Spruce Lake in Columbiana County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Spruce Lake is one of the Columbiana County waters in Ohio. The bank is 1,125 feet above sea level. The water measures roughly 6 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Most waters listed here for Columbiana County are larger. Start from New Waterford, 5.5 miles down the road. After that come East Palestine at 6 miles and Calcutta at 6.5 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Spruce Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Columbiana County records list fantail darter, rainbow darter, greenside darter and banded darter among the fish reported. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. The shape of Spruce Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 26°F to 71°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. It holds true on Spruce Lake more years than not. Barometer swings matter more than a degree or two.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Bluegill and other panfish take small jigs or worms under a float near any cover. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Caldwell Spring Lake, 0.7 miles away. None of that is settled for Spruce Lake in what we hold.