Caesar Creek Lake, OH

Caesar Creek Lake is situated four miles east of Waynesville and two miles west of I-71 along S.R. 73. The lake is about 30 miles northeast of Cincinnati and 15 miles southeast of Dayton.Caesar Creek is a multi-purpose reservoir serving the functions of flood control, water quality, and recreation, including fish and wildlife. The lake was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and leased to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. At normal summer pool, the lake covers 2,607 acres, fed by a drainage area of 237 square miles, and has 40 miles of shoreline. The dam site is located three miles above the mouth of Caesar Creek, a tributary of the Little Miami River. It is also the deepest lake in Ohio, with a normal water depth of 115 feet near the dam. Steep shorelines falling off rapidly into deep water are characteristic of the lake, especially in the lower end below S.R. 73. Numerous bays and inlets are present around the lake, ranging in size from less than one acre to more than 70 acres. Most of the bays contain standing timber and brush, which provide excellent fish habitat. Stump zones and some areas of standing timber have been provided along areas of the shoreline and in the lake. There are three islands, the largest of which is 40 acres.The lake has populations of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, Kentucky Spotted bass, bluegill, white and black crappie, white bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish and carp. Fish stocked annually include saugeye and muskellunge. Gizzard shad is the main forage species. In the lower end, the most promising fishing areas are in the bays and around cover near the shoreline. In the upper end of the lake, flooded timber, rocky shorelines, and dropoffs associated with long points or underwater humps are good areas. Crappies are found throughout the lake and can be taken in the spring in areas with brush or timber by using small jigs or still fishing with small minnows or wax worms. Bluegills are taken on redworms and waxworms in summer around cover (stumps, brush, and trees), sometimes as deep as 12-18 feet. Bass can be taken from spring through fall by casting artificial lures and live nightcrawlers near shoreline cover, dropoffs, and bays with flooded timber. In spring, white bass can be caught on small jigs or spinners in the two main tributary streams in the upper end of the lake. In the summer, saugeye can be caught by trolling deep diving crankbaits or by bouncing a night crawler spinner harness along the bottom. Muskie anglers cast large spinners near submerged timber or troll oversized crankbaits along main lake dropoffs.The four public launch ramps are located at Wellman Meadows (near the dam), off S.R. 73 on the west side (Furnas Shores and North Pool), and off Young Rd. (Haines Boat Ramp) at the upper end. Caesar Creek State Park offers a Class A campground, group camping, horseman's camping, swimming beaches, picnic areas, shelter houses, horse riding trails, hiking trails and a nature center. The historic Pioneer Village is located on the south side of the lake off Oregonia Road. The area below the dam is a scenic gorge, owned by the state of Ohio. In the dam area, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers offers a Visitor Center and fishing access to the dam and tailwater area.