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35-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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
On the chart, Riley Reservoir draws 35 acres inside 0.9 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.1 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. About 34% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 0.3 mi end to end and 0.2 mi across at its widest. The nearest mapped water is Outhwaite Reservoir, 1 mi to the north.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 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 and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| 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 |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 21 ft. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Back-bay flat (6 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 |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 21 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 21 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 21 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (6 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 |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish 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: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 21 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for 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) |
Early season saugeye use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 6 to 21 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 21 ft. Put Shoreline break first on the milk run — a drop-off near 21 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler and you're in the game.
| 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 |
Come spring, look for yellow perch 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 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. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| 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 Riley Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ohio fishing regulations →
Riley 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 Riley 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 Riley 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.
Outhwaite Reservoir 1 mi · Bucyrus Reservoir #2 1 mi · Powers Reservoir 10 mi · Amick Reservoir 10 mi · Shelby Reservoir #3 16 mi · Upper Sandusky Reservoir #2 17 mi · Upper Sandusky Reservoir #1 17 mi · Clear Fork Reservoir 18 mi · Mount Gilead Lake 20 mi · Willard Lake 21 mi · Wauseon Reservoir 27 mi · Bellevue # 5 28 mi
See how Riley 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.