Mims Lake Fishing near Bethel, Ohio

• Overview

  Set in Clermont County, Mims Lake is an Ohio water. Mixed woodland runs right down to the water. This is a pocket water of some 3 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Some 3.2 miles away sits Bethel, the nearest settlement. It is 27 miles to Cincinnati, the nearest city. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Mims Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Public occurrence data for Clermont County names smallmouth bass, bluegill and rainbow darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Mims Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 74°F and January reads 28°F. Seasons here are moderate, and the fishing runs most of the year. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. The season on Mims Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Bethel Reservoir, 1.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Mims Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.