Fox Lake Fishing
A 52-acre Ohio lake in Athens County, 10 HP limit.
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Fox Lake by the ODNR numbers
Inside Athens County, Fox Lake covers 52 acres on the ODNR lake map. Its edge measures near 2.6 miles on the Division of Wildlife map. From the lake point, New Marshfield is the nearest place at about 2 miles. It belongs to ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office).
Outboards follow a limit of 10 HP limit. Mapped hot spots name catfish, crappie, largemouth bass and sunfish. Launching is possible at 1 public launch. ODNR gives it 1 site-specific entry of its own.
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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Species shown for Fox Lake come from Division of Wildlife layers and the stocking ledger.
ODNR fish hot-spot layers, ODNR stocking records and Outdoor Writers of Ohio records, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Launch sites on the shore of Fox Lake
- Fox Lake Wildlife Areaconcrete ramp, 1 lane, 8 trailer spaces, no launch fee, 10 HP limit; ODNR Division of Wildlife-District Four
Backup ramps around Fox Lake
- Lake Snowden Launch RampLake Snowden, 4 miles south
- Strouds Run State Park on Dow LakeDow Lake, 9 miles northeast
- Lake Hope State Park RampLake Hope, 9 miles west
ODNR Parks and Watercraft boating facilities and DOW facility points, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Booklet rows for Fox 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 |
For Fox Lake, start from the statewide inland rows shown here.
Booklet rules written for Fox Lake
| Water as printed | Species | Limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fox | 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.
Ohio stocking ledger for Fox Lake
From 1970 to 2019 the Ohio stocking file holds 48 lines for Fox Lake, with 63,707 channel catfish, 52,050 largemouth bass, 37,355 redear sunfish at the head.
| Year | Species | Number | Size or stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Channel Catfish | 1,325 | yearling |
| 2017 | Channel Catfish | 496 | yearling |
| 2017 | Channel Catfish | 841 | yearling |
| 2015 | Channel Catfish | 606 | yearling |
| 2015 | Channel Catfish | 729 | yearling |
| 2013 | Channel Catfish | 1,347 | yearling |
| 2011 | Channel Catfish | 1,332 | yearling |
| 2008 | Channel Catfish | 1,264 | yearling |
| 2007 | Channel Catfish | 1,020 | yearling |
| 2007 | Channel Catfish | 248 | yearling |
| 2005 | Channel Catfish | 1,286 | yearling |
| 2003 | Channel Catfish | 1,164 | yearling |
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.
Nearby Ohio lakes measured against Fox Lake
Burr Oak Lake tops the nearby list for size at 668 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Hot-spot species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Lake | 52 | 1 | 10 HP limit | 4 | |
| Lake Snowden | 3 miles south | 143 | 1 | unlimited horsepower, no wake | 4 |
| Dow Lake | 9 miles east | 161 | 1 | 10 HP limit | 4 |
| Lake Hope | 9 miles west | 121 | 1 | electric motors only | 4 |
| Burr Oak Lake | 19 miles northeast | 668 | 4 | unlimited horsepower, no wake | 4 |
| Lake Rupert | 20 miles southwest | 327 | 1 | unlimited horsepower, no wake | 5 |
ODNR lake outlines, horsepower and hot-spot layers and the launch inventory, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Near Fox Lake
Ohio reservoirs around Fox Lake
- Lake Snowden3 miles south
- Dow Lake9 miles east
- Lake Hope9 miles west
- Burr Oak Lake19 miles northeast
- Lake Rupert20 miles southwest
Minnows, crawlers and line for Fox Lake
- Downs Bait & Gunsbait and tackle shop, Logan, 22 miles
Home bases within reach of Fox Lake
- Athens5 miles
- The Plains5 miles
- Nelsonville11 miles
Ohio counties around Fox Lake
- Athens Countyseat: Athens
Piscifun reels to stow for Fox Lake
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Shorelines and reservoirs by Fox Lake, photographed
Photo: dankeck, CC0 1.0
Photo: Jaknouse, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Dan Keck from Ohio, CC0 1.0
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Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
Questions to settle before heading for Fox Lake
Where in Ohio is Fox Lake?
ODNR maps it in Athens County, ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office), about 2 miles from New Marshfield.
What surface area does ODNR give Fox Lake?
Some 52 acres of water, with about 2.6 miles of shoreline.
Which ramp has the most trailer parking at Fox Lake?
There are 1 public launch; Fox Lake Wildlife Area leads the list.
Which Ohio gamefish does the record tie to Fox Lake?
ODNR sources name catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, sunfish, channel catfish, northern pike and chain pickerel.
Is Fox Lake named in the Ohio site-specific table?
Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass: 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches; Open year-round. One or more lines in the booklet override that here, printed above.
Do I need an Ohio license at Fox 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.
Can I run a big outboard on Fox Lake?
The horsepower layer shows 10 HP limit.
Who sells minnows on the road to Ohio's Fox Lake?
Drive about 22 miles to Downs Bait & Guns.
What has ODNR stocked in Fox Lake?
ODNR records 48 releases through 2019, most of them channel catfish.
Give an Ohio weekend to Fox Lake
Check the daily limit before a fish goes in the cooler.