Buckeye Lake

Ohio’s namesake lake, Buckeye, is the state’s 9^th largest inland lake at 3,100 acres, and includes portions of Fairfield, Licking and Perry counties in east-central Ohio. Home to Buckeye Lake State Park, the formerly named Licking Summit Reservoir has long been a popular destination for boaters, anglers and tourists. Map

The lake was created in the 1820s to serve as a water supply system for the Ohio-Erie canal. Following the advent of railroads, and demise of the canal systems in the U.S., the lake became a destination area for water-based recreation and designated as a public park with its name change to Buckeye Lake in 1894.

This shallow lake has an average depth of 4 ½ feet and contains a series of backwater channels and 32 miles of shoreline. Today, fishing enthusiasts pursue crappie, bluegill, bass and catfish. Buckeye Lake also is home to one of the state’s largest blue heron rookeries. It’s most unique natural feature is the Cranberry Bog, literally a floating island on the lake, which is a designated state nature preserve and a National Natural landmark.

There are four recently improved public boat launch ramps at Buckeye Lake, including a new facility recently constructed at Lieb’s Island on the west end of the lake. Other ramps are located at North Shore, Fairfield Beach and Brooks Park. The state park also offers seasonal dockage through an annual lottery drawing. Several private marinas offer seasonal dockage as well.

Lake regulations permit boats of unlimited horsepower, though a 10 mile per hour speed limit is effective lakewide between sunset and sunrise.

With its location a short distance from Ohio’s capital city near the National Road (U.S. Route 40), Buckeye Lake first became one of Ohio’s most popular boating and fishing lakes in the 1930s and 1940s. The State of Ohio has stocked Buckeye Lake with fish for more than 100 years and the lake continues to attract growing numbers of boaters and anglers.

Buckeye Lake is 30 miles east of Columbus, 120 miles northwest of Cincinnati and 120 miles south of Cleveland.