Oxbow Lagoon near Willoughby Hills: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Oxbow Lagoon falls in Lake County, part of Ohio. Everything around it is pine and birch. About 4 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Ground here is low by Ohio standards. Willoughby Hills lies 1.3 miles from the water. Then Mayfield, 2.3 miles, and Wickliffe, 2.7 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Oxbow Lagoon

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Lake County, recorded fish include yellow perch, white perch, rainbow trout and rainbow smelt. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Oxbow Lagoon before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 71°F at the top of summer and 24°F at the bottom of winter. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice-out usually falls in late March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice usually gives way near late March, and forms again about late December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Oxbow Lagoon.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. The nearest car park is half a mile from the water. There is a marked fishing area 0.9 miles from here. There are picnic tables recorded roughly half a mile off. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Check the position on Oxbow Lagoon before loading the car.