Oberlin Reservoir

Oberlin Reservoir (Huron & Lorain Loop)

From late fall until the reservoir freezes, huge numbers of waterfowl often congregate. Their ranks can include nearly every species of regularly occurring diver, as well as many species of dabbling ducks. Hundreds of Ruddy Ducks and American Coots often gather.

Key Species by Season

Spring

• Gadwall
• Ruddy Duck
• American Coot

Summer

• Purple Martin
• Tree Swallow
• Osprey

Fall

• Redhead
• Lesser Scaup
• Black Scoter

Winter

• White-Winged Scoter
• Long-Tailed Duck
• Lesser Black-Backed Gull

At-a-Glance

38 - Oberlin Reservoir
43885 Parsons Road
Oberlin, OH 44074

440.775.7291

Public Access
Open daily, dawn until dusk

Amenities
Hiking Trails, Restrooms, Picnic Area

Driving Directions
From State Route 20, take the State Route 511 exit toward Oberlin. Turn left onto Elyria-Oberlin Road, then turn left onto Parsons Road.

What to Look For

Oberlin Reservoir is easily viewed from the top of the stairs that lead to the summit of the containment dike of this upground reservoir. From late fall until the reservoir freezes, huge numbers of waterfowl often congregate. Their ranks can include nearly every species of regularly occurring diver, as well as many species of dabbling ducks. Hundreds of Ruddy Ducks and American Coots often gather. Large numbers of Herring and Ring-billed gulls use the reservoir as a roosting site, and rarer species are sometimes found amongst them.

Noteworthy Rarities

Any of the three scoter species can occur, as well as Long-tailed Duck. Occasionally nasty early winter weather on Lake Erie pushes large numbers of gulls south of the lake, and huge numbers sometimes gather at this reservoir including species rarely seen away from Lake Erie in Ohio. There are records of Thayer’s, Iceland, Lesser Black-backed, Glaucous, and Great Black-backed gulls.

Natural Features

There is an interesting back road route from Oberlin Reservoir to Findley State Park that can produce interesting birding. See the Findley State Park section for additional information.

Local Resources

Lorain County Visitors Bureau 
Ohio Ornithological Society 

About the Huron & Lorain Loop

Scores of serious birders flock to the sites on this loop. Some of Ohio's legendary "lake-watching" sites are here, such as the Huron Harbor West Pier and Sherod Park. Chances of finding a fall jaeger at these spots are about as good as anywhere in the state.

The section of Lake Erie between the cities of Huron and Lorain encompasses the “bottom of the bowl;” the southernmost curve of the lake. The fourteen sites in this region offer some of the finest birding in Ohio. The varied habitats include a power plant’s warm water outlet, sandy beaches, expansive woodlands, marshes, and reservoirs. The total species list for this loop is 325.

What to Look For

Some of Ohio's legendary "lake-watching" sites are on this loop, such as the Huron Harbor West Pier and Sherod Park. Chances of finding a fall jaeger at these spots are about as good as anywhere in the state. Lorain Harbor and vicinity has produced scores of rare birds, and is always interesting in peak migratory periods. If you can endure the cold, the open waters behind the power plant, adjacent to Miller Road Park, harbor outstanding duck and gull concentrations in the dead of winter.

Slightly inland are Oberlin and Wellington reservoirs; magnets for ducks. Nearly all of the common species can be found on their waters, and rarer birds such as scoters and Long-tailed Duck are regularly found. Findley State Park and Vermilion River Reservation are two sites that offer excellent woodland birding, and massive restored wetlands at Sandy Ridge Reservation have become famous for wetlands species such as bitterns, rails, and Sandhill Crane.

Noteworthy Rarities

There is a reason that scores of serious birders flock to the sites on this loop. This part of Lake Erie regularly produces vagrants and exciting rarities. Six species—Tufted Duck, Pacific Loon, Spotted Redshank, Heermann's Gull, Royal Tern, and Green-tailed Towhee—have only been at sites on the Huron and Lorain Loop. The records of the duck, redshank, gull, and tern are the only Ohio records.

Natural Features

Many of these sites on the Huron and Lorain loop are not "natural"; they are highly altered habitats that nonetheless offer great vistas of Lake Erie and in season can produce an abundance of birds. Old Woman Creek and Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve contain outstanding examples of undisturbed wetlands and beach. A number of rare animals and plants occur at these sites. Vermilion River Reservation flanks the visually stunning Vermilion River and offers a taste of big woods and forest diversity.