Charles Mill Lake Dam is a rolled earth fill dam with an impervious, water resistent, clay core. The dam, is 48 feet high, 1,390 feet long and 20 feet wide. This flood reduction system also includes two dikes and one levee. These structures, the dam, dikes and levee, hold the water that may build up behind them from the 215 square mile drainage area the dam serves. The dam also has two spillways to handle water above the maximum the dam is designed to hold; one is built into the gate house, the other is beyond the gate house against the right abutment. There are five gates which allow the water to pass through the dam and provide control of it. During the summer months the lake is kept at about 31 feet at the dam which provides 1,350 surface acers of water. At that level the water is backed up the Black Fork about 5.2 miles. When the dam is holding the maximum flood water it is designed to hold there would be 6,050 surface acres of water behind the dam and water would be backed up the Black Fork 19.8 miles.

Fishing
Fishing is a very popular activity at Charles Mill Lake Dam Day Use Area; both below and above the dam. Below the dam the river is easy to get to, the setting is scenic and peaceful, and the bathroom and picnic facilities are convenient. Above the dam the fishing area is just a bit farther away from the amenities. [Charles Mill Lake. www.nwk.usace.army.mil, 02/24/2008]

No Reports are available for Charles Mill Lake at this time.

Largemouth Bass
With Charles Mill Lake at 53 degree water temperature this is a great time to get out on the water and try hitting some deeper primary and secondary points. Largemouth bass will be feeding at this water temperature but will be much harder to catch. On Sunny warm afternoons its a great time to throw a crank bait, jigs or slow roll a spinnerbait at 5-10 foot on sunny points and drops off of sunny flats. Largemouth Bass will move into warm water on warm sunny days.

Smallmouth Bass
With Charles Mill Lake at 53 degree water temperature this is a great time to get out on the water and try hitting some deeper primary and secondary points. Smallmouth bass will be feeding at this water temperature but will be much harder to catch. On Sunny warm afternoons its a great time to throw a crank bait, jigs or slow roll a spinnerbait at 5-10 foot on sunny points and drops off of sunny flats. Smallmouth Bass will move into warm water on warm sunny days.

Spotted Bass
With Charles Mill Lake at 53 degree water temperature this is a great time to get out on the water and try hitting some deeper primary and secondary points. Spotted bass will be feeding at this water temperature but will be much harder to catch. On Sunny warm afternoons its a great time to throw a crank bait, jigs or slow roll a spinnerbait at 5-10 foot on sunny points and drops off of sunny flats. Spottted Bass will move into warm water on warm sunny days.

Crappie
The crappie fishing should be getting good to great now. Crappie function excellent in 53 degree water. Crappie will be nicely bunched up still and moving more aggresively than when the water temperature is in the 35 to 50 degree range. With baitfish getting more active, the crappie fishing will be good. Good luck today!

Catfish
The catfish family comprises of blue catfish, flathead catfish and channel catfish. Since catfish are warm water fish, they aren’t going to be very active in this water temperature. They will still be feeding, but catfish will only be found very deep and feeding very slowly. Your best bet is give some of the more active fish species in your lake a shot until the cats are active again.

Fishingnotes.com has developed a highly accurate and sophisticated water temperature modeling algorithm to determine the mean daily water temperature based on climatic and geophysical data for this lake. Some of the variables used to determine the mean daily water temperature include past weather trends, solar radiation, evaporation, lake size, and lake geometry.

Currently the accuracy of the estimated mean water temperature is within 4 degrees Fahrenheit of measured temperature value in approximately 90% of our lakes. However Fishingnotes.com is continuously updating our water temperature algorithms to improve the accuracy. You can help make the estimated water temperature for this lake more accurate by providing the water temperature readings when you are out on the water. To do this add a fishing report below with the actual water temperature at this lake. This will provide helpful data to correlate the water temperature algorithms with.

Temperature: 46

Barometric Pressure: 30.14 (High)
A high barometric pressure system is sitting over the lake. Fish will be heading to deeper water, or they will tuck away in cover. With the pressure high, it will be little more challenging to coax them to bite. Your best bet is to take the opportunity to go for a little larger fish. Don’t fish for quantity; it’s time to go for the trophy. Slow down your lures and presentation and get out in deeper water using your favorite plastics, worms, jigs, and finesse baits. With high barometric pressure on your lake, slow down that deep diving crank bait or grab your jerk bait and pause it a little longer.

Wind Speed: South-West at 07 Knots (8 MPH)

Lake Map
http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/Fishing/lakemaps/Charles Mill Lake Fishing Map.html  

State Department of Wildlife and Parks
http://www.ohiodnr.com/Wildlife  

State Fishing Licensee
https://www.greatlodge.com/oh/license/we...  

State Parks
http://www.ohiodnr.com/parks/  

State Fishing Records
http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/fishing/...  

State Fishing Information
http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/PDF/pub1...