Melvin Miller Park, Urbana, Ohio's main park, in Champaign County, contains numerous baseball and soccer fields, basketball, tennis, and racquetball courts, two swimming pools, three playgrounds, and twelve acres of "frontier land," a kind of large adventure playground stocked with playground equipment. It also has a two-acre fishing pond, where locals recommend fishing from spring to fall. It is also a picturesque spot; you are likely to find yourself surrounded by geese, ducks, and other waterfowl.
Melvin Miller Park Fishing Pond
A two-acre fishing pond is located almost at the center of Melvin Miller Park, slightly to the northwest. The park can be accessed from Children's Home Road or Park Lane. The park authorities do not specify the fish varieties stocked in the pond, and a fishing license is not necessary to fish there. The park is open from 6 a.m. to midnight daily, all year round.
Mad River
Mad River is reputedly the best trout stream in Ohio. It runs straight through Champaign County and is stocked every year with brown and rainbow trout. Because of habitat conditions, brown trout last throughout the year whereas rainbow trout tend only to be available after spring and fall stockings. An Ohio state fishing license is required for this area and the state parks; it can be obtained from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Kiser Lake State Park
Kiser Lake State Park, on the NSR235 between Carysville and St. Paris, is another excellent fishing destination near Urbana, Ohio. It boasts 118 campsites (of which 10 have electricity), sailboat rental (motor boats are banned), and excellent hiking trails and picknicking spots. The lake has five fishing piers and is a good location for bluegill, largemouth bass, crappie, and saugeye.
Buck Creek State Park
Buck Creek State Park is on the SR4, southwest of Urbana. It has 26 fully appointed cottages for rent, 111 campsites (of which 89 have electricity), excellent hiking and picknicking spots, and a golf course. Motor boats are permitted, and the park offers a fishing pier. It is reputed to be a good location for bass, pan fish, and walleye.
Freshwater Farms
Freshwater Farms on U.S. Highway 68 is the largest indoor fish hatchery in Ohio. It has a farmers market that offers local goods, such as preserves and smoked and fresh fish, a sturgeon petting zoo, and an aquaculture center that offers expert advice, tools, and accessories for pond cultivation and maintenance. The hatchery breeds several fish species for pond and lake stocking, including largemouth bass, rainbow trout, bluegill, yellow perch, and catfish. Tours of the farm and hatchery are available all year round.
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