Willard Lake Fishing near Willard, Ohio

• Overview

  Out in Huron County, Ohio, sits Willard Lake. It lies 814 feet above sea level. It covers about 11 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. 4.5 miles away sits Willard, the nearest town. After that come Monroeville at 8.8 miles and Plymouth at 8.9 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Willard Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. 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. Species logged across Huron County include rainbow darter, johnny darter, white sucker, stonecat and golden redhorse. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Willard Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 72°F; the cold one sits at 24°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice-out usually falls in late March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Averages suggest open water from about late March through to roughly late December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Willard Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Holiday Lake, 1.4 miles away. For Willard Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.