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1,800-acre undeveloped reservoir near Freeport. The lake tops out around 36 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
On the chart, Clendening Lake draws 1,746 acres inside 35.7 miles of shoreline. The 6.1 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Roughly 76% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 6.7 mi, about 2.7 mi across. You'll find it in Harrison County. The nearest mapped water is Tappan Lake, 6 mi to the northeast.
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 4 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (13 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (32 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 32 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (13 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (13 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (32 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (13 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (13 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 11 to 36 ft for winter. Winter channel catfish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 32 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow feeding flat (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (12 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (32 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 36 ft | midday | Deep basin (32 ft) |
When the water first warms, saugeye slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 22 ft game here, winter a 12 to 30 ft one. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (4 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 22 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 12 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (32 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Come spring, look for blue catfish tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 9 to 36 ft, then a winter hold in 11 to 36 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 32 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Break off the point (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 9 to 36 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (32 ft) | |
| Fall | 11 to 36 ft | dusk | Deep basin (32 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 36 ft | midday | Deep basin (32 ft) |
8 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 32 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Ohio DNR — Boater & Stream Access. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Ohio waters are set by the Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Clendening Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ohio fishing regulations →
Clendening Lake is about 36 ft (11 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, saugeye, blue catfish on Clendening Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Clendening Lake is regulated by the Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife. Check the official Ohio regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Tappan Lake 6 mi · Piedmont Lake 8 mi · Leesville Lake 16 mi · Salt Fork Lake 18 mi · Barnesville #4 Lake 18 mi · Belmont Lake 18 mi · Atwood Lake 20 mi · Slope Creek Reservoir (Barnesville #3) 24 mi · Seneca Lake 26 mi · Jefferson Lake 26 mi · Ohio River - Pike Island Pool 30 mi, OH/WV · Monroe Lake 30 mi
See how Clendening Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ohio · best saugeye lakes in Ohio · best crappie lakes in Ohio · best bluegill lakes in Ohio
Browse all Ohio fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.