Lake Rupert Fishing
A 327-acre Ohio lake in Vinton County, unlimited horsepower, no wake.
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Lake Rupert, sized up for Ohio anglers
The ODNR outline for Lake Rupert measures 327 acres of water in Vinton County. Roughly 8.9 miles of shoreline wrap around it on the ODNR outline. The nearest town on the Census list is Hamden, about 2 miles off. The water sits inside ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office).
Boats run under a rule of unlimited horsepower, no wake. The hot-spot layer flags areas for catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, saugeye/walleye and sunfish. There are 1 public launch on its shore. Some 9 attractor sites mark cover ODNR placed. Watch for 1 site-specific entry unique to this water.
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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Each chip ties a fish to Lake Rupert through an ODNR hot spot, a stocking record, a trout release or the record book.
ODNR fish hot-spot layers, ODNR stocking records and Outdoor Writers of Ohio records, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Structure ODNR added to Lake Rupert
The Division of Wildlife set 9 pieces of cover in Lake Rupert, placed in 2018, from 8 to 14 feet deep.
| Site | Type | Points | Depth | Year placed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| X-mas tree bundles | Tree | 8 | 8 to 14 ft | 2018 |
| x-mas tree bundles | Tree | 1 | 10 to 12 ft | 2018 |
ODNR DOW Lake Fishing layer, fish attractors (type, year, depth as mapped), retrieved October 26, 2026.
Where trailers meet the water at Lake Rupert
- Wellston Wildlife Area on Lake Rupertconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 25 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, Greater than 10 hp o Wake; ODNR Division of Wildlife-District Four
Where else boats go in near Lake Rupert
- Lake Alma State ParkLake Alma, 3 miles south
ODNR Parks and Watercraft boating facilities and DOW facility points, retrieved October 26, 2026.
What the booklet allows at Lake Rupert
| 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 |
These are the Ohio inland limits; Lake Rupert follows them except where the booklet names it.
Rules that differ at Lake Rupert
| Water as printed | Species | Limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Rupert (Wellston City Reservoir) | 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.
Fish planted at Lake Rupert over the years
The Division of Wildlife ledger shows 137 plantings at Lake Rupert from 1970 through 2022, mainly 1,604,609 saugeye, 274,134 channel catfish, 243,270 walleye.
| Year | Species | Number | Size or stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Saugeye | 65,400 | fingerlings |
| 2021 | Saugeye | 63,570 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Channel Catfish | 8,356 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Channel Catfish | 3,090 | yearling |
| 2020 | Saugeye | 34,401 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Saugeye | 28,512 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Saugeye | 2,536 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Saugeye | 65,599 | fingerlings |
| 2018 | Channel Catfish | 1,145 | yearling |
| 2018 | Channel Catfish | 1,353 | yearling |
| 2018 | Saugeye | 20,833 | fingerlings |
| 2017 | Saugeye | 65,478 | 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.
Lake Rupert and five Ohio lakes nearby
Of the five nearest Ohio lakes with pages, Lake Snowden is the largest at 143 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Hot-spot species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Rupert | 327 | 1 | unlimited horsepower, no wake | 5 | |
| Lake Alma | 3 miles south | 68 | 2 | electric motors only | 0 |
| Lake Hope | 13 miles northeast | 121 | 1 | electric motors only | 4 |
| Rose Lake | 16 miles north | 21 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pine Lake | 18 miles northwest | 12 | 1 | electric motors only | 0 |
| Lake Snowden | 18 miles east | 143 | 1 | unlimited horsepower, no wake | 4 |
ODNR lake outlines, horsepower and hot-spot layers and the launch inventory, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Close by Lake Rupert
Lakes a short drive past Lake Rupert
- Lake Alma3 miles south
- Lake Hope13 miles northeast
- Rose Lake16 miles north
- Pine Lake18 miles northwest
- Lake Snowden18 miles east
Where anglers around Lake Rupert buy bait
- Bidwell Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Bidwell, 22 miles
- Downs Bait & Gunsbait and tackle shop, Logan, 25 miles
Villages and cities close to Lake Rupert
- McArthur5 miles
- Wellston5 miles
- Jackson12 miles
Counties on the map with Lake Rupert
- Vinton Countyseat: McArthur
Reels and line from Piscifun for Lake Rupert
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Fish pictures for a trip to Lake Rupert
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Services, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
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Photo: Mike Heine, CC BY 4.0
The usual Lake Rupert questions, sorted
Which Ohio town gives the shortest drive to Lake Rupert?
Ohio places it in Vinton County, ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office), about 2 miles from Hamden.
What does the ODNR outline say about the size of Lake Rupert?
Roughly 327 acres by the ODNR outline, with about 8.9 miles of shoreline.
Where do Buckeye boaters back a trailer into Lake Rupert?
ODNR lists 1 public launch; start with Wellston Wildlife Area on Lake Rupert.
Which species does ODNR tie to Lake Rupert?
Expect catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, saugeye/walleye, sunfish, saugeye and channel catfish.
Which 2026-27 booklet limits cover Lake Rupert?
Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass: 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches; Open year-round. The booklet adds a rule just for this water, shown in the limits band.
Which Ohio license fits Lake Rupert?
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.
Are gas motors allowed on Lake Rupert?
ODNR lists unlimited horsepower, no wake.
Can I grab crawlers and minnows close to Lake Rupert?
Try Bidwell Bait & Tackle, roughly 22 miles off.
Which fish has ODNR released into Lake Rupert?
137 releases from 1970 to 2022, mostly saugeye.
Does Lake Rupert have man-made fish cover?
Yes, 9 attractor sites, mapped in the structure band.
Pick a morning for Lake Rupert
Read the Ohio limits above, then pick the launch nearest your target.