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Hoover Reservoir Fishing Report

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

Columbus’ north-side reservoir: Hoover holds saugeye, hybrid stripers and crappie in city water.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Water temp
~84 F est.
Air / High
81 / 83 F
Wind
ESE 6 mph

Sources: 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.

3/5Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Hoover Reservoir locks in another hot, bright day: the fish know the drill and so should you. Today brings a mixed sky, wind ESE around 6 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 83. Water sits around 84 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: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Hybrid striped bassGood

Schooling at first light over main-lake humps and channel edges. Slabs, tail spinners and live shad once you mark bait. It is usually over by mid-morning.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Similar at 81 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.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp81 F
High / Low83 / 71 F
WindESE 6-8 mph
Pressure1013.2 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain41% cloud, 26%
Sunrise / Sunset07:02 / 19:58
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 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 · Showers, 83/71 F, wind 10 mph, rain 26%

Fair or better. A 10 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

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

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Hybrid striped bass illustration

Hybrid striped bass

Best: Jun-Sep

Stocked white bass x striper cross. Open-water shad chasers; birds and busting bait give them away. Schooling at first light over main-lake humps and channel edges. Slabs, tail spinners and live shad once you mark bait. It is usually over by mid-morning.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

When to come: the Hoover Reservoir 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
Largemouth bass
Hybrid striped bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 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 Hoover Reservoir 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 early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Hybrid striped bass led the card at good. High of 95 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Hybrid striped bass led the card at good. High of 94 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Hybrid striped bass led the card at good. High of 87 F, wind to 13 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. Saugeye, hybrid striped bass and crappie limits per current ODNR regulations; horsepower restrictions apply.

Access

City and metropark ramps, trails and extensive shoreline access northeast of Columbus.

About this water

A 3,300-acre water-supply reservoir on Big Walnut Creek northeast of Columbus, Franklin and Delaware counties, Ohio.

Fishing Hoover Reservoir: the full guide

A water-supply lake

Hoover Reservoir covers about 3,300 acres on Big Walnut Creek northeast of Columbus, a city water-supply lake with horsepower restrictions that keep it calm. Ohio stocks it with saugeye and hybrid striped bass, and it also holds largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish and white bass in fertile water with timber and brush structure.

Saugeye and hybrids

Saugeye hold the riprap, points and channel edges, taking jerkbaits and jigs from fall through spring with the cold months best: dusk and windy evenings produce. Hybrid striped bass school over open water chasing shad, providing hard-fighting summer action on slabs and swimbaits when they push bait to the surface.

Bass and crappie

Largemouth relate to the timber, brush and shoreline cover, with spring pushing them into the coves. Crappie stack the brush and standing timber at 8-20 feet, best in spring and fall. The horsepower limit keeps the water calm and pressure moderate despite the Columbus proximity, and bank access is extensive.

Franklin County logistics

City and metropark access provides ramps, trails and extensive shoreline, with horsepower restrictions in force. Westerville and Columbus surround it. Because gas motors are limited, the lake stays quiet and is popular with kayak and small-boat anglers, who can fish comfortably even on summer weekends.

Common questions

Are gas motors allowed?

Restricted: horsepower limits keep the lake calm, which suits kayak and small-boat anglers.

When is the saugeye bite?

Fall through spring on the riprap and points, with cold windy evenings the best conditions.

Is bank fishing good?

Yes: extensive shoreline and trail access make it productive without a boat.

Is fishing good at Hoover Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Nearby waters

Alum Creek Lake7 miBuckeye Lake26 miDeer Creek Lake41 miIndian Lake59 miSalt Fork Lake77 miCaesar Creek Lake78 mi
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