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19-acre reservoir in Ohio. The lake tops out around 21 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Ottawa Reservoir maps at 19 acres behind 0.7 miles of shoreline. At index 1.1 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 24% of this chart. Its nearest charted neighbour, Mccomb Reservoir Number Two, is 14 mi to the northeast.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 21 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 9 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Shoreline break (21 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 21 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 21 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 21 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 21 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 21 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 6 to 21 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 21 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 21 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (21 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | dusk | Deep basin (21 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: saugeye sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 21 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 21 ft. Top water on the chart: Shoreline break, a drop-off in the 21 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline break (21 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | dusk & dawn | Shoreline break (21 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (21 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 21 ft, wintering in 6 to 21 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 9 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (9 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn | Deep basin (21 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (21 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 4 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 21 ft.
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 Ottawa Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ohio fishing regulations →
Ottawa Reservoir is about 21 ft (6 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, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, saugeye, yellow perch on Ottawa Reservoir.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Ottawa Reservoir 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.
Mccomb Reservoir Number Two 14 mi · Lima Lake 18 mi · Metzger Reservoir 19 mi · Lost Creek Reservoir 19 mi · Ferguson Reservoir 19 mi · Delphos Gillmor Reservoir 20 mi · Bresler Reservoir 22 mi · Williams Reservoir 23 mi · Findlay 2 Reservoir 24 mi · Findlay 1 Reservoir 24 mi · Defiance Reservoir 26 mi · Paulding Reservoir 30 mi
See how Ottawa Reservoir 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.