Field NotesOhio

Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area

North Bloomfield · Trumbull County · Northeast Ohio

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

9,021acres

—trail miles

1956established

Directions →Official source →

The story of this land

Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area exists because of a dam and a goose. When Mosquito Creek was dammed to make a reservoir, the Ohio Division of Wildlife saw a chance to build a Canada goose flock for the region. A goose refuge was set up at the north end of the reservoir in 1956 and grew in 1962 to take in all the federal land west of Trumbull County Road 203. As the state bought more land, it was folded in. The first captive geese hatched successfully in 1958. Every gosling produced since 1961 has been released as a free flyer, and the captive flock became a growing resident flock.

The land itself is flat, wet and poorly drained, with less than 40 feet of relief. Nearly half is second-growth hardwood, mostly pin oak and silver maple with swamp white oak, sycamore, ash, aspen and beech. The rest is cereal grain and meadow for nesting and migrant waterfowl, plus 830 acres of marsh and two ponds. Wood duck and goose nesting structures dot the wetlands.

Nearly 1,000 Canada geese live here year-round, and fall peaks have topped 13,000. Blue and snow geese stop in small flocks, and wood ducks and mallards are the most common ducks, followed by teal, scaup and black ducks. Nearly 300 tundra (whistling) swans spend about six weeks here each spring. The area is also home to the eastern massasauga, one of Ohio's rarest reptiles. Controlled waterfowl hunting began in 1969, and a 496-acre tract along State Route 45 was added in 2001 for public hunting.

Things to do in the park

Watch waterfowl from Hoagland-Blackstub Road and the east end of Mahan-Denman Road (best in spring and fall)
Drive the roads in winter looking for rough-legged hawks and other raptors
Hunt deer or, with a permit, waterfowl
Fish the reservoir south of the refuge buoy line
Spot bald eagles in summer and a heron rookery

Trails

Maps, reviews and recent trail reports for Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area.

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

Mosquito Lake State Park, on the same reservoir, with camping, cabins and a beach
Warren and Youngstown, about 15 miles away
Grand River and other northeast Ohio wildlife areas
Geauga and Ashtabula County Amish country and covered bridges, about 30 miles north

Visiting information you can trust

Check before driving — this site is seasonal, approximate, privately run, or otherwise uncertain. Confirm hours and access with the official source above.

Content last reviewed: September 2026 — this is when Field Notes Ohio's content was last checked, not a live status.
Primary official source: ODNR park finder (search this park)
Location confidence: Approximate — boundary or exact point not confirmed
Mosquito Creek State Wildlife Area, Bristolville (representative point)
Check current conditions: Official conditions or closures
Hunting or permits: Controlled waterfowl and deer hunting is offered by permit. The refuge portion of the area is closed to the public except on special tours or by permit. A 1,500-acre tract in the northeast corner is open to public hunting and wildlife observation for all species except waterfowl, and a 496-acre tract along State Route 45 (bought in 2001) is also open to public hunting. Rules and permit deadlines are set by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, so check current regulations first.

Prices, hours, closures, campsite availability and trail conditions shown elsewhere on this page are not live — always confirm with the official source before you go.

Hiking trails

No formal hiking trail system. Most visitors drive the roads and use pull-offs to watch birds, and hunters walk the open tracts.

Wildlife you might see

Nearly 1,000 resident Canada geese, with fall peaks around 13,000
Wood ducks, mallards, teal, scaup and black ducks, with peak duck counts around 10,000
Nearly 300 tundra swans for about six weeks each spring, and small flocks of blue and snow geese in fall
Bald eagles nest here, and a great blue heron rookery is active in summer
Rare visitors recorded include golden eagles, white pelicans, glossy ibis, king rail and goshawk
Eastern massasauga rattlesnake, one of Ohio's rarest reptiles
Rough-legged hawks and snow buntings in winter

Birding

The Ohio Ornithological Society flags Mosquito Creek for nesting Bald Eagles and a Great Blue Heron rookery, wintering rough-legged hawks and snow buntings, and big fall flights of snow geese, tundra swans and ducks over the lake and marsh — best watched from Hoagland-Blackstub and Gardner-Barclay Roads.

Bald Eagle
Great Blue Heron
Rough-legged Hawk (winter)
Snow Bunting (winter)
Snow Goose (migration)
Tundra Swan (migration)
Wood Duck
Northern Harrier
Eastern Bluebird
Orchard Oriole
Canada Goose
Red-winged Blackbird

March–April and October–November for migrating waterfowl and raptors; June–July for nesting grassland and marsh birds. For a full, current checklist, search this park's name on eBird's Hotspot Explorer.

Fishing

Mosquito Creek Reservoir (south of the refuge buoy line): walleye, bass and crappie are the main draws, with bluegill, bullhead, channel catfish and white bass. The old roadbeds left when the reservoir flooded make good walleye and bass structure in 4 to 15 feet of water. Ohio fishing license required for ages 16 and up.

Hunting

Controlled waterfowl and deer hunting is offered by permit. The refuge portion of the area is closed to the public except on special tours or by permit. A 1,500-acre tract in the northeast corner is open to public hunting and wildlife observation for all species except waterfowl, and a 496-acre tract along State Route 45 (bought in 2001) is also open to public hunting. Rules and permit deadlines are set by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, so check current regulations first.

Getting on the water

The reservoir south of the refuge buoy line is open to fishing and boating. The wildlife area itself is mostly marsh, ponds and wet woods, so this is watching-and-hunting country more than paddling.

Launches & facilities

Mosquito Creek Reservoir

Open to fishing south of the refuge buoy line. The state park side has ramps and marinas.

Refuge waters

North of the buoy line is closed to protect nesting and migrating waterfowl.

Good to know

Waterfowl are easiest to watch in spring and fall from Hoagland-Blackstub Road.
For walleye, work the old roadbeds in 4 to 15 feet of water.

The Goose That Built a Refuge

It started with a dam and a flock of geese. When Mosquito Creek was dammed to make a reservoir, Ohio's Division of Wildlife saw a chance to build a Canada goose flock for the region. It set up a refuge at the north end of the reservoir in 1956 and enlarged it in 1962. The first captive geese hatched successfully in 1958. Every gosling produced since 1961 has been let go as a free flyer, and the captive flock grew into a wild one.

Now nearly 1,000 Canada geese live here year-round, and fall counts have topped 13,000. Blue and snow geese stop in small flocks. Nearly 300 tundra swans, once called whistling swans, spend about six weeks here each spring. A few of the rarest reptiles in Ohio, eastern massasauga rattlesnakes, live in the wetlands.

Behind the legend

These numbers come from ODNR's history of the area, and they are counts, not legends. The story is the way one project's problem became another's success. The refuge was made to give geese a place, and it worked well enough that controlled waterfowl hunting began in 1969. In 2001 the state added a 496-acre tract along State Route 45 for public hunting.

Birdwatchers have logged 237 species here. Rare visitors include golden eagles, white pelicans, glossy ibis, king rail and goshawk, and in summer bald eagles nest and a great blue heron rookery is active. Most of the refuge is closed to the public to protect it, which is part of why it works.

If you go

Come in spring for the swans or in fall for the geese, and watch from Hoagland-Blackstub Road or the east end of Mahan-Denman Road. Stay on the open roads.

There is no camping on the wildlife area. For camping nearby, use Mosquito Lake State Park, which is on the same reservoir and is listed separately. Most of the refuge is closed to the public, so stay on the open roads and tracts.

Where to camp nearby

Mosquito Lake State Park Campground

State campground on the same reservoir, just minutes away

Directions

Restaurants nearby

Hillbilly Hill

Smash burgers and local-farm beef; weekend breakfast

Directions

Bristolwood Golf Course & Restaurant

Big portions and a sim room for winter golf

Directions

Monty's By The Lake

Burgers and fish sandwiches; open Friday and Saturday only

Directions

Gas stations nearby

Edna's Market

Hot deli, fried chicken and jojos; closest to the wildlife area

Directions

Speedway

24 hours in Cortland

Directions

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.

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