Stires Lake Fishing in Monroe County, Ohio

• Overview

  Stires Lake is one of the Monroe County listings for Ohio. It sits in rolling hill. At 8 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Ohio listings. Woodsfield sits 7 miles from the bank. The nearest city of size is Pittsburgh, 73 miles away. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Stires Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Open biodiversity records for Monroe County list fantail darter, johnny darter, greenside darter, golden redhorse and rainbow darter. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Stires Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 72°F and January near 28°F. Conditions shift steadily rather than sharply. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Stires Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the panfish, a small hook, a float and a piece of worm outfish everything fancy. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Blatt Pond, 1.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Stires Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.