Willard Reservoir Fishing
A 199-acre Ohio reservoir in Huron County, electric motors only.
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What an Ohio trip to Willard Reservoir offers
Division of Wildlife mapping gives Willard Reservoir a surface of 199 acres, all within Huron County. About 2.3 miles of shoreline give bank anglers room to spread out. New Haven sits roughly 3 miles from the water, the shortest hop to a town.
ODNR lists electric motors only for boats here. ODNR pins fishing hot spots for catfish, crappie, saugeye/walleye, smallmouth bass, sunfish and yellow perch. ODNR counts 1 public launch here.
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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This list for Willard Reservoir draws on ODNR hot spots, stocking files and Ohio records together.
ODNR fish hot-spot layers, ODNR stocking records and Outdoor Writers of Ohio records, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Boat access around Willard Reservoir
- Willard Reservoir Parkconcrete ramp, 1 lane, 40 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, launch fee, electric motors only; City of Willard
ODNR Parks and Watercraft boating facilities and DOW facility points, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Limits and seasons at Willard Reservoir
| 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 |
Inland limits from the booklet apply on Willard Reservoir, adjusted by any entry printed for 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.
Years of ODNR stocking at Willard Reservoir
ODNR crews stocked Willard Reservoir on 128 recorded occasions from 1972 to 2022; by count the top species are 2,162,644 walleye, 1,583,838 yellow perch, 233,188 channel catfish.
| Year | Species | Number | Size or stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Walleye | 39,933 | fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 20,033 | fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 20,203 | fingerlings |
| 2021 | Yellow Perch | 50,685 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 20,074 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 20,035 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Yellow Perch | 49,947 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 35,983 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 7,016 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Yellow Perch | 49,933 | fingerlings |
| 2018 | Channel Catfish | 9,999 | fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 19,276 | 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.
Willard Reservoir beside the closest Ohio lakes
The biggest neighbor in this table is New London Reservoir, with 212 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Hot-spot species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willard Reservoir | 199 | 1 | electric motors only | 6 | |
| Shelby Reservoir #3 | 10 miles south | 51 | 0 | 0 | |
| Monroeville Reservoir | 12 miles north | 16 | 0 | 0 | |
| New London Reservoir | 12 miles east | 212 | 1 | electric motors only | 0 |
| Memorial Reservoir | 12 miles north | 93 | 1 | electric motors only | 0 |
| Norwalk Upper Reservoir | 13 miles north | 48 | 1 | electric motors only | 0 |
ODNR lake outlines, horsepower and hot-spot layers and the launch inventory, retrieved October 26, 2026.
In the orbit of Willard Reservoir
Ohio lakes one county over from Willard Reservoir
- Shelby Reservoir #310 miles south
- Monroeville Reservoir12 miles north
- New London Reservoir12 miles east
- Memorial Reservoir12 miles north
- Norwalk Upper Reservoir13 miles north
Shops that stock up Willard Reservoir trips
- Dick's Sporting Goods Ontariosporting goods store, Ontario, 19 miles
- Burroughs Marine Incmarina, Clyde, 23 miles
- Holiday Harbor Marinamarina, Huron, 23 miles
- Harbor Northmarina, Huron, 23 miles
- Marinas Internationalmarina, Huron, 24 miles
- Boat Basinmarina, Huron, 24 miles
Who takes paying anglers onto Willard Reservoir
- Eyes On Charterscharter, Lake Erie, Sandusky, (419) 357-0036
- Lake Erie Charters – Captain Park's Charterscharter, Lake Erie, Huron, (888) 306-7835
- Schofield Charter Servicecharter, Lake Erie, Huron, (419) 433-5671
- Tra-Lin Fishing Charterscharter, Lake Erie, Huron, (419) 433-4071
Ohio towns handy to Willard Reservoir
- Willard3 miles
- Plymouth5 miles
- Greenwich8 miles
Where Willard Reservoir falls, county by Ohio county
- Huron Countyseat: Norwalk
Piscifun spinning and baitcasting gear for Willard Reservoir
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Photo ID for the fish of Willard Reservoir
Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Services, Public domain
Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Services, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
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Photo: Mike Heine, CC BY 4.0
Willard Reservoir: what Buckeye anglers keep asking
Which Ohio county holds Willard Reservoir?
Head for Huron County, about 3 miles from New Haven.
How large is Willard Reservoir on ODNR maps?
Close to 199 acres, with about 2.3 miles of shoreline.
How many launches serve Willard Reservoir?
1 public launch, with Willard Reservoir Park first by parking.
Does Willard Reservoir hold saugeye or bass?
On file: catfish, crappie, saugeye/walleye, smallmouth bass, sunfish, yellow perch and walleye.
Which booklet rules govern Willard Reservoir?
Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass: 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches; Open year-round.
How much does a visitor from out of state pay for Willard Reservoir?
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 horsepower is allowed on Willard Reservoir?
Boats run under electric motors only.
Which listed Ohio tackle store is nearest Willard Reservoir?
Dick's Sporting Goods Ontario sits about 19 miles from the water.
Does ODNR stock Willard Reservoir?
The ledger shows 128 plantings, 1972 to 2022, mainly walleye.
Hook up the trailer and tow it to Willard Reservoir
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