Pleasant Hill Lake: Plan C

23 November 2014

Lake #8    Pleasant Hill Lake/Reservoir, Richland and Ashland Counties

I started the day planning to kayak the North Branch Kokosing Lake in Knox County but when I arrived there I found a little problem. There were two fishermen packing up to leave when I arrived. One of them commented that he hoped I wasn’t planning to kayak the lake. I was like, “yeah, I am.” He just kind of chuckled. The lake looked fine from the parking lot. Well, looks can be deceiving. When I got next to the lake I discovered that it had about an inch of ice covering the entire surface.  Kokosing is a small lake, only 160 acres, so it wasn’t too surprising that it was iced over.

"Houston, we have a problem." Iced Over Kokosing Lake

I moved on to Plan B, kayak the larger 474-acre Knox Lake.  I figured it was double the size so no problem. Wrong. Knox Lake was frozen over as well.

Iced Over Knox Lake

Then, I moved on to my Plan C--to kayak the much larger 850-acre Pleasant Hill Lake.  The third time was the charm.  Pleasant Hill Lake had a little ice along the shoreline but nothing to get in the way of paddling.  “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” This lake's baby duck "Pearl" decided to go check out some of the ice during her photo shoot.  

 

Ice No Problem at Pleasant Hill Lake

Baby Duck Pearl 

Pleasant Hill Lake is also called Pleasant Hill Reservoir; the western section of the lake is located in Richland County and the eastern, deeper section is located in Ashland County. The lake is approximately two miles southwest of Perrysville.  The boat ramp is on Covert Road off State Route 95. The boat ramp, marina, swimming beach, and campground are all located on the northern shore of the lake.  There is no restroom at the boat launch.  The day I was there, access to the marina and beach was blocked off (so no access to any restrooms).  There were several empty boat trailers in the parking lot but I did not see any boaters while I was on the water kayaking. Things that make you go, "hmm." The lake is unlimited horsepower so there are many water skiers, people tubing, and jet skiers in the summer.  It was only around the freezing mark when I was there so no horrible jet skis; I hate the noise and the smell of jet skis, they can really ruin a good paddle.

Boat Ramp Pleasant Hill Lake

Lots of Trailers in the Parking Lot

Closed Swimming Beach at Pleasant Hill Lake

The Mohican State Park is located on the southern shore of the lake.  It has a lodge and gazebo overlooking the lake, tennis and basketball courts, an outdoor swimming pool, camping, and many hiking trails.  The south shoreline is much prettier than the north; the south shore has many interesting rock outcroppings and is heavily wooded.

Mohican State Park Lodge Overlooking Pleasant Hill Lake

Southern Shore of Pleasant Hill Lake

Pleasant Hill South Side

 

Blogger Checking Out the Ice on the South Shore

The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District owns Pleasant Hill Lake and operates all the recreational facilities located on the north side.  The lake was constructed in the late 1930s by damming the Clear Fork Branch of the Mohican River.  The Pleasant Hill Reservoir was originally built for flood control but has become a center for recreation.  The earthen dam is located at the eastern end of the lake on Goon Road that is about 1.2 miles from McCurdy Road.  When the United States Corps of Engineers built the dam, the town of Newville was ordered abandoned.  Parts of buildings from the town are still standing in the forest west of the lake.

North Shore Near Camping Area

Pleasant Hill Lake

Winter is a great time for viewing osprey since the absence of leaves makes them easier to spot. Pleasant Hill Lake makes it even easier for osprey spotting with a nesting platform on a high pole in the water (it is located near where the lake makes its sharp bend to the south). I saw three osprey while I was kayaking; unfortunately, my camera phone wasn’t able to zoom in enough to get good photos. According to the Ohio Division of Wildlife the osprey populations continue to increase in Ohio. Ohio's osprey reintroduction program was started in 1996, since then the osprey's breeding range has grown to include nests in 30 Ohio counties, producing an average of 1.8 chicks per nest. 

Osprey Nesting Platform at Pleasant Hill Lake

Photos Like This Make Me Think About Getting a "Real" Camera

I enjoyed my time out on the water at Pleasant Hill Lake and found myself delaying heading back to shore.  I was extra thankful to be kayaking as my attempts at the previous two lakes had failed. As it was late November, I didn’t have to dodge water skiers or other boaters speeding by.  In season, I would recommend kayakers focus their time on the western third of the lake as it is managed as a no-wake zone.  The Clear Fork River empties into the western end of the lake and the lake is shallower and warmer there. 

Heading Back to the Boat Launch 

Pearl and Blogger, Kayaking Day Comes to the End