Fishing
Whether you fish for catfish, bass, walleye or something else, anglers of all skill levels will find the waters in Trumbull County challenging.
Reel in the big one on a number of waterways where the catches are plentiful. Use our special Fishing & Hunting Guide to find maps and more.
The Grand River
This waterway stretches south of Ashtabula County through the northwest corner of Trumbull County before it heads into Geauga County. Spring offers good fishing for walleyes and suckers, while carp and most panfish are plentiful throughout the season.
Those who prefer to fish the many ponds located in the Grand River Wildlife Area will find species such as panfish, bass and pickerel.
Mosquito Creek
This creek runs south from Ashtabula County through northern Trumbull County into Mosquito Lake.
At the lower end of the lake, south of the dam, this waterway continues through Bazetta and Howland Townships before it runs through the city of Niles and joins with the Mahoning River in Weathersfield Township.
Largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, bluegills, bullheads, crappies, channel fish and white bass can be found in the creek.
Mosquito Lake
Fishing this 7,850-acre lake is popular year-round.
With more than 40 miles of shoreline and five launch areas, fishermen can cast a line for plentiful catches of walleye, bass, northern pike, crappies and catfish.
During the cold winter months, ice fishermen dot the frozen lake while ice skaters glide along the smooth surface.
The lake, which is the second largest inland lake in Ohio, offers unlimited horsepower for boating but does have some limited speed zones, including a 15-mile-per-hour speed limit for the lake area north of the St. Rte. 88 causeway. Additional speed and no-wake zones are prominently noted by navigational markers and signs.
Trot or float lines may be used between the causeway and the refuge area at the northern end of the lake.
For more information on Mosquito Lake, click here!
Pymatuning Creek
This waterway begins south of Kinsman and runs southeast through the Shenango Wildlife Area into Orangeville before it crosses into Pennsylvania.
It is populated by largemouth bass, white crappies, sunfish, bullheads, carp and suckers. Spring is the best time to fish here, with both live and artificial baits working effectively. The best bass fishing has been by canoe and casting lures.
Boating
Mosquito Lake, one of the most popular lakes for boating and the second-largest inland lake in Ohio can be found here in Trumbull County. This 7,850-acre reservoir is nearly 11 miles long and more than a mile wide, with an average depth of 11 feet and a maximum depth of nearly 44 feet.
Sailboats, runabouts, bow riders, cruisers, pontoons, bass and other fishing boats are common here throughout the spring, summer and fall. The lake offers unlimited horsepower but does have some limited speed zones, including a 15 MPH speed limit for the lake area north of the St. Rte. 88 causeway. Additional speed and no-wake zones are prominently noted by navigational markers and signs.
Boaters will find 10 boat launching facilities around the lake, seven of which are operated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers.
For more information on Mosquito Lake, click here!
Canoeing and Kayaking
If you crave the slower pace of paddling and prefer to look at nature up close and personal, Trumbull County offers a number of waterways where canoeists and kayakers will find miles of scenic areas that abound with wildlife.
At Foster Metro Park in Newton Township, paddlers can launch into the Mahoning River Water Trail and continue downstream for 14 miles to Canoe City Metro Park in Leavittsburg. However, portage at the Newton Falls Dam is required.
Paddlers can access Mosquito Creek at the lower end of Mosquito Lake south of the dam and follow this waterway through Bazetta and Howland townships before it runs through Niles and joins the Mahoning River in Weathersfield Township.
Canoeists and kayakers who paddle Pymatuning Creek can begin south of Kinsman and follow the creek as it runs southeast through the Shenango Wildlife Area into Orangeville before it crosses into Pennsylvania.
Hunting
Whether you prefer deer, turkey, duck, geese or something else, hunters of all skill levels will find the wildlife areas in Trumbull County challenging and plentiful year-round. Use our special Fishing & Hunting Guide to find maps and more.
Grand River Wildlife Area
Located northeast of West Farmington, this outdoor-enthusiast paradise is comprised of 7,231 acres and includes the Grand River, five tributary streams, 12 ponds, 15 man-made marshes and numerous beaver impoundments.
As part of the largest semi-wilderness area remaining in heavily populated Northeast Ohio, many consider this forested land to be the only public hunting area in the vicinity where even the most experienced outdoorsmen should take precautions against getting lost.
Whitetail deer, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse and waterfowl are the principal game species found here. Cottontail rabbits, fox squirrels, ring-necked pheasants and raccoons are plentiful, and woodcock and snipe frequent the area.
Wildlife enthusiasts can take advantage of a 3/4-mile observation trail that includes a boardwalk that crosses a beaver impoundment where beavers, river otters and a great variety of songbirds can be observed.
Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area
This 9,021-acre waterfowl-management area is located west of the Mosquito Creek Reservoir and includes lands that are flat and poorly drained as well as 830 acres of marsh and two ponds.
It provides a regional nesting place for Canada geese, a resting area for migratory waterfowl, quality public hunting opportunities and a place for wildlife enthusiasts to observe a large number of waterfowl and birds associated with wetlands.
Controlled waterfowl and deer hunting are offered by permit. Canada geese have at times numbered 13,000. Small flocks of migrant blue and snow geese often stop over in the fall. Wood ducks and mallards are the most common, followed by teal, scaup and black ducks. The area is also home to one of Ohio’s rarer species of reptiles: the eastern massasauga rattlesnake.
Mosquito Lake State Park
This nearly 4,000-acre park, which is one of the most visited state parks in Ohio with over 2 million visitors annually, offers year-round recreational activities.
The park has 234 campsites, including 218 with electrical hook-ups, that are situated among tall trees in a mature forest or along the shoreline access with panoramic views.
Hunting is permitted within designated times and areas of the park and in the nearby Grand River Wildlife Area. Controlled hunts by draw are conducted in the Mosquito Wildlife Refuge at the north end of the lake in North Bloomfield.
Shenango Wildlife Area
This nearly 5,000-acre wildlife area stretches northwest along Pymatuning Creek from Orangeville to Kinsman and crosses through four townships.
Much of Shenango’s habitat is beaver swamp that is interspersed with upland fields and woodlands. Waterfowl, furbearers and songbirds are abundant. In the spring, this is an excellent place to watch woodcock mating flights at dawn and dusk.
One of the finer waterfowl marshes is located north of St. Rte. 87 along Pymatuning Creek. From October to December and again in the spring, large numbers of migrant waterfowl can be found here.
Raccoon, muskrat and beaver are abundant. Other inhabitants include the fox squirrel, ruffed grouse, turkey, white-tailed deer, woodcock and pheasant. The cottontail rabbit is the most predominant upland game species in the area.