Ohio lakes and reservoirs

Leesville Lake Fishing

A 1,012-acre Ohio lake in Carroll County, 10 HP limit.

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Photo: Roseohioresident, Public domain

Carroll County

Leesville Lake, sized up for Ohio anglers

The ODNR outline for Leesville Lake measures 1,012 acres of water in Carroll County. Roughly 28.5 miles of shoreline wrap around it on the ODNR outline. The nearest town on the Census list is Leesville, about 3 miles off.

Boats run under a rule of 10 HP limit. There are 2 public launches on its shore. Some 6 attractor sites mark cover ODNR placed.

1,012acres
28.5shoreline miles
2public launches
10 HPmotor rule

ODNR Division of Wildlife lake outlines (acres and shoreline miles), horsepower and fish hot-spot layers, Census places, retrieved October 26, 2026.

Species

Fish the Ohio files name for Leesville Lake

Each chip ties a fish to Leesville Lake 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.

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Structure

Structure ODNR added to Leesville Lake

The Division of Wildlife set 6 pieces of cover in Leesville Lake, placed in 2006 and 2008, from 10 to 18 feet deep.

SiteTypePointsDepthYear placed
20 wooden spool / tree structuresMultiple415 to 18 ft2008
20 pallet structuresPallets110 to 13 ft2006
35 pallet structuresPallets110 to 15 ft2006

ODNR DOW Lake Fishing layer, fish attractors (type, year, depth as mapped), retrieved October 26, 2026.

Launches

Where trailers meet the water at Leesville Lake

  • South Fork launch on Leesville Lakeconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 20 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, 10 HP limit; Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
  • Petersburg Marina on Leesville Lakeconcrete ramp, 1 lane, 10 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, 10 HP limit; Petersburg Marina

Where else boats go in near Leesville Lake

  • Atwood Lake East MarinaAtwood Lake, 5 miles north
  • Atwood Lake Boat LaunchAtwood Lake, 6 miles northwest
  • Atwood Lake West MarinaAtwood Lake, 6 miles northwest
  • Tappan Route 250 Launch RampTappan Lake, 9 miles south
  • Tappan Fire Station RampsTappan Lake, 10 miles south
  • Tappan MarinaTappan Lake, 10 miles south

ODNR Parks and Watercraft boating facilities and DOW facility points, retrieved October 26, 2026.

Level

Lake level at Leesville Lake

USGS gaugeLatest readingTime (ET)
Leesville Lake Near Leesville Oh962.58 ft lake elevationOct 27 6:15 pm

US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Oct 27, 2026 6:33 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.

Water elevation at Leesville Lake comes from USGS and updates above.

Limits

What the booklet allows at Leesville Lake

SpeciesDaily limit and sizeSeason
Blue & Flathead Catfish (under 35 inches)No daily limitOpen year-round
Blue & Flathead Catfish (35 inches or larger)1 of each (statewide); minimum 35 inchesOpen year-round
Channel Catfish (under 28 inches)No daily limitOpen year-round
Channel Catfish (28 inches or larger)1 (statewide); minimum 28 inchesOpen year-round
Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inchesOpen year-round
Muskellunge1Open year-round
Striped, Hybrid-Striped, & White Bass30 (singly or in combination); minimum No more than 4 over 15 inchesOpen year-round
Trout5 (singly or in combination)Open year-round
Walleye, Sauger, & Saugeye6 (singly or in combination)Open year-round
Yellow Perch30Open year-round

These are the Ohio inland limits; Leesville Lake follows them except where the booklet names it.

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.

Stocking

Fish planted at Leesville Lake over the years

The Division of Wildlife ledger shows 236 plantings at Leesville Lake from 1970 through 2022, mainly 4,087,103 saugeye, 120,880 walleye, 114,939 muskellunge.

Saugeye4,087,103
Walleye120,880
Muskellunge114,939
Channel catfish89,809
Largemouth bass11,039
YearSpeciesNumberSize or stage
2022Saugeye102,411fingerlings
2021Channel Catfish3,105yearling
2021Channel Catfish1,917yearling
2021Muskellunge761adv. fingerlings
2021Saugeye26,134fingerlings
2021Saugeye110,363fingerlings
2020Muskellunge130adv. fingerlings
2020Muskellunge919adv. fingerlings
2020Saugeye79,853fingerlings
2020Saugeye21,470fingerlings
2019Channel Catfish3,712yearling
2019Channel Catfish1,015yearling

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.

Compare

Leesville Lake and five Ohio lakes nearby

Of the five nearest Ohio lakes with pages, Piedmont Lake is the largest at 2,377 acres.

LakeDistanceAcresLaunchesMotor ruleHot-spot species
Leesville Lake1,012210 HP limit0
Atwood Lake5 miles northwest1,564325 HP limit0
Tappan Lake10 miles south2,3064399 HP limit6
Clendening Lake16 miles south1,732310 HP limit0
Jefferson Lake20 miles east201electric motors only0
Piedmont Lake23 miles south2,377310 HP limit5

ODNR lake outlines, horsepower and hot-spot layers and the launch inventory, retrieved October 26, 2026.

Nearby

Close by Leesville Lake

Lakes a short drive past Leesville Lake

Where anglers around Leesville Lake buy bait

  • Leesville Southfork Marinamarina, Bowerston, 1 mile
  • Leesville North Fork Marinamarina, Carrollton, 3 miles
  • B & D Bait & Morebait and tackle shop, Magnolia, 10 miles
  • Lake Marina Tappan Incmarina, Scio, 10 miles
  • Beavers Marine Storemarina, Magnolia, 10 miles
  • Stillwater Outfitters Ltdbait and tackle shop, Uhrichsville, 11 miles

Ohio captains and guides for Leesville Lake

  • Elite Eyes Sportfishingfishing guide, New Franklin, (330) 962-5352

Villages and cities close to Leesville Lake

  • Carrollton8 miles
  • Dennison10 miles
  • Uhrichsville10 miles

Counties on the map with Leesville Lake

  • Carroll Countyseat: Carrollton
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Fish photos

Fish pictures for a trip to Leesville Lake

Muskellunge, Ohio
Muskellunge
Photo: Engbretson, Eric / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
Blue Catfish, Ohio
Blue Catfish
Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Services, Public domain
Hybrid Striped Bass, Ohio
Hybrid Striped Bass
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
Steelhead, Ohio
Steelhead
Photo: Mike Heine, CC BY 4.0
Answers

The usual Leesville Lake questions, sorted

Which Ohio town gives the shortest drive to Leesville Lake?

Ohio places it in Carroll County, about 3 miles from Leesville.

What does the ODNR outline say about the size of Leesville Lake?

Roughly 1,012 acres by the ODNR outline, with about 28.5 miles of shoreline.

Where do Buckeye boaters back a trailer into Leesville Lake?

ODNR lists 2 public launches; start with South Fork launch on Leesville Lake.

Which species does ODNR tie to Leesville Lake?

Expect muskellunge, saugeye, channel catfish, walleye and largemouth bass.

Which 2026-27 booklet limits cover Leesville Lake?

Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass: 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches; Open year-round.

Which Ohio license fits Leesville 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.

Are gas motors allowed on Leesville Lake?

ODNR lists 10 HP limit.

Can I grab crawlers and minnows close to Leesville Lake?

Try Leesville Southfork Marina, roughly 1 mile off.

Which fish has ODNR released into Leesville Lake?

236 releases from 1970 to 2022, mostly saugeye.

Does USGS keep a lake gauge on Leesville Lake?

The level band above shows the USGS gauge.

Does Leesville Lake have man-made fish cover?

Yes, 6 attractor sites, mapped in the structure band.

Pick a morning for Leesville Lake

Read the Ohio limits above, then pick the launch nearest your target.