Pleasant Hill Lake

Pleasant Hill Lake is a reservoir in Richland County, Ohio. Pleasant Hill Lake covers about 790 acres, reaches a recorded 39 feet and holds about 87,700 acre-feet.

How the Size and Shape of Pleasant Hill Lake Affect Fishing

Pleasant Hill Lake has an old channel, incoming water and quiet coves, and small water-level changes can move fish from the bank to the first drop.

Fish and Baits at Pleasant Hill Lake

Fish reported from Pleasant Hill Lake include black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, gizzard shad, largemouth bass, saugeye, smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass, white crappie, and yellow perch.

Bass

For bass at Pleasant Hill, fish weeds, wood and shade with a jig, spinnerbait or Texas-rigged worm for largemouth, and drag a tube or Ned rig across rock and firm points for smallmouth.

Crappie, Perch and Sunfish

For panfish at Pleasant Hill, use a small jig or live minnow beside brush for crappie, and fish a worm, cricket or tiny jig near weeds and shade for sunfish, and keep a small jig, minnow or worm close to bottom for yellow perch.

Walleye, Saugeye and White Bass

For roaming fish at Pleasant Hill, jig a minnow or troll a crankbait along points and the old channel for walleye, and work a jig, blade bait or small crankbait close to bottom for saugeye, and follow shad with a small spoon, jig or crankbait for white bass.

Catfish, Bullheads and Carp

For bottom fishing at Pleasant Hill, put cut bait, chicken liver or a nightcrawler on bottom for channel catfish, and fish corn or dough bait on a simple bottom rig for carp.

How the Seasons Change Pleasant Hill Lake

Spring around Pleasant Hill is a good time to check warm coves and incoming water, and summer is a good time to fish shade, weeds and the first drop into deeper water. Fall around Pleasant Hill can bring fish back to windy points and banks, while winter calls for smaller baits fished slowly.

A Simple Plan for Fishing Pleasant Hill Lake

On a first trip to Pleasant Hill, check incoming water, one bend in the old channel and a point near deep water with a moving lure, then slow down with a jig or worm where you get a bite.

Useful Tackle for Pleasant Hill Lake

A medium spinning rod with 8- to 10-pound line handles most jigs, worms and small lures at Pleasant Hill, while a medium-heavy rod is better for bass jigs and heavier bottom rigs.

Pleasant Hill Lake FAQs

Where should an angler start on the 790-acre Pleasant Hill Lake?

At Pleasant Hill, pick one cove and the closest point or drop into deep water, then fish that small area well before making a long move.

Should anglers fish the 39-foot deep end of Pleasant Hill Lake?

Not every trip. A better place at Pleasant Hill is where a point, drop-off or group of baitfish gives the fish a reason to stop.

What does the 87,700 acre-foot storage figure mean at Pleasant Hill Lake?

At Pleasant Hill, it shows that a lot of the water sits away from the bank and around the old channel or deep end.