Ice fishing is allowed at your own risk. Avoid inlet and outlet structure areas. We recommend not fishing alone and take ice safety precautions.

Ice fishing is frequently very good at Findlay Reservoir for yellow perch, walleye, bluegill, crappie, and channel catfish.

Ice fishing for yellow perch and walleye is good especially in the deeper waters of the reservoirs. Jigging spoons or ice lures are effective for walleye and channel catfish. A live minnow fished through the ice is also effective for walleye.

Yellow perch, bluegill, and crappie are caught readily through the ice using larval baits such as mousies, wax worms, and wigglers on ice flies. The secret to successful ice fishing is to move frequently from hole to hole until you locate fish.

Spring is a good time to fish for nearly all species. Spawning fish frequently come close to shore in the spring and can be caught by shore fishing. Boat fishing is usually the most effective method for any open water because you can fish over greater areas. Drift fishing or trolling shorelines near the bottom is effective for walleye, yellow perch, bass, and channel catfish. When fish are not spawning locate them in deep water areas and troll or drift over them.

Walleye can usually be caught on minnows, deep running lures, weighted spinners tipped with a worm or a worm harness with a night crawler. Walleye are frequently caught on the wave-washed shorelines in April using jigs tipped with twister tails, tube baits, night crawlers, or leeches. During summer and fall, drift fishing or trolling deep-water areas and fishing shoreline at night can be effective.

Yellow perch can be found in the same areas as walleye. During summer and fall they can be caught around structure. Best baits during open water fishing are minnows and larval baits fished near the bottom.

White bass are generally found in schools throughout the reservoirs and they frequently feed near the surface in open water or along the shoreline, especially during the summer evenings. They are taken on minnows and crayfish. Boat fishermen also have good success trolling or casting around structure.

Bluegill fishing is best in Reservoir 2 by fishing tree structures and around cover near the inlet and outlet structures. Although fly fishing can be effective, most bluegills are caught on live baits. A particularly effective technique is to use slip bobbers fishing wax worms and varying the depth until you catch them.

Channel catfish fishing is usually best during late spring and summer. Live night crawlers and cut bait are the best baits when fished on the earthen bottoms either from the shoreline or from a boat. Reservoir 2 annually produces good numbers of channel catfish in the 15- to 22- pound range. Many large channel catfish are taken from Reservoir 1 by balloon fishing with live night crawler harnesses. Larger walleyes also are often taken by this method. Channel catfish are sometimes caught while ice fishing for yellow perch or walleye.

Bow fishing is allowed from boats only.