Species

Hoover Reservoir targets — cats still anchor the night notebook, with bass, panfish, saugeye/walleye, and a few incidentals. Filter the grid, then open a species card for season · where · limits · gear · bait.

Channel catfish

Hoover’s workhorse night fish — reliable on cut bait and crawlers from bank or 10 hp boat.

Blue catfish

Trophy fishery — blues were first stocked around 2011 and have become a Hoover highlight.

Flathead catfish

Strong flathead presence — live or fresh bait near wood, rock, and channel structure after dark.

Largemouth bass

More abundant than smallmouth on Hoover — docks, weeds, and shoreline cover (public water).

Smallmouth bass

Present but less abundant than largemouth — rock, points, and clearer main-lake edges.

Black crappie

Solid Hoover panfish — spring banks and brush, then deeper wood/channel edges.

White crappie

Shares Hoover with black crappie — same spring bank push and deeper summer brush.

Bluegill / sunfish

Good bluegill fishing at Hoover — perfect bank sessions and bait for the cooler (where legal).

White bass

Confirmed on the ODNR Hoover page — spring run up Big Walnut Creek and summer schools chasing shad.

Hybrid striped bass (wiper)

Possible in many Ohio reservoirs and share the striped/white aggregate limit — white bass are confirmed at Hoover; treat hybrids as “possible / verify reports,” not a guarantee.

Saugeye

Stocked saugeye rebounded since ~2017 — a real Hoover target for low-light trolling and casting.

Walleye

Stocked in 2019 as part of a study vs saugeye — present via stocking; don’t assume a huge wild population.

Common carp

Incidental and intentional carp fishing on public banks — good fight, often unregulated as “other fish.”

Longnose gar

Incidental oddball — occasionally encountered; not a primary Night Bite target.

Limits on species pages are reminders only — confirm on HuntFish OH / ODNR Fishing Regulations 2026–27 (verify current).