Halfway along the famous trail between Old Man's Cave and Cedar Falls, the forest opens onto something the crowds never expect: a 17-acre lake, still as glass, ringed by pines, often shared with nobody but a heron and two anglers. Rose Lake — officially the Hocking Hills Reservoir — is the park's quietest major feature precisely because you can't drive to it.
What it is
An earthen dam impounds the lake, built as the area's water-supply reservoir, with a grassy dam face and concrete spillway that hikers cross on the through-trail. Locals call it Fisherman's Lake, and the nickname is the review: this is a bank-fishing, mist-at-dawn, bring-a-thermos kind of place. Swimming is prohibited (as everywhere in the park), there's no boat access, and the primitive walk-in campground on the hill above is its only neighbor.
Getting there
- The short way: a half-mile access trail from a small parking area on SR 374 — gentle grade down through the woods, the route anglers use to carry gear.
- The scenic way: hike in on the Grandma Gatewood/Buckeye Trail from either Old Man's Cave or Cedar Falls; the lake marks the rough midpoint and makes the natural lunch stop on the full six-mile traverse. The January Winter Hike passes it frozen and silent.
The fishing
Rose Lake's claim to regional fame is its spring trout stocking — ODNR releases catchable rainbow trout each spring, drawing the year's only crowds for a few festive weekends — alongside resident largemouth bass, bluegill, and catfish the rest of the season. A valid Ohio fishing license is required (short-term non-resident licenses are cheap and available online); standard statewide regulations apply. The walk-in requirement filters pressure beautifully: fish that would be picked over in a roadside lake grow bold here. Seasonal tactics are covered in the April trout guide.
Know before you go
No facilities at the lake — restrooms and water are at the developed trailheads. Pack out everything, stay on the marked trails around the shoreline, and note the campground above is for registered campers. And yes, local legend insists the lake is haunted; the anglers report only that the fishing is better than the ghost-spotting.
Wake up ten minutes from the water
South Bloomingville and SR 374 cabins put the Rose Lake access trail closer than your coffee shop.
Find Cabins & Lodging →Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get to Rose Lake?
Either a half-mile access trail from SR 374 — the anglers' route — or by hiking the Grandma Gatewood/Buckeye Trail from Old Man's Cave or Cedar Falls, where the lake sits near the midpoint. There's no road access to the shoreline itself.
Can you fish Rose Lake?
Yes, with a valid Ohio fishing license — it's stocked with rainbow trout each spring and holds bass, bluegill, and catfish. It's bank fishing only: no boats, and no swimming anywhere in the park.
Is Rose Lake crowded?
Rarely — the walk-in access keeps it the quietest major feature in the park. The exceptions are the spring trout-stocking weekends and the January Winter Hike, when the through-trail traffic passes the frozen lake.