Williams Reservoir Fishing
A 426-acre Ohio reservoir in Allen County.
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What an Ohio trip to Williams Reservoir offers
Division of Wildlife mapping gives Williams Reservoir a surface of 426 acres, all within Allen County. About 3.6 miles of shoreline give bank anglers room to spread out. Elida sits roughly 4 miles from the water, the shortest hop to a town. Field work here falls to ODNR Wildlife District Two (Findlay office).
ODNR Division of Wildlife lake outlines (acres and shoreline miles), horsepower and fish hot-spot layers, Census places, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Species on record at Williams Reservoir
This list for Williams 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.
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No public ramp on Williams Reservoir turns up in the ODNR inventory; nearby launches are listed.
Other launches a short tow from Williams Reservoir
- Bresler Reservoir launchBresler Reservoir, 1 mile east
- Agerter Road River Access on Auglaize RiverAuglaize River, 3 miles west
- Lost Creek Reservoir launchLost Creek Reservoir, 10 miles east
- Lima Lake – Ottawa Metro ParkLima Lake, 11 miles east
- Ferguson Reservoir launch on Metzger ReservoirMetzger Reservoir, 11 miles east
- Metzer Reservoir launch on Metzger ReservoirMetzger Reservoir, 11 miles east
ODNR Parks and Watercraft boating facilities and DOW facility points, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Limits and seasons at Williams 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 Williams 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 Williams Reservoir
ODNR crews stocked Williams Reservoir on 19 recorded occasions from 2013 to 2022; by count the top species are 8,800,508 yellow perch, 30,938 bluegill, 2,863 channel catfish.
| Year | Species | Number | Size or stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Yellow Perch | 322,500 | fry |
| 2022 | Yellow Perch | 315,000 | fry |
| 2021 | Yellow Perch | 375,000 | fry |
| 2021 | Yellow Perch | 450,000 | fry |
| 2020 | Yellow Perch | 322,500 | fry |
| 2019 | Yellow Perch | 330,000 | fry |
| 2019 | Yellow Perch | 375,000 | fry |
| 2018 | Yellow Perch | 345,000 | fry |
| 2018 | Yellow Perch | 307,500 | fry |
| 2017 | Yellow Perch | 1,020,000 | fry |
| 2016 | Yellow Perch | 1,035,000 | fry |
| 2015 | Yellow Perch | 1,300,000 | fry |
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.
Williams Reservoir beside the closest Ohio lakes
The biggest neighbor in this table is Bresler Reservoir, with 583 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Hot-spot species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williams Reservoir | 426 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Bresler Reservoir | under a mile east | 583 | 1 | electric motors only | 6 |
| Lost Creek Reservoir | 10 miles east | 130 | 1 | electric motors only | 0 |
| Metzger Reservoir | 11 miles east | 157 | 2 | electric motors only | 6 |
| Lima Lake | 11 miles east | 88 | 1 | electric motors only | 0 |
| Ferguson Reservoirs | 11 miles east | 308 | 0 | electric motors only | 6 |
ODNR lake outlines, horsepower and hot-spot layers and the launch inventory, retrieved October 26, 2026.
In the orbit of Williams Reservoir
Ohio lakes one county over from Williams Reservoir
- Bresler Reservoirunder a mile east
- Lost Creek Reservoir10 miles east
- Metzger Reservoir11 miles east
- Lima Lake11 miles east
- Ferguson Reservoirs11 miles east
Shops that stock up Williams Reservoir trips
- Milans Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Lima, 10 miles
- Riverside Outdoorsbait and tackle shop, Mendon, 15 miles
- Grand Lake Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Saint Marys, 16 miles
- The Outdoorsmanbait and tackle shop, Saint Marys, 16 miles
- Kozy Marinamarina, Celina, 17 miles
- Bait Shore & Morebait and tackle shop, Van Wert, 20 miles
Ohio towns handy to Williams Reservoir
- Elida4 miles
- Spencerville6 miles
- Fort Shawnee7 miles
Where Williams Reservoir falls, county by Ohio county
- Allen Countyseat: Lima
Piscifun spinning and baitcasting gear for Williams Reservoir
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Photo ID for the fish of Williams Reservoir
Photo: Scott Harden, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
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Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
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Photo: Mike Heine, CC BY 4.0
Williams Reservoir: what Buckeye anglers keep asking
Which Ohio county holds Williams Reservoir?
Head for Allen County, ODNR Wildlife District Two (Findlay office), about 4 miles from Elida.
How large is Williams Reservoir on ODNR maps?
Close to 426 acres, with about 3.6 miles of shoreline.
How many launches serve Williams Reservoir?
No public ramp is listed for it.
Does Williams Reservoir hold saugeye or bass?
On file: yellow perch, bluegill and channel catfish.
Which booklet rules govern Williams 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 Williams 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 Williams Reservoir?
The horsepower layer leaves it blank.
Which listed Ohio tackle store is nearest Williams Reservoir?
Milans Bait Shop sits about 10 miles from the water.
Does ODNR stock Williams Reservoir?
The ledger shows 19 plantings, 2013 to 2022, mainly yellow perch.
Hook up the trailer and tow it to Williams Reservoir
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