# Is Seneca Lake Dead???



## SmittyN330

Hey guys, Whenever I go to Seneca Lake, I can never manage to catch any fish. I was just there about 3 days ago, and didn't even get a nibble. I also spent an entire day on the lake about a month ago, and didn't catch a single thing! I almost always go home completely empty-handed from the lake, and I have done a lot of fishing there! So, do you guys ever manage to catch anything there either? If you do, are there any certain spots I should know about?

Thanks


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## Flathead76

Its probably the best inland lake in ohio. I consistantly catch fish there in the spring. If you think seneca is dead dont waste your time fishing some of the other lakes in ohio.


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## PCT

We caught a 32" Striper there last fall. We also caught Saugeye's and white bass there about 2 weeks ago. It's a Great Lake to fish!!!


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## rustyhooks42

Flathead76 said:


> Its probably the best inland lake in ohio. I consistantly catch fish there in the spring. If you think seneca is dead dont waste your time fishing some of the other lakes in ohio.


Lets give Smitty a break Flathead. After all he's probably quite a bit younger than you and I. I noticed that you are from Toledo Flathead, where there is a Lake Seneca out in Williams county. There is also a Senecaville lake in Southeastern Ohio. Which lake Seneca are you referring to Smitty? I'm willing to bet that he's talking about Senecaville since this is posted in the Southeastern forum.


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## kickinbass

I'm also going to assume he means senecaville being that the forum is southeast ohio.. and if you think senecaville lake is the best lake in ohio you are dead wrong.. it can be good but it can also be downright tough depending what you are fishing for and when.. plenty of guys go there and only catch a few or blank so don't be to hard on yourself.. and also don't listen to people like flathead telling you to not waste your time fishing other lakes putting you down


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## Flathead76

WadeontheWater said:


> Lets give Smitty a break Flathead. After all he's probably quite a bit younger than you and I. I noticed that you are from Toledo Flathead, where there is a Lake Seneca out in Williams county. There is also a Senecaville lake in Southeastern Ohio. Which lake Seneca are you referring to Smitty? I'm willing to bet that he's talking about Senecaville since this is posted in the Southeastern forum.


I was refering to senecaville lake in guernsey county. Have never fished seneca in williams county. Also I was not tring to get on the guy. I was just tring to state a fact that it is probably one of the best inland lakes in ohio. Senecaville has such a good variety of different fish in it. This is what probably makes it so good. Most of the lakes in central ohio are pretty tough fishing. This is probably because these lakes get hammered for a handful of species of fish.


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## SmittyN330

Hahaha, I must not be fishing the right spots then. Does anyone know where you can catch the stripers?


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## Flathead76

I have caught them pitching 1/8 ounce jig with 3" chartreuse tails. Literally bouncing the jig off the steep rock walls and slowly working it down the contour bouncing off the bottom all the way to the boat. In other lakes beleve it or not chicken liver off the bottom.


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## boss302

Never fished it till this spring. Stopped by 4 or 5 times for a fishing fix while passing through. 45min to 1 hr sessions at the park by the dam. All early evening. First time skunk, other times I did good to great...crappie from shore 3 to 10 fish per visit. Some nice sized too! Small spinner or white grub on a lead head.

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## PCT

I like to fish at night time. We throw top water baits at night in the early spring and late fall.


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## Bad Bub

Flathead76 said:


> I was refering to senecaville lake in guernsey county. Have never fished seneca in williams county. Also I was not tring to get on the guy. I was just tring to state a fact that it is probably one of the best inland lakes in ohio. Senecaville has such a good variety of different fish in it. This is what probably makes it so good. Most of the lakes in central ohio are pretty tough fishing. This is probably because these lakes get hammered for a handful of species of fish.


You are by far the first person I've ever heard of that believes senecaville is one of the best lakes in the state....

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## NoStringsAttached

Senaca is by far one of the best in OH


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## ranger175a

I'm with you Bad Bub. They must not get out much. In my opinion every lake in north east Ohio is better than seneca.


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## Bad Bub

ranger175a said:


> I'm with you Bad Bub. They must not get out much. In my opinion every lake in north east Ohio is better than seneca.


Agreed.

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## Rivergetter

Seneca is not worth the time or the money to travel to with mosquito lake the same distance north of me. Seneca is one of the toughest lakes I've fished once spring is over. 


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## NoStringsAttached

ranger175a said:


> I'm with you Bad Bub. They must not get out much. In my opinion every lake in north east Ohio is better than seneca.


I get out-you have to know how to fish if you want Seneca to give up anything

No cane poles with a worm and bobber


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## MassillonBuckeye

This one has all the makings of an amazing thread! Can't wait to see how it unfolds.

:T


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## kickinbass

I've been to Seneca a lot and have had good days for largemouth catching good numbers and dad had a 7lbr, caught 4+ lb smallmouth, limited out on saugeye, seen 40+ lb cats come out, and caught thousands of crappie and white bass. Seneca is 45 minutes away for me and unfortunately the closest big lake around (over an hour to salt fork, 1.5 hours to tappan, 30 mins from river). I'd rather drive twice the distance to Tappan to fish a lake, and normally just hit the river.
I'm sure people have success at Seneca getting on the rights spots and finding the right baits and presentations. I guess those are the guys who know how to fish and are better than the rest of us. If you were ask people who regularly fish Seneca and the surrounding lakes (Buckeye, Burr Oak, Dillon, Salt Fork, Tappan), I would be shocked to hear one say Seneca was the best out of those let alone Mosquito, Alum Creek, Rocky Fork, Indian or any others.


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## dgatrell27

I live 7 minutes from there, cant beat it for numbers in spring and fall. Summertime, tourneys take between 3-15 lbs depending on the day. More on the lesser side usually. As with any lake, its got its good days n bad days. But myself would rather fish mosquito any day! Limits of bass are few and far between in tournaments, roughly 4 out of 20 boats in a 8 hr tourney on a great day. I have fished it for over 20 yrs and still have days that are a grind, thats fishing!


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## SmittyN330

Thanks for all the feedback guys! And thanks for the striper fishing tip Flathead76! I'll try that out next time I'm on the lake


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## SmittyN330

Anyone got any info on where to go in the lake for Stripers? I'm headed out today, and am not totally sure what bait I plan on using.


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## katfish

Boyz there are no fish in Seneca lake and I advise you to avoid it at all costs. The water is toxic so water skiers and jetskiers and even pleasure boaters should stay away


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## flthednut

True, so very true......


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## Team VanHorn

Agreed toxic just getting close could be dangerous. Lol


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## guppygill

The first time I ever fished Seneca several years ago I drifted around the island where the old hous foundation is in the water, gotta say, locals told me to drift around there and I would catch just about anthing. Ended up with two stripers and a bunch of saugeye. Went again two weeks later and caught one striper and saugeyes. Went to the other island, marked some fish, and caught a ton of channel cats. I have never been skunked there, but always fish it in late spring, early summer only though.


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## jacer6725

I agree that it is a tough lake in the summer as all lakes in southeast ohio are. you have to fish with slow moving baits such as jigs and worms and find the right color. it changes thru the day so if you stop getting bites, try something different until you find a pattern that works


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## greendragon

Fish around the dam, at times even late in the day it can be good.


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## SmittyN330

A few days ago, I was out on Seneca near the dam and hooked into something huge. It snapped my line easily, but I could see the flank of it in the water. It looked like a giant striper. My luck might be turning around out on Seneca  

Thanks for all the feedback guys! I had no idea this thread would be so big. Definetely my most popular thread yet!


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## PCT

Smitty,

Were you trolling or casting and what type of bait? I love to fish for the Stripers out there and have only caught one. PM me please. I will be fishing there in a couple of weeks.

Thanks,

PCT


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## plumber78

Last Saturday, on a whim, I took the wife and kids down to Seneca Lake to do some night fishing. We live in Massillon, OH (about an hour and a half away) and we were sitting on our patio wishing we could see more stars on what was a clear night. I looked up to see where the least amount of light pollution was in the state and Seneca Lake was not to far from an area that had very little. 

So at 11pm my wife, four kids, and myself grabbed the fishing poles and drove down. Never being there before we drove all the way around the lake looking for a spot to fish from before deciding to fish off the docks of the marina. I'm not sure if we were allowed to be there but I didn't see any signs to the contrary. I figured we would only be there for a short time but we stayed until until 5am when my wife couldn't take it anymore lol. 

We caught ten channel cat using chicken liver as well as what I believe was probably a large turtle that dug himself in and I couldn't budge. Most were perfect size for eating with the biggest being a little over two foot long. Unfortunately, I did not take anything to keep them in so we just released them back in. Sorry for the long story but it was one of those family times I won't soon forget.


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