Fishing at Pike Lake, Pike County, Ohio

• Overview

  In Ohio, Pike Lake falls inside Pike County. The setting is rolling hill on every side. Surface area runs to about 13 acres — small enough to read in one session. Our Pike County list holds plenty of bigger water. The closest town, Piketon, is 13 miles distant. Columbus sits 57 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Pike Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Public occurrence data for Pike County names longear sunfish, johnny darter, rainbow darter, golden redhorse and dusky darter. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Pike Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 28°F to 73°F. Whether it freezes depends on the year. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Plan around that when you fish Pike Lake. Wind direction matters more than wind strength.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is a mapped slipway roughly 140 yards away. There is a car park 170 yards from the bank. A platform or pier sits within 120 yards. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Hickory Hills Lake is 9.4 miles distant. Check the current arrangement for Pike Lake.