Pymatuning Lake Fishing
A 16,254-acre Ohio lake in Ashtabula County, 20 HP limit.
Pick for walleyePiscifun Viper X spinning reel50% OFFSale $39.99 Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
Meet Pymatuning Lake, an Ohio water
Pymatuning Lake spreads across 16,254 acres of Ashtabula County, by the Division of Wildlife outline. The outline traces close to 113.3 miles of bank. The 6 ODNR outline pieces that share its name are counted as one water. Count on about 3 miles of driving to reach Andover, the nearest town.
The posted motor rule is 20 HP limit. Boaters can use 6 public launches. ODNR placed 45 attractors 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 Pymatuning Lake
The fish below link to Pymatuning 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 walleye herePiscifun AlumiX spinning reel46% OFFSale $64.99 Fish attractors placed in Pymatuning Lake
45 attractor points sit on the bottom of Pymatuning Lake, placed in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016, from 5 to 15 feet deep.
| Site | Type | Points | Depth | Year placed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock reef | Rock | 13 | 5 to 15 ft | 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 |
| 50 wood structures | Wood | 6 | 6 to 14 ft | 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 |
| 10 pallet structures | Pallets | 4 | 9 to 14 ft | 2000 |
| 50 wood crib structures | Wood | 3 | 6 to 7 ft | 2015, 2017 |
| 40 wood structures | Wood | 2 | 5 to 12 ft | 2001, 2008 |
| 100 wood crib structures | Wood | 1 | 11 to 11 ft | 2013 |
| 100 wood structures | Wood | 1 | 13 to 14 ft | 2009 |
| 100 wooden crib structures | Wood | 1 | 6 to 10 ft | 2012 |
| 125 crib structures | 1 | 6 to 10 ft | 2018 | |
| 125 wood crib structures | Wood | 1 | 9 to 13 ft | 2019 |
| 130 wood crib structures | Wood | 1 | 7 to 8 ft | 2014 |
| 20 wood crib structures | Wood | 1 | 7 to 8 ft | 2014 |
| 25 wood structures | Wood | 1 | 6 to 8 ft | 2005 |
| 27 wood crib structures | Wood | 1 | 6 to 7 ft | 2016 |
ODNR DOW Lake Fishing layer, fish attractors (type, year, depth as mapped), retrieved October 26, 2026.
Public ramps serving Pymatuning Lake
- Pymatuning State Park – New Bowersconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 40 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, 20 HP limit; ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation
- Pymatuning State Park – Birch South Liveryconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 36 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, 20 HP limit; ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation
- Pymatuning State Park – Cabin Beachconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 24 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, 20 HP limit; ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation
- Pymatuning State Park – North Liveryconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 20 trailer spaces, no launch fee, 20 HP limit; ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation
- Pymatuning State Park – Campgroundconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 7 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, 20 HP limit; ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation
- Beach Area Launch on Pymatuning Lakegravel ramp, 1 lane, no launch fee, 20 HP limit; public
ODNR Parks and Watercraft boating facilities and DOW facility points, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Daily limits for Pymatuning Lake
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Black & White Crappie | 20 (singly or in combination); minimum 9 inches | Open year-round |
| Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass | 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches | Open year-round |
| Muskellunge | 2; minimum 30 inches | Open year-round |
| Walleye | 6; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| All other fish | No daily limit | Open year-round |
The booklet gives Pymatuning Lake a two-state rule table instead of the inland rows.
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 Pymatuning Lake, year by year
93 hatchery releases reached Pymatuning Lake from 1971 to 2021 in the ODNR ledger, the biggest totals 18,443,325 walleye, 35,047 muskellunge.
| Year | Species | Number | Size or stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Walleye | 294,984 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 86,200 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 68,927 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 78,624 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 60,669 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 34,712 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 123,134 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 85,204 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 50,328 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 121,643 | fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 4,260 | fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 93,294 | 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 Pymatuning Lake stacks up locally in Ohio
Among the nearby lakes listed, Mosquito Creek Lake covers the most water, 7,212 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Hot-spot species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pymatuning Lake | 16,254 | 6 | 20 HP limit | 0 | |
| New Lyme Lake | 12 miles west | 43 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mosquito Creek Lake | 20 miles southwest | 7,212 | 16 | unlimited horsepower | 0 |
| East Branch Reservoir | 31 miles west | 403 | 1 | electric motors only | 0 |
| Aquilla Lake | 34 miles west | 42 | 0 | 0 | |
| Punderson Lake | 37 miles west | 80 | 1 | electric motors only | 0 |
ODNR lake outlines, horsepower and hot-spot layers and the launch inventory, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Surrounding Pymatuning Lake
Still water near Pymatuning Lake in Ohio
- New Lyme Lake12 miles west
- Mosquito Creek Lake20 miles southwest
- East Branch Reservoir31 miles west
- Aquilla Lake34 miles west
- Punderson Lake37 miles west
Tackle stops en route to Pymatuning Lake
- Gateway Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Andover, 2 miles
- Roaming Rock Marinamarina, Roaming Shores, 17 miles
- Causeway Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Cortland, 18 miles
Hiring an Ohio guide for Pymatuning Lake
- Loveland Fishing Charterscharter, Chardon, (440) 286-3532
- P.C. Queen Perch Headboatcharter, Lake Erie, Conneaut, (814) 460-4600
Lodging handy for Pymatuning Lake
- Roaming Shores17 miles
- Jefferson17 miles
- Orwell18 miles
Ohio county pages that take in Pymatuning Lake
- Ashtabula Countyseat: Jefferson
What to grab from Piscifun before Pymatuning Lake
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Camera views of fishing water by Pymatuning Lake
Photo: Steven Miller, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Margaret Luzier, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain
Photo: Tim Kiser, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page , my Commons user talk page , or my English Wikipedia user talk page ; I'll know about it a lot faster), CC BY-SA 4.0
What first-timers at Pymatuning Lake want cleared up
In what part of Ohio is Pymatuning Lake?
On an Ohio map it sits in Ashtabula County, about 3 miles from Andover.
How many surface acres does Ohio map for Pymatuning Lake?
The outline measures 16,254 acres, with about 113.3 miles of shoreline.
Does Pymatuning Lake have a public ramp?
Ohio boaters can try Pymatuning State Park – New Bowers, one of 6 public launches.
What bites for Ohio anglers at Pymatuning Lake?
The records point to walleye and muskellunge.
Which length limits apply on Pymatuning Lake?
Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass: 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches; Open year-round.
Does Ohio want a trout stamp for Pymatuning Lake?
Pymatuning Lake has its own Ohio and Pennsylvania rule table in the booklet; the Ohio resident license is $25.00 and the nonresident license $76.96.
What boats can use Pymatuning Lake?
The rule is 20 HP limit.
Which Ohio bait counter is handiest to Pymatuning Lake?
Closest on our list: Gateway Bait & Tackle, 2 miles.
How often has ODNR stocked Pymatuning Lake over the years?
Yes: 93 entries between 1971 and 2021, led by walleye.
Where do fish hold on cover at Pymatuning Lake?
ODNR placed 45 attractor sites; see the map above.
Put Pymatuning Lake on the Buckeye fishing list
Buy the Ohio license online before the trip.