From Cleveland, 9 waters from our guide are no more than 75 minutes away by road — 5 lakes and 4 reservoirs. Our records list no fewer than 60 species of fish for them.

Closest to Cleveland: Lake Erie, 2 minutes away

Starting from Cleveland, the nearest water is Lake Erie at 2 min (1.1 mi).

Next by drive time:

What bites near Cleveland: Channel Catfish first

The most widespread fish is Channel Catfish, recorded in 8 of the 9 waters. Next come Largemouth Bass (7), Common Carp (6), Walleye (5) and White Perch (3).

The nearest water for each of the leading species:

  • Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass and Walleye: LaDue Reservoir, 41 min (29.8 mi)
  • Common Carp and White Perch: Lake Erie, 2 min (1.1 mi)

Leading the list: Lake Erie

These 3 waters lead our list for Cleveland, ranked by distance, depth data, fish records and access:

  • Lake Erie: 6,360,010 acres, 57 fish species on record, max depth 206.7 ft (surveyed), 338 ramps and 35,815,570 fish stocked.
  • Portage Lakes: 336 acres, 5 fish species on record, max depth 33.7 ft (surveyed), 8 ramps and 601,465 fish stocked.
  • LaDue Reservoir: 1,422 acres, 6 fish species on record, max depth 25 ft (surveyed), 4 ramps and 6,271,215 fish stocked.

Deepest nearby: Lake Erie, 206.7 ft

The deepest water in this guide is Lake Erie: 206.7 ft at its deepest point (surveyed). It is followed by Rex Lake (61.2 ft), Michael J Kirwan Reservoir (55 ft) and Portage Lakes (33.7 ft). Maximum depths are known for all 9 waters.

Launching near Cleveland: 73 ramps

Around Cleveland you will find 73 boat ramps and 1 shore-fishing spot on the waters in this guide. The boat ramp closest to the city center is Cleveland Lakefront - Edgewater Park Ramp on Lake Erie, about 1.8 mi in a straight line.

9 stocked waters near Cleveland

9 waters here have stocked fish on record, led by Lake Erie (35,815,570 fish), Michael J Kirwan Reservoir (7,599,300 fish) and LaDue Reservoir (6,271,215 fish).

8 campgrounds near the water

8 campgrounds sit by the waters around Cleveland. The closest are Riverview RV Park and Marina (34 mi, by Lake Erie), Cherokee Park (34.8 mi, by Mogadore Reservoir) and Countryside Campground (35.1 mi, by Mogadore Reservoir).