Willow Lake near Centerburg: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  In Ohio, Willow Lake falls inside Morrow County. The water sits 1,358 feet up. The water measures roughly 2 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Most waters listed here for Morrow County are larger. Centerburg is the closest place, 3.5 miles off. Mount Vernon is 11 miles and Sunbury 12 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Willow Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Morrow County include rainbow darter, fantail darter, johnny darter, white sucker and greenside darter. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Willow Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 71°F and January reads 24°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid March. The season between ice runs from about mid March to late December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Plan around that when you fish Willow Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. 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. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Rogers Lake, 7.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Willow Lake in what we hold.