l SALT FORK WILDLIFE AREA

Division of Wildlife
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
PUBLIC HUNTING & FISHING
C-
SALT FORK WILDLIFE AREA
C-
Guernsey County
C84
51
5
84
C -8
C-58
12,000 ACRES OF PUBLIC HUNTING AREA
2,952 ACRES OF SURFACE WATER
74 MILES OF SHORELINE
71
C-5
85
T-585
1
83
P
7
T-58
53
T-8
-7
C
880
T-5
5
TT-582
N
1
T-87
LEGEND
Woodland
T-8
71
4
58
C-
T-855
Buckeye
Trail
85
"Green Tree" Marsh
NO HUNTING ZONE
State Park
Mileage Marker
P
Parking
Shooting Range
ile
s
2
RESTRICTED HUNTING AREA
Open ONLY from Oct. 1 to March 1
and during turkey season until
noon each day
9M
Trail
-2
1
Ca
diz
R-1
P
Fishing Access
C-7
68
R-54
Fishing Access
4
T-58
I-77
2 1/2 Miles
Latrine
Brushland
T-7
1
C-85
Grassland
C-
41
R-12
58
T-
1
53
T-8
Department Road
R-1
0
R-52
T-6
3
P
P
Fishing Access
6
59
69
P
T-5
R-29
55
R-
2
28
R-
22
285
5
10'
4
P
R
-5
R-2
Water
Treatment
Plant
C83
1
7
7
P
R-4
P
R-
R-3
R-
20' 10'
1
P
R-2
P
h
Be
ac
P
Marina
Launching Area
P
Lodge
20'
SKI
E
ZONE
C-57
20'
R-5
10'
20'
30'
l
10'
6
Boat Launching
Beach
20'
20'
P
VICINITY MAP
36
COSHOCTON
P
P
10'
s
23 Mile
P
20'
20'
20'
30'
285
10'
P
4
2
Beach
ll
Caldwe
3
P
10'
P
Rocky
Shoreline
P
P
Cabins
ZON
T-5
0
P
l
Buckeye Trai
1
30'
WILDLIFE
HEADQUARTERS
20'
30'
20'
P
NEWCOMERSTOWN
KIMBOLTON
76
SKI
258
77
5
10'
541
93
Salt Fork Lake
22
T-5
5
s
36
51
br
6
93
22
285
70
CAMBRIDGE
id
265
m
Ca
3
T-5
6
T-
ge
M
4
2
ile
-8
C-5
C-
1
39
T-6
R-30
T-638
T-63
8
T-74
7
10'
T-638
1
R-
R -10
Rocky
Shoreline
77
Boat
Launch
P
56
67
C-73
5
C-3
Rocky
Shoreline
5
R-
P
T5
R-14
Golf Course
P
Parks
Information
Office
T-3881
Docks and
Boat Ramps
P
R-
P
Sugartree Fork
Marina
2
1
9
Boat Launching
8
R-1
3
D65
P
20'
P
Fishing
Access
58
P
P
P
20'
R-
T67
06
2 Ramps
Launching
Area
R-23
11
P
10'
6
72
6
T-
P
R-1
R-
P
Limestone
Reef
P
R-55
51
8
1
R-5
10'
73
88
T-671
Group
Primitive
Camp
10'
10'
C-
T-3
8
70
Seneca Lake
76
T- 6 506
T-6
39
1
C-35
9
36
T-
. 22 iles
U.S
2M
31 /
C36
6
ZANESVILLE 146
77
146
22
284
146
60
0
1/4
1/2
Scale in Miles
© This map may not be reproduced for sale.
285
Wolf
Run
78
1
76
McCONNELSVILLE
78
78
CALDWELL
77
SALT FORK WILDLIFE AREA
LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION
Situated in the hills of southeastern Ohio, the Salt Fork Wildlife
Area and the Salt Fork State Park have a steep to rolling terrain
that is dissected by numerous small streams. The largest of these,
Salt Fork Creek, has been impounded to create the 2,952-acre
Salt Fork Lake. The area is administered by the Division of
Wildlife and the Division of Parks and Recreation, respectively,
of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The Division of
Wildlife is responsible for fish and wildlife management and public
hunting and fishing activities on the area. The Division of Parks
and Recreation is responsible for development and maintenance
of the general recreational facilities of the park area. The main
entrance to this 20,542-acre recreation area is seven miles east of
Cambridge on U.S. Route 22.
Lying to the east of Salt Fork Lake, the wildlife area is deeply
dissected by the stream and tributaries which flow into the lake.
Elevations vary from 1,065 to 790 feet above mean sea level.
Thirty-five percent of the wildlife area is woods, mostly on the
steeper slopes and along the streams. Oak and hickory dominate
the drier slopes; maple, beech, elm, ash, willow, and sycamore are
more common on the lower slopes and bottom lands. Cropfields,
former cropfields, and old pasture dominated by grasses and
other herbaceous plants occupy one-third of the wildlife area. A
variety of shrubs and small trees, such as dogwood and sassafras,
intermixed with grasses and other perennials, are dominant on
the remaining 28 percent of the wildlife area.
HISTORY AND PURPOSE
Salt Fork Lake occupies the fertile bottom land soils of Salt Fork
Creek Valley. During lake construction in 1967, trees and shrubs
were left standing in many of the embayments, and an artificial
reef was constructed on the north branch to provide fish cover.
Portions of the shoreline are covered with large boulders which
serve as desirable fishing areas. Salt Fork Lake provides fishing for
a variety of game and panfish. The Division of Wildlife conducts
annual test netting, seining, and physical and chemical surveys
on the lake to determine the status of fish populations. This
information is used to plan fish management programs.
Hunting for small game, waterfowl, and white-tailed deer is
available on approximately 12,000 acres, of which 8,279 acres
are managed primarily for wildlife. Wildlife management
work has included the protection and improvement of existing
woodland, selective maintenance of shrubby coverts, maintenance
of permanent grassland, and maintenance of open land.
36
COSHOCTON
NEWCOMERSTOWN
258
FISH AND WILDLIFE
KIMBOLTON
76
93
541
Salt Fork Lake
77
22
93
285
76
40
CAMBRIDGE
70
265
70
Seneca Lake
146
77
ZANESVILLE
285
76
146
284
Wolf
Run
60
78
76
CALDWELL
78
McCONNELSVILLE
78
146
77
Publication 155
(R1197)
Gray and fox squirrels, ruffed grouse, cottontail rabbit, wild
turkey, and white-tailed deer are the principal game species,
with lesser numbers of woodchuck and woodcock. Beaver can
be found on Salt Fork Creek and several of the smaller streams.
All furbearers common to the region occur on the area. Wood
ducks are common along the many small streams. Mallards, teal,
black ducks, wigeons, goldeneyes, buffleheads, Canada geese, and
other waterfowl can be found on the 80-acre seasonally flooded
marsh and Salt Fork Lake proper; these occur primarily as migrant
visitors. A rich variety of songbirds, small mammals, reptiles,
amphibians, and insects also occur on the area in association with
the diverse mixture of habitat types.
In June and July, wildlife enthusiasts can watch from State Route
22 as young ospreys feed and exercise in “hacking” (or rearing)
towers on the Salt Fork Wildlife Area. This area is one of five in
the state selected for an osprey reintroduction project which began
in 1996. Fledged ospreys are released in mid-July to the wild.
The Salt Fork Lake fisheries are managed by the Ohio Division
of Wildlife. Data are collected through the use of electrofishing
surveys, stationary nets, and angler surveys and provide valued
information for the management of largemouth bass, walleye,
sunfish, muskellunge, and channel catfish. Enforcement of and
angler compliance with the black bass minimum length limit
imposed in 1985 have aided development of an excellent fishery for
this sport fish. An annual stocking of fingerling muskellunge and
walleye, raised at Division of Wildlife fish hatcheries, maintains
these non-reproducing fish populations. Discarded Christmas
trees are submerged to attract various sport fish at numerous
sites around the lake. Angling success for sunfish, crappie, and
largemouth bass has increased at these locations.
Three to four years after their release, these birds should return
to the area to mate and build permanent nests. The “fish hawk”
once common in Ohio fell victim to deforestation, persecution,
and pesticides in the early 1900s. This project to restore Ohio’s
native wildlife is made
p o s s i bl e t h r ou g h
donations to the Do
S ome t h i n g W i ld !
income tax checkoff.
Sa lt Fork La ke
pr ov i d e s a n g l i n g
opportunities for those
who seek largemouth
bass, walleye, channel
catfish, muskellunge,
crappie, and various
species of sunf ish.
F l at he a d c at f i s h,
smallmouth bass, and
white bass are also
present, but provide
a more limited sport
fishing option.
HUNTING, TRAPPING, & FISHING
The area is popular for hunting of gray and fox squirrels, grouse,
rabbit, deer, and wild turkey. Oak-hickory stands and beech groves
scattered throughout the area provide good squirrel hunting. The
reverting old fields, with wild crabapple, hawthorn, and pine
plantings in combination with second-growth hardwoods, provide
excellent grouse and deer habitats. Waterfowl hunting is good
during the fall migration. Woodcock hunting is increasing in
popularity. Trapping of muskrat and mink is productive along
the small streams and raccoon hunting is good throughout the
area.
Bass fishing is at its peak in late April, May, and June, when the
fish move to shallower waters. In summer, bass are more likely
to be found in deeper waters near drop-offs and deep weed beds,
or in the old stream channel, old road beds, or other natural
irregularities in the bottom. June, July, and August are the peak
months for taking muskies, especially along the south shore near
the dam and the north shore between the lodge and beach.
The best fishing for walleye is along the rocky shore area, north
of the cabin area, to the southeastern shore toward the dam.
Crappie and sunfish are more readily caught during the months
of April, May, and June. Catfishing continues to provide quality
catches from May through October. Lake maps listing the fish
concentration devices and preferred angling areas for various sport
fish species may be requested from the Division of Wildlife office
in Athens (see Additional Information section).
PUBLIC USE FACILITIES
A lodge, cabins, and camping areas are provided in the state park
for overnight accommodations. Picnic facilities are also available.
On the lake, there are marinas and boat ramps. (Horsepower
is unlimited in designated speed zones.) A large beach and
bathhouse are open to the public for swimming during the
summer. Several miles of well-marked nature trails, including a
portion of the Buckeye Trail, are available to the hiker and nature
lover. Vehicles are not permitted on these trails.
WATCHABLE WILDLIFE
The Salt Fork Wildlife Area is one of 80 areas throughout the state
designated as an official Ohio Watchable Wildlife site. The wildlife
watching year begins in late February and early March when the
woodcock begins its mating rituals. Spring treks along wooded
trails and roadways provide encounters with wild turkey, whitetailed deer, foxes, skunks, and groundhogs, as well as glimpses
of songbirds,
woodpeckers,
hawk s, and an
occasional bald
eagle. Summer
evenings around
the lake reveal
pairs of Canada
geese, beavers,
mink, wea sels,
and owls. Fall
migration brings
an abundance of
waterfowl, flushes
of ruffed grouse,
s qu i r r e l s , a nd
cottontail rabbits.
W i nt e r s n o w s
provide excellent
oppor t u nit ie s
to track wily
wildlife.
The Ohio Wildlife Viewing Guide highlights 80 of the best
wildlife watching sites in the state and can be ordered from the
Ohio Division of Wildlife by sending a check or money order for
$10 (includes tax and mailing) to: Ohio Division of Wildlife,
Ohio Wildlife Viewing Guide, 1840 Belcher Drive, Columbus,
Ohio 43224-1329.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The nearest wildlife district office is located at 360 East State
Street, Athens, Ohio 45701; telephone (740)594-2211. For current
fishing conditions, contact the Salt Fork Fish Management Work
Unit at (740)489-5240. For current hunting conditions, contact
the Salt Fork Wildlife Management Work Unit at (740)4895021. Information on the state park may be obtained from the
Park Manager, Salt Fork State Park, Box 672, Cambridge, Ohio
43725; telephone (740)439-3521.
TURN IN A POACHER
Ohio’s TIP, “Turn In a Poacher,” program is helping to curtail
poaching throughout the state. TIP is designed to involve the
public in reporting wildlife violations. Citizens who observe
wildlife violations should call the TIP toll-free hotline, 1-800POACHER.