North Lake Fishing
A 164-acre Ohio lake in Summit County.
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Meet North Lake, an Ohio water
North Lake spreads across 164 acres of Summit County, by the Division of Wildlife outline. The outline traces close to 4.9 miles of bank. The 2 ODNR outline pieces that share its name are counted as one water. Count on under a mile of driving to reach Portage Lakes, the nearest town. Management runs through ODNR Wildlife District Three (Akron office).
ODNR placed 1 attractor for fish to hold on.
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 North Lake
The fish below link to North 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 North Lake
1 attractor points sit on the bottom of North Lake, placed in 2007, from 7 to 10 feet deep.
| Site | Type | Points | Depth | Year placed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 tree structures | Tree | 1 | 7 to 10 ft | 2007 |
ODNR DOW Lake Fishing layer, fish attractors (type, year, depth as mapped), retrieved October 26, 2026.
Public ramps serving North Lake
The ODNR launch inventory has no ramp on North Lake, so the closest ones elsewhere follow.
Nearby launch sites from North Lake
- Portage Lakes State Park – North ReservoirPortage Lakes, under a mile southeast
- Portage Lakes State Park – Long LakePortage Lakes, 1 mile north
- Old State Park on Portage LakesPortage Lakes, 2 miles south
- Portage Lakes State Park – TurkeyfootPortage Lakes, 2 miles south
- Portage Lakes State Park – C 1 on Nimisila LakeNimisila Lake, 4 miles south
- Portage Lakes State Park – SM2 on Nimisila LakeNimisila Lake, 4 miles south
ODNR Parks and Watercraft boating facilities and DOW facility points, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Daily limits for North 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 North Lake is the inland table of the 2026-27 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 North Lake, year by year
70 hatchery releases reached North Lake from 1971 to 2020 in the ODNR ledger, the biggest totals 138,636 saugeye, 128,056 walleye, 74,974 channel catfish.
| Year | Species | Number | Size or stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Channel Catfish | 3,207 | yearling |
| 2020 | Channel Catfish | 306 | yearling |
| 2018 | Channel Catfish | 2,790 | yearling |
| 2016 | Channel Catfish | 3,580 | yearling |
| 2015 | Channel Catfish | 2,800 | yearling |
| 2012 | Channel Catfish | 4,225 | yearling |
| 2010 | Channel Catfish | 4,112 | yearling |
| 2008 | Channel Catfish | 4,210 | yearling |
| 2006 | Channel Catfish | 4,296 | yearling |
| 2004 | Channel Catfish | 4,013 | yearling |
| 2002 | Channel Catfish | 997 | yearling |
| 2002 | Channel Catfish | 3,128 | 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.
How North Lake stacks up locally in Ohio
Among the nearby lakes listed, Portage Lakes covers the most water, 804 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Hot-spot species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Lake | 164 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Long Lake | under a mile northeast | 224 | 0 | 0 | |
| Portage Lakes | 2 miles southeast | 804 | 4 | 400 HP limit | 0 |
| Nimisila Lake | 5 miles south | 743 | 4 | electric motors only | 0 |
| Springfield Lake | 6 miles east | 291 | 2 | 250 HP limit | 0 |
| Silver Creek Lake | 7 miles west | 46 | 0 | 0 |
ODNR lake outlines, horsepower and hot-spot layers and the launch inventory, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Surrounding North Lake
Still water near North Lake in Ohio
- Long Lakeunder a mile northeast
- Portage Lakes2 miles southeast
- Nimisila Lake5 miles south
- Springfield Lake6 miles east
- Silver Creek Lake7 miles west
Tackle stops en route to North Lake
- Manda Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Coventry Township, under a mile
- Longlake Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Coventry Township, under a mile
- Land Bigfishbait and tackle shop, Akron, under a mile
- Fishermen's Centralbait and tackle shop, Coventry Township, under a mile
- Ron Slater's Portage Lake Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Coventry Township, 1 mile
- Eddie's Live Baitbait and tackle shop, Green, 6 miles
Hiring an Ohio guide for North Lake
- A-Hoy Sara-J Fishing Charterscharter, Lake Erie, Cleveland, (216) 346-2654
- Bass Fish Americacharter, Lake Erie, North Olmsted, (440) 471-7192
- Fat Boy Sportfishing Charterscharter, Lake Erie, Wellington, (440) 387-7676
- Fin-Ominal Charterscharter, Lake Erie, Cleveland, (440) 552-0992
- Elite Eyes Sportfishingfishing guide, New Franklin, (330) 962-5352
Lodging handy for North Lake
- Portage Lakesunder a mile
- Barberton3 miles
- New Franklin4 miles
Ohio county pages that take in North Lake
- Summit Countyseat: Akron
What to grab from Piscifun before North Lake
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Camera views of fishing water by North Lake
Photo: Roseohioresident, Public domain
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Photo: Dillguy9, CC0 1.0
Photo: Phil and Jo Schiffbauer, CC BY 2.0
Photo: 5chw4r7z, CC BY-SA 2.0
What first-timers at North Lake want cleared up
In what part of Ohio is North Lake?
On an Ohio map it sits in Summit County, ODNR Wildlife District Three (Akron office), under a mile from Portage Lakes.
How many surface acres does Ohio map for North Lake?
The outline measures 164 acres, with about 4.9 miles of shoreline.
Does North Lake have a public ramp?
None mapped; use a nearby ramp.
What bites for Ohio anglers at North Lake?
The records point to channel catfish, walleye, tiger muskellunge, saugeye, muskellunge, northern pike and largemouth bass.
Which length limits apply on North Lake?
Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass: 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches; Open year-round.
Does Ohio want a trout stamp for North 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 North Lake?
No motor limit is on file; signs at the ramp decide.
Which Ohio bait counter is handiest to North Lake?
Closest on our list: Manda Bait & Tackle, under a mile.
How often has ODNR stocked North Lake over the years?
Yes: 70 entries between 1971 and 2020, led by saugeye.
Where do fish hold on cover at North Lake?
ODNR placed 1 attractor sites; see the map above.
Put North Lake on the Buckeye fishing list
Buy the Ohio license online before the trip.