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

• Overview

  Kirby Lake is one of the Summit County listings for Ohio. Rolling bush runs right down to the water. The water measures roughly 10 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Nearest place of any size is Richfield, 2.2 miles away. Montrose-Ghent lies 4.8 miles off, Broadview Heights another 6.5 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Kirby Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Across Summit County, recorded fish include bluegill, rainbow darter, common carp and fantail darter. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Kirby Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 71°F at the top of summer and 24°F at the bottom of winter. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late March. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late March until roughly late December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. At Kirby Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Carp respond to sweetcorn or boilies fished patiently on the bottom near feeding areas. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. The nearest alternative is Camp Crowell Lake, 1.6 miles out. Ask locally about Kirby Lake if anything is unclear.