DeWine spotlights Lake Hope State Park on Inland Fish Ohio Day

Governor Mike DeWine's appearance at Lake Hope State Park put Vinton County in a statewide fishing spotlight, but the day read more like a showcase of an existing public asset than a rollout of new county-specific commitments. Ohio Department of Natural Resources officials used the park to promote Inland Fish Ohio Day, with Mary Mertz and Kendra Wecker highlighting how Lake Hope fits into the state’s broader outdoor economy.

Lake Hope’s appeal is practical as much as scenic. The lake covers 120 acres and is open to canoes, kayaks, rowboats and electric-motor boats, with a boat launch off State Route 278 and 5.7 miles of shoreline. Anglers there can target largemouth bass, catfish, crappie and bluegill, and some fish from the lake can qualify for Fish Ohio recognition. For families, casual anglers and visitors looking for an easy entry point to public waters, that mix of access and species is what makes Lake Hope stand out in southeastern Ohio.

The statewide numbers behind the event were substantial. ODNR said it stocked 36 million fish in public waters in 2025, Ohio had 827,000 licensed anglers, and fishing generated $5.5 billion in economic spending in 2022. About 18% of Ohio adults, or roughly 1.7 million people, fished in 2022. ODNR also says hunters, anglers, target shooters and wildlife watchers generated $12.5 billion in overall economic activity that year, filled 80,000 jobs and contributed $1 billion in local and state taxes.

Lake Hope State Park itself carries more than a fishing story. The park offers hiking, fishing and paddling, along with a family campground, a day lodge and year-round cabins. ODNR describes the area as heavily forested, with steep gorges, narrow ridges and reminders of abandoned mining and iron-producing industries that shaped this part of Vinton County long before it became a recreation destination.

That history is visible at Hope Furnace, built in 1853 and 1854 and operated until 1874. ODNR says the furnace supported a community of 300 to 400 people and remains a marker of the county’s iron-making era in the Hanging Rock Iron Region. Lake Hope sits in that larger landscape, within the Zaleski State Forest area and the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s District 4.

For Vinton County, the practical significance of DeWine’s visit is clear: Lake Hope was presented not just as a scenic stop, but as part of a system that depends on stocked waters, maintained public access and steady tourism traffic. The park’s value to the county is measured in visitors, fishing pressure and the small businesses that benefit when public land works as intended.