Guilford Lake Fishing
A 361-acre Ohio lake in Columbiana County, 10 HP limit.
Pick for channel catfishPiscifun LumiCat II catfish rod48% OFFSale $114.99 Photo: Todd Fowler, CC BY-SA 2.0
Meet Guilford Lake, an Ohio water
Guilford Lake spreads across 361 acres of Columbiana County, by the Division of Wildlife outline. The outline traces close to 7.7 miles of bank. Count on about 1 mile of driving to reach Guilford Lake, the nearest town. Management runs through ODNR Wildlife District Three (Akron office).
The posted motor rule is 10 HP limit. Boaters can use 4 public launches. ODNR placed 3 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.
Fish ODNR ties to Guilford Lake
The fish below link to Guilford 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.
For the channel catfish herePiscifun Chaos XS round baitcaster36% OFFSale $57.99 Fish attractors placed in Guilford Lake
3 attractor points sit on the bottom of Guilford Lake, placed in 2004 and 2007, from 6 to 12 feet deep.
| Site | Type | Points | Depth | Year placed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 tree structures | Tree | 1 | 6 to 8 ft | 2007 |
| 20 tree structures | Tree | 1 | 7 to 11 ft | 2007 |
| 39 tree structures | Tree | 1 | 9 to 12 ft | 2004 |
ODNR DOW Lake Fishing layer, fish attractors (type, year, depth as mapped), retrieved October 26, 2026.
Public ramps serving Guilford Lake
- Guilford Lake State Park – Red Maple Areaconcrete ramp, 1 lane, 10 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, 10 HP limit; ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation
- Guilford Lake State Park – Campground Sideconcrete ramp, 1 lane, courtesy dock, no launch fee, 10 HP limit; ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation
- Guilford Lake State Park – Dam Rampconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, no launch fee, 10 HP limit; ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation
- Public Ramp on Guilford Lakeboat ramp; public
Nearby launch sites from Guilford Lake
- Salem Reservoir launchSalem Reservoir, 3 miles east
- Zepernick Wildlife AreaZepernick Lake, 5 miles west
ODNR Parks and Watercraft boating facilities and DOW facility points, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Daily limits for Guilford 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 Guilford Lake is the inland table of the 2026-27 booklet.
The exceptions ODNR prints for Guilford Lake
| Water as printed | Species | Limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guilford | Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass | 3 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 14 inches, & 1 fish 20 inches or longer | 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 Guilford Lake, year by year
78 hatchery releases reached Guilford Lake from 1970 to 2020 in the ODNR ledger, the biggest totals 242,274 channel catfish, 141,398 northern pike, 139,612 hybrid-striped bass.
| Year | Species | Number | Size or stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Channel Catfish | 1,893 | yearling |
| 2020 | Hybrid-Striped Bass | 9,070 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Hybrid-Striped Bass | 10,747 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Hybrid-Striped Bass | 3,970 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Hybrid-Striped Bass | 6,509 | fingerlings |
| 2018 | Channel Catfish | 1,008 | yearling |
| 2018 | Hybrid-Striped Bass | 19,077 | fingerlings |
| 2016 | Channel Catfish | 108 | yearling |
| 2016 | Channel Catfish | 4,968 | yearling |
| 2016 | Hybrid-Striped Bass | 14,323 | fingerlings |
| 2016 | Hybrid-Striped Bass | 6,633 | fingerlings |
| 2016 | Hybrid-Striped Bass | 28,168 | 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 Guilford Lake stacks up locally in Ohio
Among the nearby lakes listed, Berlin Lake covers the most water, 3,344 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Hot-spot species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guilford Lake | 361 | 4 | 10 HP limit | 0 | |
| Highlandtown Lake | 13 miles southeast | 188 | 2 | electric motors only | 0 |
| Berlin Lake | 16 miles northwest | 3,344 | 5 | unlimited horsepower | 7 |
| Deer Creek Reservoir | 17 miles northwest | 334 | 1 | Electric Only, Unlimited | 0 |
| Dale Walborn Reservoir | 19 miles northwest | 657 | 1 | 6 HP limit | 0 |
| Lake Milton | 21 miles north | 1,695 | 4 | unlimited horsepower | 0 |
ODNR lake outlines, horsepower and hot-spot layers and the launch inventory, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Surrounding Guilford Lake
Still water near Guilford Lake in Ohio
- Highlandtown Lake13 miles southeast
- Berlin Lake16 miles northwest
- Deer Creek Reservoir17 miles northwest
- Dale Walborn Reservoir19 miles northwest
- Lake Milton21 miles north
Tackle stops en route to Guilford Lake
- Glenn's Archery & Tackle, 33094 Baker Rdbait and tackle shop, Lisbon, 2 miles
- Runzo's Outdoor Sportsbait and tackle shop, Beloit, 8 miles
- Red's Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Columbiana, 15 miles
- Lake Tomahawk Marinamarina, Negley, 15 miles
- Les's Bait Marcko Landingbait and tackle shop, Deerfield, 16 miles
- Walborn Marinamarina, Alliance, 19 miles
Hiring an Ohio guide for Guilford Lake
- Elite Eyes Sportfishingfishing guide, New Franklin, (330) 962-5352
Lodging handy for Guilford Lake
- Lisbon7 miles
- Salem7 miles
- Leetonia8 miles
Ohio county pages that take in Guilford Lake
- Columbiana Countyseat: Lisbon
What to grab from Piscifun before Guilford Lake
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Camera views of fishing water by Guilford Lake
Photo: Deans Charbal, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Roseohioresident, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Eric Haake, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Jbarta, CC0 1.0
What first-timers at Guilford Lake want cleared up
In what part of Ohio is Guilford Lake?
On an Ohio map it sits in Columbiana County, ODNR Wildlife District Three (Akron office), about 1 mile from Guilford Lake.
How many surface acres does Ohio map for Guilford Lake?
The outline measures 361 acres, with about 7.7 miles of shoreline.
Does Guilford Lake have a public ramp?
Ohio boaters can try Guilford Lake State Park – Red Maple Area, one of 4 public launches.
What bites for Ohio anglers at Guilford Lake?
The records point to channel catfish, largemouth bass, hybrid striped bass, northern pike, tiger muskellunge and muskellunge.
Which length limits apply on Guilford 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 Guilford 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 Guilford Lake?
The rule is 10 HP limit.
Which Ohio bait counter is handiest to Guilford Lake?
Closest on our list: Glenn's Archery & Tackle, 2 miles.
How often has ODNR stocked Guilford Lake over the years?
Yes: 78 entries between 1970 and 2020, led by channel catfish.
Where do fish hold on cover at Guilford Lake?
ODNR placed 3 attractor sites; see the map above.
Put Guilford Lake on the Buckeye fishing list
Buy the Ohio license online before the trip.