I'm trying to scare everyone off the lakes I fish to your home lake..

Yes I was going to call W.B out.
Only been there a few times,so I didn't feel I could give her a fair shake. Same for Milton. 
As for W.B.
The spring trips were fine
My mid July trips ....WELL I swear there were 4 footers rolling in just from Boat traffic  and YES the ramp was a treat also.
Putting in early was fine.The time I chose to leave was Awful...LOL


----------



## Steelhead Fever (Dec 31, 2009)

milton for boating....mosquito for tourneys


----------



## JIG (Nov 2, 2004)

Berlin for Boaters(summer) Cant believe they dont mark the humps. Forces most people through the sail boats off the campground ramp. How dumb can they be? NUTZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!! What good do the no-wake bouys do?


----------



## mpd5094 (Jun 20, 2005)

Portage by far for me!


----------



## guppygill (May 8, 2004)

Portage, then I would say Berlin


----------



## snake69 (Sep 26, 2005)

As has been said, I'll agree: Berlin! I'm there every weekend and in between alot and can vouch for the madness! Alot of times, we'll beach the boat rather than wait in line for the ramps. Much quicker!! And alot of times, you can use the two smaller ramps because people seem to be afraid of them...


----------



## Master Angler (May 26, 2004)

Portage Lakes are the busiest inland lakes in Ohio. I quit fishing on the lakes after mid-June and join the ranks of pleasure boaters. I love seeing the guys anchored at the mouth of Turkeyfoot channel trying to fish on busy summer weekends. The only saving grace is most of it is no wake.


----------



## MadMac (May 2, 2005)

West Branch's saving grace is the West End that is no wake. I, however, fish the East End 95% of the time and it is a ZOO. lol I usually leave by 10:30 or don't show up until 4 to fish the evening bite.


----------



## buckzye11 (Jul 16, 2009)

From my experience its Portage Lakes.... not to busy in fall, but for me in a 12 ft aluminum, i just stay away in the summer.... too busy. i prefer electric only lakes. its just a better time if you want to focus on fishing. i havent had much time on the berlins and miltons. Suageyesam's right about the sailboats on atwood, it looks like obstacle course out there.


----------



## Deerehunter03 (Sep 7, 2006)

For me its portage. then again i hardly go any where else. However i believe it may all be relative to the size of the lake to how busy you think it is.


----------



## Ruminator (Apr 6, 2004)

I know the others mentioned turn into a zoo, but I also have to agree that between Mem. Day and Labor Day, especially on the weekends, West Branch also becomes a zoo. With its long speed zone all manor of mayhem can be seen both at the ramps and on the lake.. :C


----------



## Buick Riviera (Jul 15, 2007)

I read somewhere that Ohio has the most registered boats for the least amount of water anywhere in the United States. I have no way of knowing if that is true but it seems like it _regardless_ of where you go. For most boats per square inch, Portage Lakes has to be right up there. Since it is 90% no wake they can squeeze a lot in. 

The best fishing lake with the worst recreational boat influence has to be Pleasant Hill. Why that narrow leg from the bend to the dam is a ski zone I will never understand. I do know that I damn near got tossed from my front deck by a skier's wake last year. There isn't much sense in fishing past 11:00 a.m. on weekends. In fact, if the fishing wasn't so darn good I'd say skip it all together.

The most pressured lake by fisherman (primarily) might be Rocky Fork down in the southwest part of the state.

Buick


----------



## wahsup13 (Apr 1, 2010)

My vote is for portage also. Specifically Turkeyfoot and Rex(anchored boats)...thank god they have restrictions on turkeyfoot. Every time i was out there odnr was out there when it is restricted. I saw a lot of people get in trouble this past summer.


----------



## Pole Squeezer (Jun 21, 2008)

KSUFLASH said:


> Portage Lakes. Between the multiple bass tourneys, weekend warriors, casual boaters, and resident pontoon'ers. This lake is the busiest I have ever seen.
> 
> It's one thing to see it busy at the ramp. It's another to see it busy on the water.
> 
> -KSU


 I agree. The pontoon boaters that pass by you within 15-20 feet, at full throttle, in a no wake zone while you're anchored about 20 yards off the bank, who look at you stupidly when you yell at them. Or, the bass fishermen who motor between you and the shoreline while you're casting towards the shoreline.


----------



## JignPig Guide (Aug 3, 2007)

Wow said:


> Last year, in 2010, what was the most crowded lake you saw? Thanks, --Tim........................................................................................................
> View attachment 40017


The most pressured body of water per acre in Ohio is Hargus Creek Lake. Last year, the year before, and the year before, and many other years before, it has been the most pressured per acre lake in Ohio.


----------



## Robert Woodson (Mar 24, 2005)

Yep, 
The Portage Lakes/Turkeyfoot string of lakes can be truly unbelievable when it comes to the sheer number of day to day pleasure boaters, rental boaters, and fishermen that can get on there at one time. And yes, admittedly, it is one of the most pressured fisheries that I am aware of. The number of tournaments there alone is amazing. The fact that it stands up to all of that, just testifies to the quality (and to the management) of the Portage Lakes themselves as an excellent fishery. I keep going back because in spite of all the drawbacks that one might list, it still consistantly pays off for me to do so. Those rare days when you find yourself relatively alone out there, on the lake, are just an added bonus.

Worthy of mention for it's sheer size, and for the pure reckless abandon involved, the number of boaters on Salt Fork on any summer weekend is astonishing. Hard to believe that an area that big might be called pressured; but it is. As Buick Riviera was saying in his post about Pleasant Hills, I've been thrown from my bow's trolling deck and have had the whole bow area awash in water several inches deep when buzzed closely by ski boats and that's not just a single instance that I'm talking about. 

I'm gonna take Wow's original questions and go one further...What's a fisherman to do? Well, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Those Bassmaster guys don't seem to be too put off if there are other boats in the area. That's just part of the territory. They are going to find their spot and work it for all it is worth. Making the best of the situation, rising to the occaision, and overcoming adversity are just some of the skills it takes to be an all around good fisherman.

Unfortunately, those ideal situations we like to think about are just that...ideal; the "ideal" and the "reality" are becoming farther apart all of the time. I don't think that's likely to get much better any time soon. In effect, all those who are hopping around, looking for the "ideal' lake to fish are simply adding to the crowding on that lake. I know that the marine version of "road rage" simply doesn't add to the quality of any lake that we are fishing. Lets each of us OGFer's do what we can to be an example and do our best to be considerate of others.
Good Fishing, 
Woody in Akron
Portage lakes/Coventry


----------



## MadMac (May 2, 2005)

I have a 19" open bow. While muskie trolling one afternoon at WB with my dog lounging on the front seats two boats converged on me. One guy was fine a little to my right when another yahoo came flying at us both. The guy to my right veered off and the yahoo zigzagged between us. The wakes converged and about 15 gallons came right over the bow. My dog still gets antsy when we are in big waves on the weekends. lol I've been spooled 3 or 4 times and once the guy knew he had my line and stopped only to say the heck with it and take off finishing the job. I don't like to wish ill on others but I hope that 30$ worth of braid cut right through his seals. Last Summer I was on the swim platform releasing a muskie and people kept racing by so close I finally ended up in the lake and had to swim out and retrieve the muskie. I just stayed in the water until the fish was able to swim away. lol My daughter in law recorded it on her phone and now they call me The Muskie Whisperer. lol


----------

