Dillon Lake Fishing
A 1,279-acre Ohio lake in Muskingum County, unlimited horsepower.
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Meet Dillon Lake, an Ohio water
Dillon Lake spreads across 1,279 acres of Muskingum County, by the Division of Wildlife outline. The outline traces close to 27.9 miles of bank. Count on about 4 miles of driving to reach Nashport, the nearest town. Management runs through ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office).
The posted motor rule is unlimited horsepower. Hot spots on the ODNR map cover catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, saugeye/walleye and sunfish. Boaters can use 3 public launches. 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 Dillon 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.
Public ramps serving Dillon Lake
- Dillon State Park – Pleasant Knob Launch Rampconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 70 trailer spaces, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower; ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation
- Dillon State Park – Marina and Rampconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 64 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower; ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation
- Dillon State Park – Big Run Boat Rampconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 46 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower; ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation
Nearby launch sites from Dillon Lake
- Kirkbride Boating Co. launch on Muskingum RiverMuskingum River, 8 miles southeast
- Ellis Lock and Dam # 11 launch on Muskingum RiverMuskingum River, 8 miles east
- Riverside Park on Muskingum RiverMuskingum River, 8 miles southeast
- Putnam Landing on Muskingum RiverMuskingum River, 9 miles southeast
- Village of Dresden Boat Ramp on Muskingum RiverMuskingum River, 9 miles northeast
- Muskingum Valley Boating Association launch on Muskingum RiverMuskingum River, 10 miles southeast
ODNR Parks and Watercraft boating facilities and DOW facility points, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Daily limits for Dillon 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 Dillon Lake is the inland table of the 2026-27 booklet.
The exceptions ODNR prints for Dillon Lake
| Water as printed | Species | Limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dillon | Black & White Crappie | 30; minimum 9 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 Dillon Lake, year by year
177 hatchery releases reached Dillon Lake from 1970 to 2021 in the ODNR ledger, the biggest totals 13,775,051 saugeye, 6,559,666 walleye, 1,622,415 muskellunge.
| Year | Species | Number | Size or stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Hybrid-Striped Bass | 5,147 | fingerlings |
| 2021 | Saugeye | 128,289 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Hybrid-Striped Bass | 35,319 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Saugeye | 5,869 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Saugeye | 5,910 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Saugeye | 73,892 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Hybrid-Striped Bass | 15,598 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Hybrid-Striped Bass | 20,670 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Saugeye | 123,540 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Saugeye | 78,616 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Saugeye | 66,240 | fingerlings |
| 2018 | Hybrid-Striped Bass | 66,592 | 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 Dillon Lake stacks up locally in Ohio
Among the nearby lakes listed, Buckeye Lake covers the most water, 2,877 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Hot-spot species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dillon Lake | 1,279 | 3 | unlimited horsepower | 5 | |
| Wills Creek | 19 miles northeast | 375 | 1 | 10 HP limit | 0 |
| Cutler Lake | 20 miles southeast | 18 | 2 | electric motors only | 0 |
| Buckeye Lake | 21 miles west | 2,877 | 7 | unlimited horsepower | 0 |
| Rush Creek Lake | 22 miles southwest | 289 | 1 | 10 HP limit | 0 |
| Oakthorpe Lake | 22 miles southwest | 43 | 0 | 10 HP limit | 0 |
ODNR lake outlines, horsepower and hot-spot layers and the launch inventory, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Surrounding Dillon Lake
Still water near Dillon Lake in Ohio
- Wills Creek19 miles northeast
- Cutler Lake20 miles southeast
- Buckeye Lake21 miles west
- Rush Creek Lake22 miles southwest
- Oakthorpe Lake22 miles southwest
Tackle stops en route to Dillon Lake
- Academy Sports + Outdoors, 3925 Gorsky Drbait and tackle shop, Zanesville, 5 miles
- Willie's Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Zanesville, 8 miles
- D & D Baitbait and tackle shop, Zanesville, 9 miles
- Backwoods Hunting and Fishing Suppliesbait and tackle shop, Adamsville, 14 miles
- Drowned Worm Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Newark, 14 miles
- Wiggles Bait and Tacklebait and tackle shop, Philo, 16 miles
Hiring an Ohio guide for Dillon Lake
- The Trout Clubfishing guide, Brinkhaven, (740) 824-4757
Lodging handy for Dillon Lake
- Frazeysburg7 miles
- North Zanesville7 miles
- Zanesville7 miles
Ohio county pages that take in Dillon Lake
- Muskingum Countyseat: Zanesville
What to grab from Piscifun before Dillon Lake
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Camera views of fishing water by Dillon Lake
Photo: Dustin M. Ramsey, aka Kralizec! at en.wikipedia, Attribution
Photo: Thesteeleisreal, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Dan Keck from Ohio, CC0 1.0
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Photo: Tim Kiser ( w:Malepheasant ), CC BY-SA 2.5
What first-timers at Dillon Lake want cleared up
In what part of Ohio is Dillon Lake?
On an Ohio map it sits in Muskingum County, ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office), about 4 miles from Nashport.
How many surface acres does Ohio map for Dillon Lake?
The outline measures 1,279 acres, with about 27.9 miles of shoreline.
Does Dillon Lake have a public ramp?
Ohio boaters can try Dillon State Park – Pleasant Knob Launch Ramp, one of 3 public launches.
What bites for Ohio anglers at Dillon Lake?
The records point to catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, saugeye/walleye, sunfish, saugeye and muskellunge.
Which length limits apply on Dillon 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 Dillon 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 Dillon Lake?
The rule is unlimited horsepower.
Which Ohio bait counter is handiest to Dillon Lake?
Closest on our list: Academy Sports + Outdoors, 5 miles.
How often has ODNR stocked Dillon Lake over the years?
Yes: 177 entries between 1970 and 2021, led by saugeye.
Put Dillon Lake on the Buckeye fishing list
Buy the Ohio license online before the trip.