Piedmont Lake Fishing Map

Piedmont Lake Fishing Map (443 KB)
Enhanced Piedmont Lake Fishing Map (1.0 MB)

LOCATION
Piedmont Lake is in Belmont and Harrison counties in the eastern part of the state. The largest portion of the lake lies in Kirkwood and Flushing Townships of Belmont County, with a small segment in Moorefield Township of Harrison County. The lake is on State Route 22 midway between Cambridge and Cadiz and approximately 10 miles north of Interstate 70 off State Route 800.

HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION
The dam was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control. The lake is in the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District’s chain of lakes and all boating, swimming, camping, and picnicking is under MWCD control. The Division of Wildlife annually leases public fishing and hunting rights on MWCD lakes and lands.

Piedmont Lake was impounded by a dam across Stillwater Creek and is kept at a conservation pool level of 2,270 acres (elevation 913.0 feet), except in times of extreme flooding. The lake reached conservation pool in March 1942. It attained a maximum depth of 38 feet with a mean depth of 14.9 feet. The lake is approximately 10 miles long.

Piedmont Lake is considered by many to be the most scenic of all the MWCD lakes. It is set in rough, hilly, unglaciated terrain, most of which is heavily wooded. Few buildings are visible throughout its entire length.

FISH OF INTEREST TO ANGLERS
Piedmont Lake is noted statewide for its large muskellunge, excellent saugeye, shovelhead catfish, and channel catfish fishery. The existing state record for muskellunge was taken from this lake. In addition, the lake has good populations of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and bluegills. Species of fish stocked by the Division of Wildlife include saugeyes, muskellunge, and channel catfish.

FISHING FORECAST

METHODS OF FISHING AND BEST FISHING SITES
Spring and fall fishing is the most popular with the muskie angler. Casting or trolling the bays in April and May with large deep-diving plugs provides the best chance for hooking a muskie. Later, the increase in water temperature drives the muskie to deeper water and during the summer months and into early fall trolling the dam area of the lake should provide the best action, especially during early morning and evening.

Largemouth bass fishermen have the most success from mid-lake to the upper or shallower end. Working artificial night crawlers or live night crawlers and spinner baits on early warm March and April days should provide some action in the shallow bays. In late April and May, long sloping points worked with the same lures plus deep-diving lures should produce fish. During the summer, morning and evening hours are productive, working the shoreline first and then deeper structures during mid-day.

Smallmouth bass are caught mainly from mid-lake to the dam. Early spring fishing in April should provide the best action. Live night crawlers and spinner baits should be worked around the rocky shoreline and shaley points. Deeper structures such as long sloping points with dropoffs into deep water are productive during the summer months. Sometimes trolling these deep points and breaks with deep-diving lures and spinner baits produces good results.

MWCD personnel and the Division of Wildlife have cooperated to produce fish attractors such as Christmas tree piles and felled shoreline trees in the lake. This added structure is excellent for concentrating bluegills, largemouth bass, and a limited white crappie population.

Fair to good bluegill fishing is experienced from May through July on worms and larval baits.
Saugeye fishing is excellent year round at Piedmont Lake. Winter ice fishing and early spring fishing over submerged roadbeds and drop-offs at the lower end of the lake produce good catches. Verticle jigging jigs or spoons tipped with either minnows or night crawlers and blade baits such as cicadas and sonars are popular with anglers. During late spring, summer, and fall months, saugeyes disperse throughout the lake and can be taken by trolling or drifting over shallow flats and long sloping points. Early morning and late evening are typically peak feeding times for saugeye.

Both shovelhead and channel catfish in Piedmont Lake are at a premium. Excellent results are achieved during July, August, and September by fishing with night crawlers, shrimp, chicken liver, or large suckers just off the bottom at night. The designated trotline area in the upper end of the lake is especially good.

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
Boat launching facilities, food, gasoline, and boats and motors are available for rent at Piedmont Marina, 740/658-1029, at the northern end of the lake off State Route 800. Camping (requiring a special MWCD permit available at the marina), is also nearby. Outboard motors may not exceed 10 horsepower.

FISH OHIO
Anglers who catch a big fish should enter their prize in the Fish Ohio angler recognition program. A fish qualifies for an award if it meets the minimum size requirement set for the Fish Ohio program. Applications are available online at FishOhio.org.

FISH MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
The Division of Wildlife’s fish management activities include stocking, population monitoring with nets, seines, electrofishing surveys, and creel census, felling trees and preparing Christmas tree piles to act as fish attractors, and conducting general physical and chemical water quality analyses. A continuing check of water quality and fish populations is vital in determining the management practices necessary to produce quality fish for the public.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Questions and inquiries can be directed to Wildlife District Four, 360 E. State Street, Athens, Ohio 45701 telephone 740/589-9930.

TURN IN A POACHER
Ohio’s TIP, “Turn In a Poacher,” program is helping to curtail poaching throughout the state. TIP is designed to involve the public in reporting wildlife violations. Citizens who observe wildlife violations should call the TIP toll-free hotline, 1-800-POACHER.

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