Pymatuning Reservoir fishing: Walleye, Muskellunge

Target species: Walleye, Muskellunge
Best months: May, Sep, Oct, Nov for Walleye
Second window: Jun, Jul, Sep for Muskellunge
Boat: 22 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Causeway Livery, 2 lanes.

The reservoir

Pymatuning Reservoir covers 14,221 acres in Pennsylvania, across Crawford County. It is a reservoir: 92.9% of it is 22 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is 32.7 feet (10 m). Our records hold 8 species for this water. 23% of the water lies in Ohio.

Pymatuning Lake, Ohio in 2007 (2) - panoramio.jpg
Michael A. Orlando · CC BY-SA 3.0

Depth: down to 32.7 ft at the deepest measured point

Deepest measured point: 32.7 ft (10 m). 92.9% of the water is 22 feet or shallower. We hold 204 depth contours for this water, drawn from 146,012 soundings.

Pymatuning Lake, Ohio in 2007 - panoramio.jpg
Michael A. Orlando · CC BY-SA 3.0
  • 0–2 ft: 4.5% of the water
  • 2–4 ft: 4.3% of the water
  • 4–6 ft: 6.6% of the water
  • 6–8 ft: 10.4% of the water
  • 8–10 ft: 13.5% of the water
  • 10–12 ft: 14.4% of the water
  • 12–14 ft: 10.7% of the water
  • 14–16 ft: 7% of the water
  • 16–18 ft: 7% of the water
  • 18–20 ft: 8.9% of the water
  • 20–22 ft: 5.6% of the water
  • 22–24 ft: 4.7% of the water
  • 24–26 ft: 1.3% of the water
  • 26–28 ft: 0.9% of the water
  • 28–30 ft: 0.1% of the water

2 target fish, led by Walleye

  • Walleye — Best months: May, Sep, Oct, Nov.
  • Muskellunge — Best months: Jun, Jul, Sep.

Also recorded here: Common Carp, Brassy Minnow, Goldfish, Alewife, Banded Killifish, White Perch.

Eastward view over partially frozen Pymatuning Lake, Andover Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio - 20230205.jpg
Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.0

22 ramps and launches on this water

On this water we hold 1 trailer ramp, 21 boat ramps and 1 shore access point.

  • Causeway Livery — 2 lanes. North Shenango, Bureau of State Parks. website dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PymatuningStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
  • 41 Bay — North Shenango, Bureau of State Parks. website dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PymatuningStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
  • Alcatraz — Conneaut Township, Bureau of State Parks. website dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PymatuningStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
  • Bennetts Bay — North Shenango, Bureau of State Parks. website dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PymatuningStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
  • Fries Road — North Shenango, Bureau of State Parks. website dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PymatuningStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
  • Gum Bay — North Shenango, Bureau of State Parks. website dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PymatuningStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
  • Jamestown Livery — North Shenango, Bureau of State Parks. website dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PymatuningStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
  • Jonestown Livery — North Shenango, Bureau of State Parks. website dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PymatuningStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
  • Linesville Marina — Conneaut Township, Bureau of State Parks. website dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PymatuningStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
  • Manning — North Shenango, Bureau of State Parks. website dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PymatuningStatePark/Pages/default.aspx

Shore access for bank fishing

  • Pymatuning State Park Launch — on Shenango River, South Shenango Twp, DCNR.

Fee and opening hours are blank for all 11 places in this list: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

Water and conditions

Water temperature averages 55°F across the year. The coldest single reading we hold is 34°F and the warmest is 79°F; the warmest monthly average is 76°F. pH averages 7.6. These readings span 2016–2026.

Monthly average water temperature: Jan 35°F · Feb 36°F · Mar 39°F · Apr 45°F · May 60°F · Jun 74°F · Jul 75°F · Aug 76°F · Sep 69°F · Oct 63°F · Nov 53°F · Dec 37°F

Stocking: 18,478,372 fish, 1971–2021

Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife records list 18,478,372 fish released into this water from 1971 to 2021. The latest stocking on record is from 2021, more than three years ago.

  • Walleye: 18,443,325 in 1971–2021
  • Muskellunge: 35,047 in 1972–2014

Season by season

  • Winter (Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, 35–39°F) — Steady but no peak: Walleye.
  • Spring (Apr, May, 45–60°F) — Biting: Walleye. Steady but no peak: Muskellunge.
  • Summer (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, 69–76°F) — Biting: Walleye, Muskellunge.
  • Fall (Oct, Nov, 53–63°F) — Biting: Walleye. Steady but no peak: Muskellunge.

What is hard here

Wind is the limit, not the fish: 14,221 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. Winter water drops to 35°F, and the warm-water species stop feeding well before you do.

Where this data comes from

  • Ohio DNR — Ohio DNR: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.