← Ohio fishing maps

Best freshwater drum lakes in Ohio

10 Ohio waters hold freshwater drum. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The hardest-pulling fish nobody brags about. Roams current seams and mussel beds — bites all day.

1. Lake Erie — Central Basin West — 77 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Channel Catfish
2. Lake Erie — Western Basin — 48 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish
3. Great Miami River — 15 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
4. Muskingum River — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Saugeye, Channel Catfish
5. Maumee River — 20 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, White Bass & Hybrids
6. Lake Erie — Sandusky Bay — 19 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Crappie
7. Ohio River — Markland Pool — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
8. Ohio River — Meldahl Pool — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie
9. Scioto River — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Saugeye, Channel Catfish
10. Ohio River — Greenup Pool — 55 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, Crappie

When to fish freshwater drum in Ohio

• Spring 5–20 ft — Big spring runs into current — gravel bars and creek mouths.
• Summer 8–30 ft — Channel edges and mussel beds; drum feed by ear — a dragging bait gets found.
• Fall 10–35 ft — Schools slide toward deep holes; slow bottom presentations.
• Winter 15–45 ft — Deep and slow.

Also in Ohio: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best saugeye lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best muskellunge lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best common carp lakes · best steelhead lakes · best rock bass lakes

Freshwater Drum elsewhere: Minnesota · Iowa · Indiana · Nebraska · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Texas · Illinois · Kansas · Tennessee · Missouri