The casual observer might gaze across a lake and imagine great populations of fish swimming as far as the eye can see.

We anglers know all too well that simply isn’t reality.

Experts tell us 90% of the fish live in 10% of the lake, a claim that makes sense considering 100% of us anglers spend 90% of our time looking for the magical 10% of our lakes.

Truth is, fish live where they find the right mix of comfort, food, security and even reproductive opportunity. If this sounds similar to the human situation, that’s because comfort, food, security and reproduction are requisites across the animal kingdom. They are no more or less important to a rhinoceros than a bluegill.

That explains why certain parts of a lake are full of life and other parts are wet deserts. Each lake has zones preferred by certain species. Catfish, walleyes, sunfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, muskies, pike, crappies, perch, shad, rock bass, suckers, carp, chubs, sheepshead and all the other Northeast Ohio fish all have lake zones best suited for them.

The zones can change from day to day and certainly from season to season, as well as from year to year.

So to gaze across a lake and imagine fish spread evenly under the waves is a fanciful vision of nature, the real view would be of nooks and crannies crowded with the hubbub of life and large expanses of quiet, fishless waters.

What’s more, the lakes in our corner of the world are not created equal. Just as 90% of the fish live in 10% of a lake, it seems as though 10% of our lakes support most of NE Ohio’s game fish.

My ranking of local waters is based on many years of personal experience, reports of recent changes, creel surveys by the Division of Wildlife and the good, old-fashioned word-of-mouth augmented today by social media posts.

From my perspective, it is evident that Mosquito and Pymatuning are home to more fish than West Branch, Milton, Berlin, Walborn, Deer Creek, Guilford and others.

Portage Lake in Akron might be a close third, but it’s difficult for me to argue against the sheer biomass of Mosquito and Pymatuning.

Mosquito has big numbers of largemouth bass, walleyes, crappies, northern pike, channel catfish and flathead cats, sustained by tons of yellow perch, shad, bluegills, crawfish and other forage fish.

Pymatuning supports walleyes, muskies, largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappies, cats and a substantial forage base.

Portage Lakes is a bass and panfish factory, with a fishable population of muskies.

The top three lakes share a common denominator, aquatic grass, the foundation of the best habitat for game species to live, eat and feel secure.

I close this week with advice to the authorities. Consider the success we are enjoying at Mosquito, Pymatuning and Portage Lakes and preserve their aquatic environments, especially the green pastures that make them so productive.

Jack Wollitz has written this column weekly since 1988. Contact him at jackbbaass@gmail.com.