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Berlin Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Northeast Ohio’s walleye grind: Berlin gives up limits to anglers who learn its flats, and muskie to those who wait.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
176 cfs
Air / High
80 / 81 F
Wind
W 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 03090500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Berlin Lake sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 176 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings cloud cover, wind W around 5 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 81. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeExcellent

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Northern pikeExcellent

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

White bassGood

The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

CrappieFair

Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

Tomorrow: Similar at 78 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Mahoning River below Berlin Dam.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 03090500.

212280347176 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp80 F
High / Low81 / 67 F
WindW 5-14 mph
Pressure1013.0 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 56%
Sunrise / Sunset06:53 / 19:51
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Rain, 81/67 F, wind 8 mph, rain 56%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

The species that matter on Berlin Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

When to come: the Berlin Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
White bass
Northern pike
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Berlin Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 91 F, wind to 16 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 92 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 88 F, wind to 12 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Ohio requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Ohio license. Walleye 15-inch minimum and daily limits per current ODNR regulations; muskie 30-inch minimum statewide: verify before keeping fish.

Access

Bonner Road, Mill Creek and German Church ramps; Corps shoreline access and campgrounds.

About this water

A 3,590-acre Corps flood-control reservoir on the Mahoning River, Portage, Stark and Mahoning counties, Ohio.

Fishing Berlin Lake: the full guide

A Mahoning flood lake

Berlin Lake floods 3,600 acres of the Mahoning River valley between Alliance and Youngstown, a Corps flood-control reservoir with fluctuating levels and a fishery built on walleye. Ohio stocks them heavily and they thrive on the shad base, joined by crappie in the brush and bridge structure, largemouth along the shoreline cover, white bass schooling in summer and a muskie population that produces genuine trophies.

Walleye through the year

Spring walleye stage near the river inflows and rocky shorelines: jig-and-minnow at dusk. Summer moves them to the main-lake flats and humps at 12-20 feet where drifting crawler harnesses and trolling crankbaits along the contours produces steadily. Fall brings a strong jigging bite as fish follow shad, and winter ice fishing (when conditions allow) targets the same flats. The lake fishes best on overcast, breezy days.

Crappie, muskie and bass

Crappie hold the standing timber, the Bonner Road area brush and bridge pilings: minnows and jigs at 8-15 feet through most seasons. Muskie stocking has made Berlin a legitimate destination for northeast Ohio musky anglers: bucktails and rubber along the weed edges and points, best in fall. Largemouth work the shoreline wood and remaining vegetation, with the upper lake arms holding the best cover.

Corps-lake logistics

Ramps at Bonner Road, Mill Creek and the German Church Road area serve the lake, with campgrounds and shoreline access managed by the Corps. Water levels drop substantially for winter pool, changing ramp usability and structure: check current elevation before towing. The lake sits within an hour of Akron, Canton and Youngstown, so weekends see steady but manageable traffic.

Common questions

Is Berlin a good walleye lake?

One of northeast Ohio’s best: consistent stocking plus a strong shad base means limits are realistic for anglers who work the flats.

When do muskie bite?

October and November are prime, with a secondary spring window: work the weed edges and points with big baits.

Does the water level matter?

Significantly: winter drawdown exposes structure worth scouting, and summer pool covers the shoreline cover bass use.

Is fishing good at Berlin Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Mosquito Lake23 miLake Arthur47 miPymatuning Reservoir48 miGrand River49 miChagrin River50 miRocky River54 mi
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