Tappan Lake Fishing
A 2,306-acre Ohio lake in Harrison County, 399 HP limit.
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Tappan Lake by the ODNR numbers
Inside Harrison County, Tappan Lake covers 2,306 acres on the ODNR lake map. Its edge measures near 50.6 miles on the Division of Wildlife map. ODNR draws it as 8 outline pieces, and the acres here add them together. From the lake point, Deersville is the nearest place at about 2 miles.
Outboards follow a limit of 399 HP limit. Mapped hot spots name catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, saugeye/walleye, smallmouth bass and sunfish. Launching is possible at 4 public launches. ODNR has sunk 8 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.
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Species shown for Tappan 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.
Where ODNR sank cover in Tappan Lake
Cover at Tappan Lake includes 8 ODNR attractor sites, placed in 2007 and 2015, from 5 to 12 feet deep.
| Site | Type | Points | Depth | Year placed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 tree structures | Tree | 3 | 6 to 12 ft | 2007 |
| 10 tree structures | Tree | 1 | 5 to 9 ft | 2007 |
| 20 crappie tube structures | Tubes | 1 | 7 to 9 ft | 2004 |
| 20 tree structures | Tree | 1 | 5 to 12 ft | 2007 |
| 25 crappie tube structures | Tubes | 1 | 9 to 11 ft | 2004 |
| 60 tree structures | Tree | 1 | 9 to 12 ft | 2015 |
ODNR DOW Lake Fishing layer, fish attractors (type, year, depth as mapped), retrieved October 26, 2026.
Launch sites on the shore of Tappan Lake
- Tappan Route 250 Launch Rampconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 70 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, 399 HP limit; Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
- Tappan Fire Station Rampsconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 20 trailer spaces, no launch fee, 399 HP limit; Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
- Tappan Lake Park Launch Rampconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 12 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, launch fee, 399 HP limit; Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
- Tappan Marinaconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, no launch fee, 399 HP limit; Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
Backup ramps around Tappan Lake
- County Rd 6 Ramp on Clendening LakeClendening Lake, 5 miles southwest
- Clendening RampClendening Lake, 6 miles south
- Clendening MarinaClendening Lake, 7 miles south
- South Fork launch on Leesville LakeLeesville Lake, 9 miles north
- Snyder's Landing Boat Ramp on Tuscarawas RiverTuscarawas River, 10 miles west
ODNR Parks and Watercraft boating facilities and DOW facility points, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Water elevation on Tappan Lake
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Tappan Lake At Tappan Oh | 899.06 ft lake elevation | Oct 28 11:15 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Oct 28, 2026 11:32 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
Check the gauge panel above for the current elevation at Tappan Lake.
Booklet rows for Tappan 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 Tappan Lake, start from the statewide inland rows shown here.
Booklet rules written for Tappan Lake
| Water as printed | Species | Limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tappan | Black & White Crappie | 30; minimum 9 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 Tappan Lake
From 1970 to 2022 the Ohio stocking file holds 142 lines for Tappan Lake, with 10,976,449 saugeye, 6,270,009 walleye, 25,000 channel catfish at the head.
| Year | Species | Number | Size or stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Saugeye | 50,860 | fingerlings |
| 2022 | Saugeye | 176,532 | fingerlings |
| 2021 | Saugeye | 33,146 | fingerlings |
| 2021 | Saugeye | 194,793 | fingerlings |
| 2021 | Saugeye | 110,720 | fingerlings |
| 2021 | Saugeye | 117,546 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Saugeye | 154,069 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Saugeye | 74,504 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Saugeye | 44,362 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Saugeye | 170,021 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Saugeye | 14,603 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Saugeye | 229,330 | 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.
Nearby Ohio lakes measured against Tappan Lake
Piedmont Lake tops the nearby list for size at 2,377 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Hot-spot species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tappan Lake | 2,306 | 4 | 399 HP limit | 6 | |
| Clendening Lake | 6 miles south | 1,732 | 3 | 10 HP limit | 0 |
| Leesville Lake | 10 miles north | 1,012 | 2 | 10 HP limit | 0 |
| Piedmont Lake | 14 miles south | 2,377 | 3 | 10 HP limit | 5 |
| Atwood Lake | 14 miles north | 1,564 | 3 | 25 HP limit | 0 |
| Jefferson Lake | 23 miles east | 20 | 1 | electric motors only | 0 |
ODNR lake outlines, horsepower and hot-spot layers and the launch inventory, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Near Tappan Lake
Ohio reservoirs around Tappan Lake
- Clendening Lake6 miles south
- Leesville Lake10 miles north
- Piedmont Lake14 miles south
- Atwood Lake14 miles north
- Jefferson Lake23 miles east
Minnows, crawlers and line for Tappan Lake
- Lake Marina Tappan Incmarina, Scio, 1 mile
- Tappan Lake Marinamarina, Cadiz, 3 miles
- Woodland Outdoor & Supplybait and tackle shop, Tippecanoe, 7 miles
- Stillwater Outfitters Ltdbait and tackle shop, Uhrichsville, 8 miles
- Leesville Southfork Marinamarina, Bowerston, 9 miles
- Leesville North Fork Marinamarina, Carrollton, 12 miles
Home bases within reach of Tappan Lake
- Dennison8 miles
- Uhrichsville9 miles
- Tuscarawas11 miles
Ohio counties around Tappan Lake
- Harrison Countyseat: Cadiz
Piscifun reels to stow for Tappan Lake
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Shorelines and reservoirs by Tappan Lake, photographed
Photo: Paula R. Lively, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Roseohioresident, Public domain
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Photo: Roseohioresident, Public domain
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain
Questions to settle before heading for Tappan Lake
Where in Ohio is Tappan Lake?
ODNR maps it in Harrison County, about 2 miles from Deersville.
What surface area does ODNR give Tappan Lake?
Some 2,306 acres of water, with about 50.6 miles of shoreline.
Which ramp has the most trailer parking at Tappan Lake?
There are 4 public launches; Tappan Route 250 Launch Ramp leads the list.
Which Ohio gamefish does the record tie to Tappan Lake?
ODNR sources name catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, saugeye/walleye, smallmouth bass, sunfish and saugeye.
Is Tappan 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 Tappan 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 Tappan Lake?
The horsepower layer shows 399 HP limit.
Who sells minnows on the road to Ohio's Tappan Lake?
Drive about 1 mile to Lake Marina Tappan Inc.
What has ODNR stocked in Tappan Lake?
ODNR records 142 releases through 2022, most of them saugeye.
Which agency posts the elevation of Tappan Lake?
Above: the USGS lake gauge.
Where is the structure in Tappan Lake?
Yes: 8 mapped attractor points.
Give an Ohio weekend to Tappan Lake
Check the daily limit before a fish goes in the cooler.