Darrow Lake in Summit County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Summit County, Ohio, sits Darrow Lake. Height above sea level is 1,030 feet. The water measures roughly 16 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Stow is the closest town at 2.7 miles. Then Hudson, 2.9 miles, and Silver Lake, 3 miles. Not far off: Silver Springs Lake lies 0.7 miles on, Meadowbrook Lake sits 1.2 miles out, Heritage Lake lies 1.4 miles on, Crystal Lake sits 3.1 miles out and Mud Lake lies 3.1 miles on. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Darrow Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Across Summit County, recorded fish include bluegill, rainbow darter, common carp, fantail darter and pumpkinseed. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Darrow Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 25°F to 71°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid March. Climate figures give an open season running mid March to late December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It sets the rhythm of the year at Darrow Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. There is a mapped landing stage 130 yards away. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. For the carp, bait a margin spot and sit on it; corn and bread still work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Silver Springs Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat Darrow Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.