Fishing is the primary draw to Leesville Lake. There are other things to do here but the quiet, serene surroundings are more conducive to a day on the water than anything else. Spouses who are along for the ride on the 1,011-acre lake will enjoy the wooded shoreline with a good book in hand.

The Leesville dam was constructed in 1936 by the U.S. Corps of Engineers on McGuire Creek, a tributary of Conotton Creek on the Tuscarawas River. It extends for 1,695 feet with a maximum height of 74 feet and top width of 25 feet.

Delaware Lake is one of central Ohio’s best picks for outdoor recreation and water sports. The lake is located in Delaware County just north of Columbus and covers 1,017 acres of wide-open unlimited horsepower water.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the dam in 1951. The dam impounds the Olentangy River and Whetstone Creek with a rolled earth fill structure that extends for 3 ½ miles and reaches a height of 92 feet. Lake levels can vary by as much as 20 feet.

Charles Mill Lake has a prominent place in the region as a great recreational fishing and boating lake. The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District manages the water and surrounding land for a variety of visitor uses that include fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, boating and other outdoor pursuits.

The dam was constructed in 1935 to impound 1,350 acres of water. The shoreline stretches for 25 miles. The fishing is, of course, excellent.

Clendening Lake is best known as Ohio’s largest undeveloped lake. Most Ohio lakes are well developed with cottages and tourism facilities but that’s not the case with Clendening. The shoreline trees and natural beauty extends for over 40 miles and there is little sign of civilization along any of the lake’s nearly 1,800 acres.

Clendening was originally formed when the 750-foot dam was constructed on the Brushy Fork of the Stillwater Creek about half a mile east of Tippecanoe. The resulting lake is a fisherman’s paradise.

Alum Creek Lake

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created Alum Creek Lake for flood management, with recreation planned as a part of its benefits. The practical result is a popular unlimited horsepower destination that serves the central Ohio area. In fact Alum Creek Reservoir is one of central Ohio’s most popular fishing, boating and camping destinations. The lake was created in 1974 through the construction of an earth-filled embankment 10,000 feet long and 93 feet high. The lake formed behind this berm is 3,387-acres at bank full.