Mention a lake to people who fish and they immediately see a mental picture whether they even realize their brain is sketching it.

The places we fish share many similarities, but each also is unique. They have different names, different scenery, are contained within different geology and soils, and even have different water clarity. They look different, they smell different and they most certainly fish differently.

I am very familiar with our region’s major lakes and rivers. I have fished on them often enough that their physical attributes are filed in my head. Each, I have come to realize, has made an indelible impression on me.

Taking into account their names, shapes, shoreline and bottom composition, water color, and their ability to scratch my fishing itch, I have noodled up descriptions that I think describe our lakes’ and rivers’ personalities.

Berlin Reservoir, for example, is the wild thing. Its channel twists and turns like Chubby Checker to a lively dance tune and is besieged by hundreds of boaters driving every imaginable watercraft every weekend Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Berlin has lots of walleyes, crappies, bass and muskies, but it can be as difficult as a stubborn child when conditions aren’t perfect.

West Branch, meanwhile, is the new kid on the block. Impounded only 54 years ago (compared to Berlin, during World War II, and Milton in 1913), West Branch is new enough to still contain numerous stumps that were flooded when the Michael Kirwan dam was completed, and sports thriving beds of lush aquatic vegetation.

West Branch is a pretty good fishing lake for most species, but among the best lakes for muskies.

Milton, on the other hand, is like your kind ol’ grandpa who’s going strong after coronary bypass surgery. Dammed to hold back the Mahoning River just 10 years after the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight, Milton was a hot walleye and crappie lake for generations of Youngstown-area anglers.

In the mid-1980s, Milton’s dam was diagnosed as too fragile to assure the safety of downstream residents and the lake was drained. Now with a new lease on life thanks to extensive dam repairs, Milton continues to entertain anglers who love fishing for muskies, largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleyes and crappies.

Shenango Reservoir is like our precocious cousin who lives over on the other side of town. It is an attractive lake in hilly surroundings with lots of wooded shorelines rising from rock, sand and clay. It can be cantankerous, but more often than not Shenango is angler friendly. The lake supports healthy populations of bass, crappies and hybrid striped bass.

Our Mahoning River is the region’s workhorse. Long known for its essential service in sustaining Youngstown and Warren’s world-class steel mills, the mighty Mahoning is enjoying a remarkable comeback as a recreational river for kayakers, canoeists and anglers.

Mosquito Lake is everybody’s best friend. The sprawling reservoir north of Warren has been a favored destination for the region’s walleye anglers for 60 years. Crappies and catfish also grow fat and numerous there and the largemouth bass fishing is catching the attention of anglers far beyond Trumbull and Mahoning counties.

Pymatuning, for me, is an adventure lake. It’s the special place to visit when I have plenty of time to explore and enjoy. Pymie is like a favorite vacation lake where great memories are made, but happily it’s only an hour from home.

Picture your favorite lake. Give it some personality and make plans now to get out there and see whether you can add some new memories.

Jack Wollitz’s new book, The Common Angler: A Celebration of Fishing, will be released May 11. He appreciates emails from readers. Send a note to Jack at jackbbaass@gmail.com.