Wills Creek Fishing
A 375-acre Ohio lake in Muskingum County and Coshocton County, 10 HP limit.
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Dillon Lake: Paula R. Lively, CC BY 2.0
Wills Creek, sized up for Ohio anglers
The ODNR outline for Wills Creek measures 375 acres of water in Muskingum County and Coshocton County. Roughly 20.4 miles of shoreline wrap around it on the ODNR outline. The nearest town on the Census list is Conesville, about 5 miles off. The water sits inside ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office).
Boats run under a rule of 10 HP limit. There are 1 public launch on its shore.
ODNR Division of Wildlife lake outlines (acres and shoreline miles), horsepower and fish hot-spot layers, Census places, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Fish the Ohio files name for Wills Creek
Each chip ties a fish to Wills Creek through an ODNR hot spot, a stocking record, a trout release or the record book.
ODNR fish hot-spot layers, ODNR stocking records and Outdoor Writers of Ohio records, retrieved October 26, 2026.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Where trailers meet the water at Wills Creek
- Wills Creek Reservoir launchgravel ramp, 2 lanes, 30 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, 10 HP limit; Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
Where else boats go in near Wills Creek
- Coshocton City Ramp on Muskingum RiverMuskingum River, 7 miles northwest
- Village of Dresden Boat Ramp on Muskingum RiverMuskingum River, 10 miles west
- Ellis Lock and Dam # 11 launch on Muskingum RiverMuskingum River, 12 miles southwest
ODNR Parks and Watercraft boating facilities and DOW facility points, retrieved October 26, 2026.
What the booklet allows at Wills Creek
| 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 |
These are the Ohio inland limits; Wills Creek follows them except where the booklet names 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.
Fish planted at Wills Creek over the years
The Division of Wildlife ledger shows 51 plantings at Wills Creek from 1988 through 2021, mainly 6,286,607 saugeye, 470,000 channel catfish, 90,000 yellow perch.
| Year | Species | Number | Size or stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Saugeye | 37,584 | fingerlings |
| 2020 | Saugeye | 56,848 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Saugeye | 58,492 | fingerlings |
| 2019 | Saugeye | 28,800 | fingerlings |
| 2018 | Saugeye | 23,771 | fingerlings |
| 2017 | Saugeye | 27,165 | fingerlings |
| 2017 | Saugeye | 32,472 | fingerlings |
| 2016 | Saugeye | 11,656 | fingerlings |
| 2016 | Saugeye | 44,621 | fingerlings |
| 2014 | Saugeye | 66,675 | fingerlings |
| 2013 | Saugeye | 66,649 | fingerlings |
| 2012 | Saugeye | 28,938 | 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.
Wills Creek and five Ohio lakes nearby
Of the five nearest Ohio lakes with pages, Seneca Lake is the largest at 3,587 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Hot-spot species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wills Creek | 375 | 1 | 10 HP limit | 0 | |
| Salt Fork Lake | 15 miles east | 3,060 | 11 | unlimited horsepower | 6 |
| Dillon Lake | 19 miles southwest | 1,279 | 3 | unlimited horsepower | 5 |
| Cutler Lake | 23 miles south | 18 | 2 | electric motors only | 0 |
| Seneca Lake | 27 miles southeast | 3,587 | 4 | 399 HP, Unlimited | 4 |
| Wolf Run Lake | 29 miles southeast | 208 | 1 | 10 HP limit | 5 |
ODNR lake outlines, horsepower and hot-spot layers and the launch inventory, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Close by Wills Creek
Lakes a short drive past Wills Creek
- Salt Fork Lake15 miles east
- Dillon Lake19 miles southwest
- Cutler Lake23 miles south
- Seneca Lake27 miles southeast
- Wolf Run Lake29 miles southeast
Where anglers around Wills Creek buy bait
- Backwoods Hunting and Fishing Suppliesbait and tackle shop, Adamsville, 6 miles
- Woodbury Outfittersbait and tackle shop, Coshocton, 7 miles
- Dock Incbait and tackle shop, Coshocton, 9 miles
- Dock Drive Thru Thebait and tackle shop, Coshocton, 9 miles
- Salt Fork Outdoorsbait and tackle shop, Kimbolton, 14 miles
- Academy Sports + Outdoors, 3925 Gorsky Drbait and tackle shop, Zanesville, 16 miles
Ohio captains and guides for Wills Creek
- The Trout Clubfishing guide, Brinkhaven, (740) 824-4757
Villages and cities close to Wills Creek
- Coshocton8 miles
- West Lafayette9 miles
- Dresden11 miles
Counties on the map with Wills Creek
- Muskingum Countyseat: Zanesville
- Coshocton Countyseat: Coshocton
Reels and line from Piscifun for Wills Creek
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Fish pictures for a trip to Wills Creek
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
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
The usual Wills Creek questions, sorted
Which Ohio town gives the shortest drive to Wills Creek?
Ohio places it in Muskingum County and Coshocton County, ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office), about 5 miles from Conesville.
What does the ODNR outline say about the size of Wills Creek?
Roughly 375 acres by the ODNR outline, with about 20.4 miles of shoreline.
Where do Buckeye boaters back a trailer into Wills Creek?
ODNR lists 1 public launch; start with Wills Creek Reservoir launch.
Which species does ODNR tie to Wills Creek?
Expect saugeye, channel catfish and yellow perch.
Which 2026-27 booklet limits cover Wills Creek?
Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass: 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches; Open year-round.
Which Ohio license fits Wills Creek?
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.
Are gas motors allowed on Wills Creek?
ODNR lists 10 HP limit.
Can I grab crawlers and minnows close to Wills Creek?
Try Backwoods Hunting and Fishing Supplies, roughly 6 miles off.
Which fish has ODNR released into Wills Creek?
51 releases from 1988 to 2021, mostly saugeye.
Pick a morning for Wills Creek
Read the Ohio limits above, then pick the launch nearest your target.