Ross Lake Fishing
A 127-acre Ohio lake in Ross County, electric motors only.
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Ross Lake by the ODNR numbers
Inside Ross County, Ross Lake covers 127 acres on the ODNR lake map. Its edge measures near 3.2 miles on the Division of Wildlife map. From the lake point, Chillicothe is the nearest place at about 5 miles. It belongs to ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office).
Outboards follow a limit of electric motors only. Launching is possible at 1 public launch. ODNR has sunk 2 fish attractors in it. ODNR gives it 1 site-specific entry of its own.
ODNR Division of Wildlife lake outlines (acres and shoreline miles), horsepower and fish hot-spot layers, Census places, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Ohio fish roster for Ross Lake
Species shown for Ross Lake come from Division of Wildlife layers and the stocking ledger.
ODNR fish hot-spot layers, ODNR stocking records and Outdoor Writers of Ohio records, retrieved October 26, 2026.
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Cover at Ross Lake includes 2 ODNR attractor sites, placed in 2010, from 10 to 15 feet deep.
| Site | Type | Points | Depth | Year placed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| X-mas tree bundles | Tree | 2 | 10 to 15 ft | 2010 |
ODNR DOW Lake Fishing layer, fish attractors (type, year, depth as mapped), retrieved October 26, 2026.
Launch sites on the shore of Ross Lake
- Ross Lake Wildlife Areaconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 38 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower, no wake; ODNR Division of Wildlife-District Four
Backup ramps around Ross Lake
- Yoctangee Park Scioto River AccessScioto River, 4 miles west
- Scioto Trail State Park – Caldwell launchCaldwell Lake, 8 miles south
- Tar Hollow State Park Ramp on Pine LakePine Lake, 9 miles east
ODNR Parks and Watercraft boating facilities and DOW facility points, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Booklet rows for Ross 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 |
For Ross Lake, start from the statewide inland rows shown here.
Booklet rules written for Ross Lake
| Water as printed | Species | Limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ross | Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass | 5; minimum 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.
Ohio stocking ledger for Ross Lake
From 1970 to 2019 the Ohio stocking file holds 55 lines for Ross Lake, with 156,945 channel catfish, 52,800 redear sunfish, 13,050 flathead catfish at the head.
| Year | Species | Number | Size or stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Channel Catfish | 1,624 | yearling |
| 2019 | Channel Catfish | 1,755 | yearling |
| 2017 | Channel Catfish | 2,174 | yearling |
| 2017 | Channel Catfish | 4,277 | fingerlings |
| 2015 | Channel Catfish | 3,240 | yearling |
| 2013 | Channel Catfish | 3,194 | yearling |
| 2011 | Channel Catfish | 3,018 | yearling |
| 2011 | Channel Catfish | 205 | yearling |
| 2009 | Channel Catfish | 880 | yearling |
| 2008 | Channel Catfish | 2,482 | yearling |
| 2007 | Channel Catfish | 3,295 | yearling |
| 2005 | Channel Catfish | 408 | 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.
Nearby Ohio lakes measured against Ross Lake
Lake White tops the nearby list for size at 333 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Hot-spot species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ross Lake | 127 | 1 | electric motors only | 0 | |
| Caldwell Lake | 8 miles south | 10 | 1 | electric motors only | 0 |
| Pine Lake | 9 miles east | 12 | 1 | electric motors only | 0 |
| Lake White | 17 miles south | 333 | 3 | unlimited horsepower | 0 |
| Hargus Creek Lake | 20 miles north | 143 | 1 | electric motors only | 0 |
| Rose Lake | 21 miles east | 21 | 0 | 0 |
ODNR lake outlines, horsepower and hot-spot layers and the launch inventory, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Near Ross Lake
Ohio reservoirs around Ross Lake
- Caldwell Lake8 miles south
- Pine Lake9 miles east
- Lake White17 miles south
- Hargus Creek Lake20 miles north
- Rose Lake21 miles east
Minnows, crawlers and line for Ross Lake
- Dick's Sporting Goods Chillicothesporting goods store, Chillicothe, 4 miles
- Bill's Bait Housebait and tackle shop, Waverly, 18 miles
- Lending Tackle Boxbait and tackle shop, Circleville, 18 miles
- JR's Bait and Tacklebait and tackle shop, Piketon, 22 miles
- Frosties Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, New Holland, 25 miles
Home bases within reach of Ross Lake
- Chillicothe5 miles
- Kingston9 miles
- Frankfort15 miles
Ohio counties around Ross Lake
- Ross Countyseat: Chillicothe
Piscifun reels to stow for Ross Lake
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Shorelines and reservoirs by Ross Lake, photographed
Photo: Dan Keck from Ohio, CC0 1.0
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Photo: Aesopposea, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Nyttend, Public domain
Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0
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Questions to settle before heading for Ross Lake
Where in Ohio is Ross Lake?
ODNR maps it in Ross County, ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office), about 5 miles from Chillicothe.
What surface area does ODNR give Ross Lake?
Some 127 acres of water, with about 3.2 miles of shoreline.
Which ramp has the most trailer parking at Ross Lake?
There are 1 public launch; Ross Lake Wildlife Area leads the list.
Which Ohio gamefish does the record tie to Ross Lake?
ODNR sources name channel catfish, northern pike, walleye, flathead catfish and redear sunfish.
Is Ross Lake named in the Ohio site-specific table?
Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass: 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches; Open year-round. One or more lines in the booklet override that here, printed above.
Do I need an Ohio license at Ross 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.
Can I run a big outboard on Ross Lake?
The horsepower layer shows electric motors only.
Who sells minnows on the road to Ohio's Ross Lake?
Drive about 4 miles to Dick's Sporting Goods Chillicothe.
What has ODNR stocked in Ross Lake?
ODNR records 55 releases through 2019, most of them channel catfish.
Where is the structure in Ross Lake?
Yes: 2 mapped attractor points.
Give an Ohio weekend to Ross Lake
Check the daily limit before a fish goes in the cooler.