Overview
C. J. Brown Reservoir is a 2,120-acre flood-control reservoir on Buck Creek near Springfield in Clark County. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District completed the dam about 1973–74. Built to reduce flood risk on Buck Creek, the reservoir also anchors Buck Creek State Park's boating, camping, and day-use landscape on the edge of the Springfield metro area.
The reservoir has about 14 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth near 50 feet. Its open central basin and surrounding park lands make it a major recreation resource for west-central Ohio, with creek-channel edges and bank transitions concentrating much of the available fishing structure. Compared with long, narrow Muskingum-system lakes, C. J. Brown presents a more open-water profile where wind and fetch can matter on the main pool near Springfield.
Boating, fishing, camping, and other day-use recreation take place around the lake and Buck Creek State Park. Anglers pursue common Ohio warmwater species including bass, crappie, catfish, and panfish, and should consult the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for regulations and state-park information. Public ramps and park facilities give the lake a more urban-accessible character than many more remote Corps projects.
NGVD29 elevations include full pool at 1,012 feet, winter pool near 1,009 feet, and flood storage to 1,023 feet. Pool changes reflect Buck Creek inflow and Corps flood-control operations. Checking the current pool is useful when planning launch access after local rain, during seasonal transitions, or when shoreline and dock conditions may have shifted with storage.
Current Conditions
C.J. Brown Reservoir is currently at full pool and has fallen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendFallingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeDown 0.09 ft
- 30-day changeNo meaningful change
- Drought conditionsNo Drought
- Active advisories2 active (Advisory)
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
C.J. Brown Reservoir is a 2,120-acre reservoir on the Buck Creek managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.