Burr Oak Lake Fishing
A 668-acre Ohio lake in Morgan County and Athens County, unlimited horsepower, no wake.
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Meet Burr Oak Lake, an Ohio water
Burr Oak Lake spreads across 668 acres of Morgan County and Athens County, by the Division of Wildlife outline. The outline traces close to 17.8 miles of bank. Count on about 4 miles of driving to reach Glouster, the nearest town. Management runs through ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office).
The posted motor rule is unlimited horsepower, no wake. Hot spots on the ODNR map cover catfish, crappie, largemouth bass and sunfish. Boaters can use 4 public launches. ODNR placed 8 attractors for fish to hold on. The booklet prints 1 site-specific entry written for it.
ODNR Division of Wildlife lake outlines (acres and shoreline miles), horsepower and fish hot-spot layers, Census places, retrieved October 26, 2026.
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The fish below link to Burr Oak Lake by ODNR mapping, hatchery records or a state record, not by a full netting survey.
ODNR fish hot-spot layers, ODNR stocking records and Outdoor Writers of Ohio records, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Fish attractors placed in Burr Oak Lake
8 attractor points sit on the bottom of Burr Oak Lake, placed in 2020, from 8 to 14 feet deep.
| Site | Type | Points | Depth | Year placed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| X-mas tree bundles | Tree | 8 | 8 to 14 ft | 2020 |
ODNR DOW Lake Fishing layer, fish attractors (type, year, depth as mapped), retrieved October 26, 2026.
Public ramps serving Burr Oak Lake
- Burr Oak State Park – Docks # 1concrete ramp, 2 lanes, 40 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, Greater than 10 HP – No Wake; ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation
- Burr Oak State Park – Docks # 4concrete ramp, 2 lanes, 22 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, Greater than 10 HP – No Wake; ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation
- Burr Oak State Park – Lodge/Cabin Boat Launchconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 22 trailer spaces, no launch fee, Greater than 10 HP – No Wake; ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation
- Burr Oak State Park – Docks # 3gravel ramp, 1 lane, 8 trailer spaces, no launch fee, Greater than 10 HP – No Wake; ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation
Nearby launch sites from Burr Oak Lake
- Malta Village Ramp on Muskingum RiverMuskingum River, 12 miles northeast
- McConnelsville Wharf Park on Muskingum RiverMuskingum River, 12 miles northeast
ODNR Parks and Watercraft boating facilities and DOW facility points, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Daily limits for Burr Oak Lake
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Blue & Flathead Catfish (under 35 inches) | No daily limit | Open year-round |
| Blue & Flathead Catfish (35 inches or larger) | 1 of each (statewide); minimum 35 inches | Open year-round |
| Channel Catfish (under 28 inches) | No daily limit | Open year-round |
| Channel Catfish (28 inches or larger) | 1 (statewide); minimum 28 inches | Open year-round |
| Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass | 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches | Open year-round |
| Muskellunge | 1 | Open year-round |
| Striped, Hybrid-Striped, & White Bass | 30 (singly or in combination); minimum No more than 4 over 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Trout | 5 (singly or in combination) | Open year-round |
| Walleye, Sauger, & Saugeye | 6 (singly or in combination) | Open year-round |
| Yellow Perch | 30 | Open year-round |
The baseline at Burr Oak Lake is the inland table of the 2026-27 booklet.
The exceptions ODNR prints for Burr Oak Lake
| Water as printed | Species | Limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burr Oak | Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass | 5; minimum None may be taken between 12 & 15 inches | Open year-round |
Site-specific rules as printed in the 2026-27 Ohio Fishing Regulations (ODNR Division of Wildlife Publication 5085, effective March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027) (booklet PDF), page numbers in the booklet.
Limits as printed in the 2026-27 Ohio Fishing Regulations (ODNR Division of Wildlife Publication 5085, effective March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027) and the ODNR Lake Erie walleye and yellow perch daily limits sheet (May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027); retrieved October 26, 2026.
ODNR releases at Burr Oak Lake, year by year
110 hatchery releases reached Burr Oak Lake from 1970 to 2020 in the ODNR ledger, the biggest totals 1,442,390 saugeye, 822,136 redear sunfish, 537,397 channel catfish.
| Year | Species | Number | Size or stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Channel Catfish | 9,221 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Channel Catfish | 2,531 | yearling |
| 2018 | Channel Catfish | 1,849 | yearling |
| 2018 | Channel Catfish | 1,246 | yearling |
| 2016 | Channel Catfish | 4,590 | yearling |
| 2016 | Channel Catfish | 601 | yearling |
| 2015 | Channel Catfish | 2,393 | yearling |
| 2012 | Channel Catfish | 2,298 | yearling |
| 2012 | Channel Catfish | 2,703 | yearling |
| 2010 | Channel Catfish | 5,260 | yearling |
| 2004 | Saugeye | 69,575 | fingerlings |
| 2003 | Saugeye | 63,760 | fingerlings |
ODNR Division of Wildlife Ohio Fish Stocking Records (public copy of the DataOhio dataset, current as of May 31, 2022; numbers by water, year, species and life stage); retrieved October 26, 2026.
How Burr Oak Lake stacks up locally in Ohio
Among the nearby lakes listed, Dow Lake covers the most water, 161 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Hot-spot species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burr Oak Lake | 668 | 4 | unlimited horsepower, no wake | 4 | |
| Dow Lake | 14 miles south | 161 | 1 | 10 HP limit | 4 |
| Fox Lake | 19 miles southwest | 52 | 1 | 10 HP limit | 4 |
| Pond MB-42 | 21 miles northeast | 27 | 1 | 6 HP limit | 0 |
| Cutler Lake | 21 miles northeast | 18 | 2 | electric motors only | 0 |
| Lake Snowden | 22 miles southwest | 143 | 1 | unlimited horsepower, no wake | 4 |
ODNR lake outlines, horsepower and hot-spot layers and the launch inventory, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Surrounding Burr Oak Lake
Still water near Burr Oak Lake in Ohio
- Dow Lake14 miles south
- Fox Lake19 miles southwest
- Pond MB-4221 miles northeast
- Cutler Lake21 miles northeast
- Lake Snowden22 miles southwest
Tackle stops en route to Burr Oak Lake
- Riverview Kampground and Marinamarina, McConnelsville, 16 miles
- Downs Bait & Gunsbait and tackle shop, Logan, 22 miles
- Wiggles Bait and Tacklebait and tackle shop, Philo, 23 miles
- Basswood Bait & Bowsbait and tackle shop, Vincent, 23 miles
- Gotch-Ya Bait & TackleShopbait and tackle shop, Rushville, 24 miles
Lodging handy for Burr Oak Lake
- Glouster4 miles
- Nelsonville11 miles
- McConnelsville13 miles
Ohio county pages that take in Burr Oak Lake
- Morgan Countyseat: McConnelsville
- Athens Countyseat: Athens
What to grab from Piscifun before Burr Oak Lake
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Camera views of fishing water by Burr Oak Lake
Photo: Analogue Kid, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Nyttend, Public domain
Photo: Dustin M. Ramsey, aka Kralizec! at en.wikipedia, Attribution
Photo: Andyang45, CC BY-SA 4.0
What first-timers at Burr Oak Lake want cleared up
In what part of Ohio is Burr Oak Lake?
On an Ohio map it sits in Morgan County and Athens County, ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office), about 4 miles from Glouster.
How many surface acres does Ohio map for Burr Oak Lake?
The outline measures 668 acres, with about 17.8 miles of shoreline.
Does Burr Oak Lake have a public ramp?
Ohio boaters can try Burr Oak State Park – Docks # 1, one of 4 public launches.
What bites for Ohio anglers at Burr Oak Lake?
The records point to catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, sunfish, channel catfish, saugeye and redear sunfish.
Which length limits apply on Burr Oak Lake?
Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass: 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches; Open year-round. A site-specific entry changes part of that here; see above.
Does Ohio want a trout stamp for Burr Oak Lake?
Anglers 16 and older need an Ohio fishing license: $25.00 a year for residents, $76.96 for nonresidents and $10.00 for residents 65 and older.
What boats can use Burr Oak Lake?
The rule is unlimited horsepower, no wake.
Which Ohio bait counter is handiest to Burr Oak Lake?
Closest on our list: Riverview Kampground and Marina, 16 miles.
How often has ODNR stocked Burr Oak Lake over the years?
Yes: 110 entries between 1970 and 2020, led by saugeye.
Where do fish hold on cover at Burr Oak Lake?
ODNR placed 8 attractor sites; see the map above.
Put Burr Oak Lake on the Buckeye fishing list
Buy the Ohio license online before the trip.