# Springfield Lake



## AnglerJustice (Jul 7, 2012)

Hey Fellow Fisherman,

Im AnglerJustice, and Im reporting on Springfield Lake. I live on this lake so I'm very knowledgable, ask me anything.


*These are my grades for the fish in the Lake.*
Bluegill - B (The bluegill are abundant, but mainly very small in this lake)
Crappi- C+ (Not a good crappi fisherman, but I tell you there arent too many here)
Largemouth Bass- B+ (The lake has a pretty good supply of lillies and shade for bass)
Channel Catfish- A (Fishing from shore or boat, your bound to catch one. I just throw out a doughball, big hook, sinker and let it sit.)
Pike-D (Never caught one here)
Walleye-D (Never caught one here)
Carp- A+ (I know there aren't too many carp fisherman out there. But the only carp i can compare springfields too, are geauga lakes. Just go to a canal, doughball, weight, and drop)


*Best places to fish*
Bluegill-Shore, maybe chum with some bread or worms. Get a bobber and git'r done

Largemouth Bass- Hit up the lily pads on the south coast or maybe right outside the roller rink.

Crappi- I prefer the island near the fire station in the early months, maybe closer to the roller rink in the later months.

Channel Catfish- Anywhere really, I recommend maybe 5-10 ft. and just throw hotdog/chicken liver/bread to the bottom.

Pike- Don't know

Walleye- Don't know

Carp-Go to shore, or canal, (I live in the Heron Point, Landings canal) chum with bread and just drop in with doughball.


Once again feel %100 confident to ask me anything about this lake.


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## Atwood (Sep 6, 2005)

Isn't there some smallies in there ?


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## ballast (Sep 15, 2011)

do they stock the lake with cats?


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## Dawgus (Jul 8, 2012)

I've been cat fishing Springfield a lot over the past 2 months. Nothing of real size, but LOTS of cats and lots of fun! I'm doing well on the back side at "the point"


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## AnglerJustice (Jul 7, 2012)

Atwood said:


> Isn't there some smallies in there ?


Yes, ive caught only one, im not a real big smallmouth guy


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## AnglerJustice (Jul 7, 2012)

ballast said:


> do they stock the lake with cats?


They may, because honestly, you could catch 10-15 an hour without a problem.


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## Dawgus (Jul 8, 2012)

I was there last night from 11-ish till just after 4am. Caught 21 cats


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## Rod Hawg (Jan 13, 2011)

Justice... When you want to go fishing?


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## guppygill (May 8, 2004)

Gotta disagree with you on the crappies, kill them every winter, nice size too, EXCEPT last year, NO ICE. Have caught them in the spring also, just gotta know where to go.


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## ballast (Sep 15, 2011)

going tonight.you catch any big ones?


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## mtkjay8869 (Nov 18, 2011)

What the heckler did I bust my prop in over near the newer channel in the south side just east of the condos


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## Bass-Chad (Mar 9, 2012)

Caught this out of SPL near the boat ramp from shore. She weighed in at 6lb 4oz and measured 20". I have caught quite a few bass so far as I live roughly 3 minute drive from SPL, going out for cats here shortly I'll be sure to take pictures of the good ones


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## Dawgus (Jul 8, 2012)

Nice bass Bass Chad!

I gotta laugh at your catching shoes. So far at Springfield, I've landed an old Strohs can, a sock, an ultralight rod & reel, and a condom. LOL


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## carpslayer (Mar 25, 2012)

anyone wanna hookup and fish for some cats one night? pm me


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## bighoss19 (Mar 26, 2012)

Bass Chad....that sure look awfully small to be a 6 pound bass. Looks more like a 3 pounder to me


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## Rod Hawg (Jan 13, 2011)

Nice fish Bass-Chad!


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## BigTripp (Oct 1, 2010)

We are talking about Springfield near Akron right? My buddy and I have been out there catfishing 3 times this week with livers off the bottom on those walmart catfish rigs. Tonight I got a dink channel and a tiny bullhead and that's all we've pulled in this week.

I was fishing about 8:30 with a senko and had something take it and peel drag like crazy before snapping the 12 lb test line. It broke the surface for a second and it looked like a big carp maybe.


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## Dawgus (Jul 8, 2012)

BigTripp said:


> We are talking about Springfield near Akron right? My buddy and I have been out there catfishing 3 times this week with livers off the bottom on those walmart catfish rigs. Tonight I got a dink channel and a tiny bullhead and that's all we've pulled in this week.
> 
> I was fishing about 8:30 with a senko and had something take it and peel drag like crazy before snapping the 12 lb test line. It broke the surface for a second and it looked like a big carp maybe.



I've been doing best on cats there after midnight. 3 weeks ago, they really lit up about 1:00, and I landed 27 before I decided to finally leave at 4am. I see lots of guys doing ok with shrimp or cut bait, (bluegill or shad), but I'm having great results with commercial stink baits. The chicken blood ones seem to work best.

There are a lot of good sized carp in the lake. There are several guys who are there almost every night fishing with electronic rigs using doughballs on hair rigs. You'll see them either on the 224 side by the old boat launch or on the Lakemore side at the cement wall where I normally fish.


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## Channelcatman (Sep 21, 2009)

bighoss19 said:


> Bass Chad....that sure look awfully small to be a 6 pound bass. Looks more like a 3 pounder to me


Thats kinda what I was thinking! a 6.4 lber at 20" would look like a over inflated football. Dont get me wrong, its a damn nice fish you have!!


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## kobra03 (Jun 28, 2012)

Whats the rules after dark for boats. The sign reads one thing the police station says another?


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## BigTripp (Oct 1, 2010)

When you say the concrete wall do you mean off there to the right of the park on the Lakemore side? The one night we were out there we heard gun shots and two cruisers parked there with their lights flashing. Is that whole corner between the park and there public property too or does that belong to the houses right there?


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## Dawgus (Jul 8, 2012)

That's the place BigTripp. Just East of the boat launch. I've seen very little trouble there other than one fight. Normally I'll just see a drunk guy or two, but they're never a problem. My ace-in-the-hole is having my future son-in-law being a Springfield cop that patrols that area. ;-)

I do occasionally have problems with people swimming there, even though they aren't allowed. Since I started going after sunset, that hasn't been an issue.

Technically, the first 10 feet of shoreline belongs to the town, but people never let anyone on their place. I've never really pushed the issue....yet lol


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## BigTripp (Oct 1, 2010)

Mild success tonight. Went out about 9:30 to midnight on the Lakemore side. I caught three decent channels on night crawlers. My buddy had two runs but lost both. Even though we've been out about eight times the only catfish he's caught has been a dink bullhead at Portage Lakes State Park that I ended up using for bait. Maybe if he would put down his smartphone and pay attention he wouldn't have this problem. haha.


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## barf (May 10, 2009)

yeah the locals are there daily. they are friendly.....


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## jonnythfisherteen2 (Mar 5, 2011)

tried it once 3 years ago and got skunked.


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## Dawgus (Jul 8, 2012)

I'll be there again on Saturday night. probably sometime around 9- whenever I decide to call it quits. I've yet to catch anything of any size, but I do catch a lot of cats. 

A lot of the locals fish there. Most of them are good people. I've gotten to know quite a few of them from sitting there for hours.

One thing to watch there on the Lakemore side-DON'T drink. I watched SPD catch a guy with a beer there last week and they made him pour it out or face an open container citation.


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## Crappieman420 (Apr 5, 2011)

Dawgus said:


> I'll be there again on Saturday night. probably sometime around 9- whenever I decide to call it quits. I've yet to catch anything of any size, but I do catch a lot of cats.
> 
> A lot of the locals fish there. Most of them are good people. I've gotten to know quite a few of them from sitting there for hours.
> 
> One thing to watch there on the Lakemore side-DON'T drink. I watched SPD catch a guy with a beer there last week and they made him pour it out or face an open container citation.


Atleast they were nice enough to let him pour it out. If it was me, I woulda definitely been going to the county !

LAND BIG FISH !!!


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## Dawgus (Jul 8, 2012)

I went out to "the wall" again on Saturday night, and it was horribly slow. I got a lot of hits, but only caught 2 cats from 10-2am. I decided that I wanted to try early morning there; so I went home (It's not even 5 minutes away); napped for 2 1/2 hours, and went back just after 5am.

The first cast hit the water and I had the first fish. Second one was in the water less than a minute before I landed another one. They hit like that for about 3 hours, then nothing but bumps from what I presume were little yellow bellies. When I go again this weekend, I won't bother leaving home until 1 or 2 am and fish till after sunrise. They hit the same way last weekend when I got there at 5am.


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## kobra03 (Jun 28, 2012)

Are you allowed to have a boat on the water at night?


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## Dawgus (Jul 8, 2012)

kobra03 said:


> Are you allowed to have a boat on the water at night?


 Yep. Their only restriction is no wake after a certain time. I can't remember when it is off the top of my head.


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## Dawgus (Jul 8, 2012)

I tried a little experiment there last night. It was VERY windy when I got there, so I decided to give something different a try. Since the wind causes the bait to move & bounce, and cats hunt with their sense of sound as much as their sense of smell, I put a small plastic jig rattle above the hook. 
I ran two rigs. Both 12-15 feet apart, same spot, same bait. The one with the rattle got me 3 fish and 14 hits, the one without got one fish and 3 hits. Maybe the one was just in a slightly better spot, or maybe the rattle did make a difference. I'll test it again the next time I'm out. I just may be onto something. 
The fun part was catching a 2 1/2lb bass....on stinkbait with a rattle. That's a new one!


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## AnglerJustice (Jul 7, 2012)

Dawgus said:


> Yep. Their only restriction is no wake after a certain time. I can't remember when it is off the top of my head.


Yes, no restriction on time, only wake from 10 am-7 pm, but ive seen alot of wake activity at like 8:30? the police need to get on it.

And for some other questions,

yes the lake has a very aggressive group of carp, never seen em that hungry.


there is no drinking from the lakemore side, my stepfather owns the ice cream stand so dont drink,

and for the person who got there prop stuck, that canal s where i live, you hit the rocks on the left side of it, the house owner is an a*****e and threw in rocks for props, go through in neutral.


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## Bass-Chad (Mar 9, 2012)

AnglerJustice said:


> Yes, no restriction on time, only wake from 10 am-7 pm, but ive seen alot of wake activity at like 8:30? the police need to get on it.
> 
> And for some other questions,
> 
> ...


If he is a bit on the younger side (40s or so). I have had a bad experience with him  I was fishing in from shore at the ice cream stand near the lilly pads and these geese were all up on shore. He pulls in and starts firing off a flare gun with no warning. I was with my Mother and Aunt so my protective instincts shot up as you can imagine. I mean yes it was a good thing to keep the geese off of the shore where people walk/picnick/fish etc.. but, what got me was the no warning and he was ~15 feet away. I was zoned out fishing feeling for small bites and all the sudden SCREEEEEEEEEEECH. Nothing personal just something that irked me that we were given no warning.


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## barf (May 10, 2009)

Why are the sunfish SO stunted in springfield? Honestly I would give them a D+ at best. Yes there are many, but they are tiny...6 1/2" at BEST...I have fished springfield for over twenty yrs, and never caught a 7+" sunfish....that is my question...........the plentifullness is decieving. I have caught redear, pumpkinseed, and bluegill sunfish. very few were worth the effort......one might be inclined to believe that with all of the predator fish that springfield lake has to offer, that the prey would not be so stunted.I have never caught a keeper perch there either.could you please explain that?.....just bustin ur chops kid.....sorry. "(but i have wondered this for many yrs)


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## Dawgus (Jul 8, 2012)

I've wondered that myself barf. I never see anyone there going for any type of sunfish, other than some locals who catch them for catfish bait.

That storm woke me up this morning around 3:30, and I couldn't fall back asleep. I decided to just make coffee, pack my lunch and go there for a while before work since it's so close. I fished from about 4:15 till 6:30-4 bumps and one 10lb carp.


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## AnglerJustice (Jul 7, 2012)

barf said:


> Why are the sunfish SO stunted in springfield? Honestly I would give them a D+ at best. Yes there are many, but they are tiny...6 1/2" at BEST...I have fished springfield for over twenty yrs, and never caught a 7+" sunfish....that is my question...........the plentifullness is decieving. I have caught redear, pumpkinseed, and bluegill sunfish. very few were worth the effort......one might be inclined to believe that with all of the predator fish that springfield lake has to offer, that the prey would not be so stunted.I have never caught a keeper perch there either.could you please explain that?.....just bustin ur chops kid.....sorry. "(but i have wondered this for many yrs)


This questioned me too, I have never once caught an eating size bluegill in SFL. (Im not much of a bluegill fisherman) but there are plenty in the canals that I live, throw in a piece of bread and bam! But it may have something to do with the large catfish supply? There are many preditorial fish in there.


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## barf (May 10, 2009)

I always thought that more predator fish were good. if a body of water is over run by sunfish, thats how they get stunted


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## AnglerJustice (Jul 7, 2012)

Bass-Chad said:


> If he is a bit on the younger side (40s or so). I have had a bad experience with him  I was fishing in from shore at the ice cream stand near the lilly pads and these geese were all up on shore. He pulls in and starts firing off a flare gun with no warning. I was with my Mother and Aunt so my protective instincts shot up as you can imagine. I mean yes it was a good thing to keep the geese off of the shore where people walk/picnick/fish etc.. but, what got me was the no warning and he was ~15 feet away. I was zoned out fishing feeling for small bites and all the sudden SCREEEEEEEEEEECH. Nothing personal just something that irked me that we were given no warning.


Im almost positive it wasn't him. I dont think that dude owns a gun.


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## Dawgus (Jul 8, 2012)

Heading there now to try for cats for a few hours before work. Again; not the best spot, or any big cats, but it's 5 minutes away. (If I hit a red light lol)


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## Rod Hawg (Jan 13, 2011)

We killed the Gills there last night right before the storms came in. Got 40 in a few hours. 20 were just barely keepers... The other 20 were what I call "cookie cutter" fish. Hahaha


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## Bass-Chad (Mar 9, 2012)

AnglerJustice said:


> Im almost positive it wasn't him. I dont think that dude owns a gun.


He pulled up in a business truck, had the logo on the side. As I said it is not something I hold a grudge on just something that kinda bothered me.


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## kobra03 (Jun 28, 2012)

Was on the lake saturday night from 830 to 1 am and caught 6 cats. Nothing bigger than 2 lbs. Was using earth worms. I hate the fact you have to pay to launch a boat. I miss the old boat lauch on 224


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## Dawgus (Jul 8, 2012)

I was there at the same time on Saturday. Caught 2 and lost a nicer one. I went back out this morning from 4:30-6:30 before work, and caught 2. One tiny bullhead and one channel around 2lbs. I'm gonna try it again tomorrow morning.


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## DScott (Jul 5, 2021)

AnglerJustice said:


> Hey Fellow Fisherman,
> 
> Im AnglerJustice, and Im reporting on Springfield Lake. I live on this lake so I'm very knowledgable, ask me anything.
> 
> ...


ive heard there are smallmouth in the lake... is this true


Dawgus said:


> Nice bass Bass Chad!
> 
> I gotta laugh at your catching shoes. So far at Springfield, I've landed an old Strohs can, a sock, an ultralight rod & reel, and a condom. LOL


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## DScott (Jul 5, 2021)

DScott said:


> ive heard there are smallmouth in the lake... is this true


i caught 7.11 largemouth lastweek crankbaiting bye small patch lily pads by police station... i dont catch ton bass but most of the time there 3plus lbs


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## walleyedave (Oct 5, 2010)

Shame they have dumped a few 100,000 gallons of raw sewage in this lake multiple times over the years-sewer system has failed and they have know it for 20 years. When I moved here 9 years ago you could see your jib in 6ft--now maybe 6 inches. There are "toxic" warnings up, EPA is involved as well as the County Health Dept. One of the deepest lakes(25-27 ft hole with true springs feeding it. Have caught all species mentioned except a carp. The fishing has declined over the past 6-7 years.


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