Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
67-acre reservoir in Ohio. The lake tops out around 18 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 follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The outline encloses 67 acres, worked by 1.3 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.2), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. About 58% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 0.5 mi long by 0.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lake Wayne R Carr, is 11 mi to the west.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 5 to 18 ft game here, winter a 5 to 18 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Paulding Reservoir hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 18 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring crappie on Paulding Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 5 to 18 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 18 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 5 to 18 ft game here, winter a 5 to 18 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 18 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (18 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dusk | Deep basin (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) |
Spring puts saugeye in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 18 ft, wintering in 5 to 18 ft. Fall saugeye concentrate at Break off the point, a prime-rated drop-off around 15 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around the evening and early morning. A crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging rap |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 5 to 18 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 18 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Deep basin (18 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The chart marks 5 structure features on Paulding Reservoir; the deepest is Deep basin at about 18 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 Paulding Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ohio fishing regulations →
Paulding Reservoir is about 18 ft (5 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 Paulding Reservoir.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 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 Paulding 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.
Lake Wayne R Carr 11 mi · Defiance Reservoir 14 mi · Oxbow Lake 17 mi · Van Wert City Reservoir 1 19 mi · Delphos Gillmor Reservoir 20 mi · McKarns Lake 30 mi · Barton Lake 30 mi · Ottawa Reservoir 30 mi · Archbold Reservoir Number One 31 mi · Williams Reservoir 32 mi · Bresler Reservoir 32 mi · Hamilton Lake 34 mi, IN
See how Paulding 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.