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Fishing Findlay 1 Reservoir: what the data says
108-acre lake near Ohio. The lake tops out around 23 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Findlay 1 Reservoir
Spring largemouth bass on Findlay 1 Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 23 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 23 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Findlay 1 Reservoir
Spring crappie on Findlay 1 Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 7 to 23 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 23 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 23 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 23 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 23 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Findlay 1 Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 23 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 7 to 23 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Findlay 1 Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 7 to 23 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 23 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 23 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 7 to 23 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 7 to 23 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 7 to 23 ft | midday |
Walleye fishing at Findlay 1 Reservoir
In spring, walleye run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 7 to 23 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 23 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 23 ft, rated prime for winter walleye. Best bite is the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 7 to 23 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 7 to 23 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 7 to 23 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Findlay 1 Reservoir
Spring yellow perch on Findlay 1 Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 23 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 23 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 7 to 23 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 23 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 23 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 23 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
Common questions
How deep is Findlay 1 Reservoir?
Findlay 1 Reservoir is about 23 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Findlay 1 Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, yellow perch on Findlay 1 Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Findlay 1 Reservoir?
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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Findlay 1 Reservoir?
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.
Nearby waters
Findlay 2 Reservoir · Lake LeComte · Veterans Memorial Lake · Lamberjack Reservoir · Upper Sandusky Reservoir #1 · Upper Sandusky Reservoir #2
See how Findlay 1 Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ohio · best walleye lakes in Ohio · best crappie lakes in Ohio · best bluegill lakes in Ohio
Browse all Ohio fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.