Dillon Lake in Muskingum County is one of Ohio’s 113 artificial lakes. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

By Ken Drenten

Ohio doesn’t necessarily come to mind when people mention states with numerous lakes. But the Buckeye State does have 110 natural lakes larger than 5 acres in surface area, and 113 lakes that are artificial lakes, typically reservoirs from man-made dams.

Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” but actually the champion for most natural lakes in the United States is Wisconsin, with a whopping 15,074. Minnesota has a lot, too, with 11,842 natural lakes; Michigan is not far behind with 11,037. Washington has 8,000 and New York has 7,000 lakes.

Besides the area of Lake Erie within state boundaries, Ohio has many lakes that provide opportunities for boating, swimming, fishing and other aquatic recreation. Twenty-one of Ohio’s 88 counties have natural lakes.

The biggest draw to Ohio’s lakes must surely be its fish. In 2024 alone, the state stocked more than 46 million fish in Ohio’s lakes, rivers, ponds and streams.

Perhaps the most dramatic draw for fishing in Ohio’s inland lakes is the muskellunge, also known as the muskie. Long, lean and full of sharp teeth, muskies put up a mean fight and can get to impressive sizes.

Muskies are stocked in 10 reservoirs in Ohio. Muskie is native to Ohio and naturally reproduce in a limited number of streams and rivers in Ohio.

The state record muskie is 55.13 pounds and 50-1/4 inches, taken at Piedmont Lake in 1972.

Ohio’s lakes also offer excellent fishing for walleye, saugeye, yellow perch, largemouth and smallmouth bass, catfish, crappie, bluegill and sunfish.

For more information, including fishing licensing requirements, where to fish for different species, fishing reports and forecasts and Fish Ohio recognition, see the Ohio Division of Wildlife website.

Here are the 10 largest natural lakes and the 10 largest artificial lakes in Ohio.

Natural lakes

1. Aurora Pond, Portage County, 345 acres.
2. Chippewa Lake, Madison County, 324 acres.
3. Turkeyfoot Lake, Summit County, 318 acres.
4. Wingfoot Lake, Portage County, 262 acres.
5. Congress Lake, Stark County, 200 acres.
6. Springfield Lake, Summit County, 200 acres.
7. Lake Hodgson, Portage County, 190 acres.
8. Lake Pippen, Portage County, 143 acres.
9. Meyers Lake, Stark County, 134 acres.
10. Bass Lake, Geauga Lake, 128 acres.

 Artificial lakes

1. Grand Lake St. Marys, Auglaize and Mercer counties, 12,700 acres.
2. Mosquito Creek Lake, Trumbull County, 7,850 acres.
3. Indian Lake, Logan County, 5,104 acres.
4. Berlin Reservoir, Portage County, 3,590 acres.
5. Pymatuning Reservoir, Ashtabula (Ohio) and Crawford counties (Pa.), 3,580 acres.
6. Seneca Lake, Guernsey and Noble counties, 3,550 acres.
7. Alum Creek Lake, Delaware County, 3,387 acres.
8. Buckeye Lake, Fairfield, Licking and Perry counties, 3,136 acres.
9. Hoover Reservoir, Delaware and Franklin counties, 3,000 acres.
10. Salt Fork Reservoir, Guernsey County, 2,952 acres.

Ken Drenten is creator and editor of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

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