Mosquito Creek Lake, often referred to simply as “Mosquito Lake,” is one of the most popular and productive fishing lakes in northeast Ohio. The 7,240-acre impoundment was created in 1944 when the US Army Corps of Engineers dammed Mosquito Creek. Originally intended for flood control and as a water supply, the reservoir has developed into a substantial recreational fishery.
Walleye
Walleye are the most sought-after game fish in Mosquito Creek Lake according DNR angler surveys. Walleye generally stay near bottom and prefer rocky habitat. They sometimes come into shallow water to feed at dawn and dust, and are easiest to catch in springtime; during April and May many anglers wade for walleye along the lake’s east shore, casting jigs into 5 feet of water or less. Fishermen on Mosquito Creek Lake also catch walleye by casting, drifting or trolling, and the most productive baits tend to be diving crankbaits, live minnows, worm harnesses and jigs with curlytail grubs.
Northern Pike
Though not nearly as popular as walleye, pike are considerably more abundant in Mosquito Creek Lake than in most Ohio waters. Pike spawn in March in shallow weedy bays and backwaters, and the period immediately following the spawn offers the best pike action. Live minnows, spoons, jerkbaits, spinners and crankbaits around weed lines and other shallow cover can often tempt pike in springtime, but by summer they scatter throughout the lake, and it becomes a challenge to find large numbers of pike. Still, Mosquito Creek Lake has given up pike over 20 pounds and is as likely a place as any to hook up with the next state record.
Largemouth Bass
Mosquito Creek Lake contains a few smallmouth bass, but largemouths are far more common. Late spring and early summer provide some of the best bass fishing, and the key areas to target are the weeds at the mouths of coves and the rocks along the dam and causeway. The area around Mosquito Creek State Park offers good bass fishing as well. Topwaters like poppers and buzzbaits work well during low-light conditions, and bass will strike spinnerbaits, soft plastics and live bait on most days. Mosquito Creek Lake isn’t a likely spot for trophy largemouths, but there are lots of 12- to 16-inch fish.
Panfish
Bluegill and Black Crappie are the most common panfish species, though you might run into a few perch as well. Crappies spawn around shallow brush and weeds in April, and you can catch them on live minnows and small jigs. Bluegill are easy to find around weeds, brush, docks and other cover at just about any time, but June offers the best chance to catch big hand-sized ‘gills. For best results, keep it simple. Bits of nightcrawler under a bobber will usually outproduce just about anything, but if you’re looking for more of a challenge, try casting tiny jigs on ultralight tackle.