Collins Pond in Portage County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Portage County end of Ohio holds Collins Pond. What surrounds it is pine and birch. Surface area runs to about 6 acres — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Portage County are larger. The town to know is Ravenna, 1 mile out. The big place round here is Akron, 15 miles distant. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Collins Pond

  We hold no depth figure for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. County-wide records name bluegill, redfin pickerel, pumpkinseed, warmouth and green sunfish. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Collins Pond light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 71°F and January reads 25°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Break-up comes around mid March, and the run that follows is short and strong. Climate averages put the opening at about mid March and the closing near late December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Collins Pond fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Crystal Lake is 1.1 miles distant. Check the position on Collins Pond before loading the car.