Hoover Reservoir

Life is short, buy the lake house at HOOVER RESERVOIR! Your not just buying a lakehouse but a LAKE! Our Lakefront Living Realty Real Estate Experts live, love and sell only lake homes at Hoover.  Tour Hoover Reservoir by boat as our agents actually live on the Lake!

Located in Westerville, Sunbury and Galena,  Hoover is minutes from Port Columbus, Easton,  Polaris Mall, and a mecca of dining choices in the Columbus area.  Lakefront owners are mostly full time residents with price ranges from $550,000 for a fixer upper to well over $2.5million.  

The lake itself is more than 3200 acres with 48 miles of shore line and is roughly 9 miles in length.  The width varies from ¼ mile to over ¾ mile. 5 Boat launches are open to the public for lake access of watercraft under 10 HP. The lake is great for sailing, kayaking, fishing, paddle boards and pontoon boats. Hoover sailing club offers sailing classes for all ages. The Westerville Crew host’s the annual Regatta and you’ll see rowers practicing nightly! Because the lake supplies the city’s water, swimming is not permitted.

Dreaming of living on a gorgeous lake yet being minutes from Port Columbus, popular shopping & dining to the Columbus area? Hoover Reservoir provides breathtaking sunrises and sunsets –if you’re dreaming of “Lake Living” close to the city-this is your Lake!

Off the water-“Hoover” is mecca for activity! It’s a great place to bring your bike and hit the paved trails that run along the water, stroll the boardwalk over Mud Hen Marsh, hike one of the many hiking trails and enjoy the observation deck and your pets will enjoy the pet approved trails, catch a game of Frisbee golf on the 27 hole course, fantastic fishing, playgrounds, soccer field, picnic areas and when snow arrives- one of the most popular sledding hills! The “dam” and its stairs are popular for the athletic at heart! If a stroll is more your speed-the walkway takes in breathtaking lake views! Enjoy lunch or dinner at Mudflats Bar & Grille then stroll the Mud Hen Marsh Boardwalk-some of the best bird watching in Ohio!

The Land Stewardship Application allows for Lakefront homeowners to apply for a permit to have a boat dock or a “tie up” stake as well as create stairs to water’s edge. The city has several boat docks and stake tie up areas that are dispersed in an annual lottery.

A City easement exists between the water’s edge and lakefront lot. Mowing is permitted once a year in the fall and tree removal is not permitted in this easement. Tree trimming needs to be approved. The root system of the natural landscape is essential for erosion control –hence the restrictions. Planting is encouraged. An exception to this easement is a 5’ corridor that homeowners can create and maintain for access to the water’s edge.

HIKING, BIKING & BIRDWATCHING:

• Hoover Mudflats Boardwalk is part of the Hoover Nature Preserve
• Operated by the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department. It is one of the best birding sites in central Ohio. In the fall the city lowers the water level in Hoover Reservoir, so it’s more hospitable to migrating shore birds. The area around the boardwalk is also used for fishing and launching kayaks.
• Hoover Scenic Trail 
  The 0.6-mile Hoover Scenic Trail picks up where the Genoa Trail leaves off, extending this bike and hiking trail from Plumb Road to Weise Road south of the village of Galena.  The trail crosses Old 3C Highway via a bicycle and pedestrian bridge, and runs along the shore of Hoover Reservoir, through the Hoover Nature Preserve.
• Part of the Ohio to Erie Trail, the Genoa Trail  runs between Northgate Way in Westerville and Weise Road in Galena. The 4.85 mile trail parallels the east side of State Route 3 and is separated from the road by a nice corridor of trees, shading nearly the entire length of the asphalt trail.The paved trail was extended in 2010 from Plumb Road to Weise Road in Galena and includes a pedestrian-bike bridge over Old 3C Highway, following the northwestern shoreline of the Hoover Reservoir along a scenic nature preserve.
• The Big Walnut Trail is part of the Central Ohio Biking Trail http://parks.columbus.gov/uploadedFiles/Recreation_and_Parks/Trail/Trails%20Regional%20Map.pdf that runs along Hoover Reservoir.

BOATING & FISHING:

• Hoover Boat Ramp Map - https://ohiodnr.gov/static/documents/wildlife/maps/hooverreservoir2.pdf
  5 Boat ramp locations for public access to the lake.  10 HP limit!   Kayaks, paddleboards, sail boats and the like are all welcome!

• Westerville Crew http://www.westervillecrew.org/ is a rowing team serving Central Ohio, includingmembers from the Westerville, New Albany, Olentangy, Big Walnut, Gahanna and Granville school districts. As a club sport, it offers competitive opportunities throughout the year.
  
• Hoover Sailing Club http://hooversailingclub.com/the-club/ is a member-run organization providing facilities, programs, and activities for sailors and their families in the Columbus area. They offer a variety of programs, including regular club races, day sailing, youth and adult sailing lessons, and regular social events for our nearly 200 members.  Perfect for adding variety to your children’s “summer camp” experience! 
• The Buckeye Boat Club http://buckeyeboatclub.org/ is a private club located on the east side of Hoover Reservoir. The Club has 101 dock slips for the use of our members owning a pontoon boat. They provide boat launching, storage, and removal for members. Each membership is required to participate in a minimum of ten (10) hours of work service per year to help maintain the Club and grounds. They have a Social Committee that plans and organizes social events throughout the year. The Social Committee plans events such as a 4th of July picnic and boat parade, a fish fry, a pig roast, game nights, holiday parties, boat cluster parties, and many more.
• Hoover Fishing Map from ODNR and License Information <— Click link for full detail http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/FishingSubhomePage/LakeMapLandingPage/HooverReservoirFishingMap/tabid/19524/Default.aspx
• A Public Boat Dock Lottery is held annually for one of the many boat dock or boat “stake” positions. http://parks.columbus.gov/MarinasAndDocks.aspx

RESTAURANTS:

• Mudflats Bar & Grill is a stroll away from the Mudflats boardwalk.  Great entertainment through out the week-check the website for schedule! http://www.themudflats.com/
• Galena Diner-”Hands down the best Diner Around“!  Next to Mudflats! http://galenadiner.com/
• Antonio’s Pizzeria & Restaurant-Your neighborhood family Pizzeria!  On Sunbury Rd-at Maxtown intersection! http://www.antonios-pizzeria.com/

RECREATION:

• What a great place to exercise!  It has hills and the notorious “dam stairs,” but it’s not hard to remain on a relatively flat path if you want to.  After walking up the dam stairs, you are treated to an excellent view of the reservoir.
• 27 Hole Frisbee Golf Course!  http://www.discgolfcolumbus.com/courses/hoover.htm
• This is the true championship disc golf course in Central Ohio!  It was site of the early Columbus Opens and is currently the site of the BHMOA PDGA National Tour Event!  Accessed off the Central College Rd. entrance to the Dam.

LAND STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM:

• A Land Stewardship Agreement with the Watershed Management Section is required before applying for a private boat dock or stake permit on city-owned land adjacent to a homeowner’s property near a city-owned reservoir. These reservoirs provide a drinking water supply for thousands of customers and activities on the banks of the reservoirs can have an impact on water quality, which drives the need for such a program.
• Land Stewardship Application
• Link to the slideshow notes from the October 2013 LSA Meeting held to help inform adjacent property owners the rules for mowing, planting, tree trimming, erosion control and much more! http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDoQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpublicservice.columbus.gov%2FWorkArea%2F%2FDownloadAsset.aspx%3Fid%3D62947&ei=jintUpucEarlyQGU64CoBA&usg=AFQjCNFw_SMsya6fZdKljyDgTvX9xOHOfw&sig2=XSpOCkDtYSHYx_6pS1G8Bw 

Hoover offers many recreational amenities the Dam stairs for runners to the sledding hills in winter!