Birding at Berlin Lake

General Information

Address

7400 Bedell Road; Berlin Center, OH 44401

County/Counties

Mahoning, Portage, Stark

DeLorme Page Number and Coordinates

(7th Edition and earlier) Page 52, A 2-3 and Page 42, D 3-4.

Nearest Town or City

3 miles northeast of Alliance, Ohio.

Directions from Nearest Town or City

20 miles east of Akron on SR 224.

About Berlin Lake

Berlin Lake was formed by the damming of the Mahoning River. At its maximum pool (springtime) the lake covers 5500 acres. Starting in July, the water is let down at a rate of 1 foot per month through November. These lower water levels form hundreds of acres of extensive mudflats.

The mudflats start to appear in the southwest region and proceed northeast as the draw-down is continued. The surface area at minimum pool is about 3600 acres leaving around 1900 acres of exposed shoreline and mudflats. These conditions will occur in years with average or below average rainfall.

The lake stretches 17 miles along the path of the river. This leaves many nooks and crannies to be explored. Three main highways cross the reservoir; all good places from which to observe the large expanses of water. The first is where SR 224 crosses west to east. This crossing is at the largest and deepest area in the reservoir, about 1 mile south of the dam.

The second highway crossing is SR 14, which runs diagonally northwest to southeast coming out of Ravenna and bisecting the lake. The third crossing is in Stark county where SR 225 crosses the southwest corner of the reservoir and continues into the city of Alliance.

Surrounding the lake is 6800 acres of land owned and managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. From grassland to mature deciduous forest, most any habitat can be found. Most areas are open to the public but there are no improved trails to speak of.

Maps and information about the area can be obtained from the resource office located on Bedell Road. To get to this office, cross the lake going east on SR 224 and take the first road south. This is Bedell Road. Go 0.5 miles to the headquarters on your right. Also, just south of the headquarters is The Mill Creek Campground; a large and scenic campgrounds.

For those interested in shorebirds, the best areas to find them are the mudflats north and south of the Price Road Bridge. To get to this area, go south about 1 mile from the SR 225 bridge and turn west on Price Road. Cross the bridge and enter the large parking area on your right. From this point, one can see several acres of mudflats when conditions are right. By crossing the roadway and hiking the west shoreline, south of the bridge, you can explore over a hundred acres of mudflats. Further southwest, this area opens up to reveal mudflats that cannot be seen from any road.

The mudflat areas, both east and west of the SR 225 bridge, are also choice locations for shore birding. This area has also been a very productive region in recent years. Parking here, though, can be difficult as there is no parking available in the immediate vicinity of the bridge. Parking is permitted, however, if you go beyond the “No Parking” signs and walk back to the bridge area. The SR 224 bridge area, later in the season, from late August through November, can also be very rewarding.

The best strategy here is to park at the west end of the bridge and walk south along the west shoreline. Here you can walk miles of shoreline/mudflats encountering cove after cove of choice habitat. This area has also been a good area for migrating waterfowl, raptors, and gulls.