As the calendar has flipped to October and the fall season begins to settle in, fall fishing season in Ohio is also getting under way. The state offers some of the best, and perhaps most overlooked, fall fishing opportunities in the country, with Knox County being no exception.
Throughout the state, there are plenty of under-fished opportunities to make a catch. Because most fish are born during the spring spawning season, fall fishing offers the opportunity to pursue older, larger fish than those that are available during the rest of the year. There is a variety of fish that are prominent throughout the state, ranging from rainbow trout to panfish such as perch and crappie to game species like the walleye and muskie. These fish species can be found throughout the state and make Ohio fall fishing such a vibrant part of the season.
Knox County offers some of the premier fall fishing the state has to offer, particularly at Hope Fishing Access. This portion of the Kokosing State Scenic River is known to house over 50 fish species, including various chubs, redhorse and sunfish species. This fishing site is part of the Knox County Park District and is open to the public for all of their fall fishing needs.
To meet residents' material fishing needs, there are four bait shops located within the county to get hooks, lines, bait, rods and other necessary equipment for a successful fall fishing expedition. While the Hope Fishing Access may be one of the county’s most prominent fall fishing locations, there are numerous other spots dotted throughout the county.
In a recent ranking of the best states for fishing, Lawn Love placed Ohio 16th out of 50. These rankings were based on four main factors: community, access, cost and supplies. The rank scores in each of these categories were based entirely off of quantitative factors, such as the number of fishing licenses issued per capita and the percentage of the state covered by water. Since all qualitative data was ignored in these rankings, it can be argued that, particularly for fall fishing, that Ohio deserves an even higher ranking.
Knox County residents can take part in the fall fishing season by purchasing an Ohio fishing license for $19 a year. Between the Hope Fishing Access and all of the other prime fall fishing spots, there are an abundance of large under-fished species just waiting to be reeled in by a lucky fall fisherman over the coming months.
