Recreational Opportunities
Boats are allowed on the reservoir, with no horsepower restriction. The boat ramp and main parking area is on the south side of the reservoir off State Route 98. Additional parking is located on the west side of the reservoir off Beachgrove Road, and the east side of the reservoir off Kiess Road. The boat ramp and parking areas are operated by the city of Bucyrus.
Check for water quality advisories: http://publicapps.odh.ohio.gov/beachguardpublic/
Location
Outhwaite Reservoir is situated in central Crawford County, 2 miles northeast of Bucyrus on State Route 98.
History
Outhwaite is an upground reservoir; water is obtained by pumping from the Sandusky River, which is south of the reservoir. The reservoir was completed and filled in 1983, designed to provide water to the city of Bucyrus, low-flow stream augmentation to the Sandusky River, and water for agricultural use and recreation.
Outhwaite has a surface area of 148 acres at maximum water level and a storage capacity of approximately 1.2 billion gallons. Outhwaite was built with structural modifications to increase the production and harvest of fish, including spawning shelves and rock reefs. The bottom is relatively flat. Its maximum depth of 43 feet is located in the southwestern portion of the lake, and it has an average depth of approximately 23 feet.
