Regardless of the actual date, Easter in Ohio is a sure sign that spring fishing is peaking.

Walleyes, crappies and bass are like Easter basket goodies for anglers in the spring, and no corner of our state is better capable of fulfilling our desires than Trumbull, Mahoning and Ashtabula counties.

In fact, April is the best month of the year to catch the Northeast Ohio trifecta: a walleye, crappie and largemouth bass all on the same day. Three lakes are especially likely to yield each of the Big Three to spring anglers.

Mosquito would be the best bet, followed closely by Pymatuning and then Berlin. All three U.S. Corps of Engineers reservoirs have captured the attention of anglers since the mid-20th century and today continue to produce good — even outstanding — catches of crappies, bass and walleyes.

Sport fishers love largemouths, and those who seek limits of delectable dinner fish can hardly do better than walleyes and crappies.

Mosquito is famous for springtime jig-and-crawler presentations by walleye anglers who like to drift and drag over the fresh green sprouts of aquatic vegetation on flats extending out to six or seven feet deep. The walleye fishing typically is good around the same time the Ohio The Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife sets out nets to capture breeder females and males to bolster our state’s walleye and saugeye stocking programs.

April is also when waders roam Mosquito’s shallow flats while casting jigs and twitching Rapalas and other stickbaits.

The same tactics are employed by Pymatuning’s spring walleye anglers in shallow water with short shoots of coontail grass, as well as hydrilla and milfoil.

Berlin also is good for springtime shallow-water walleyes as the fish move up to seek spawning sites. Jigs account for most of the spring catch. Berlin is essentially weed-free, so anglers work their jigs around points, sandbars and the U.S. 224 causeway.

Crappies, some as big pie plates, are often easy pickings for anglers working at Mosquito, Berlin and Pymatuning. The fish move up shallow as the water temperature climbs through the 40s.

They prefer vertical cover, so their first stops are around stumps and underwater brush piles at the three local reservoirs, as well as dock posts. As the water rises, crappies congregate around flooded willows, buck brush, laydown tree tops, Christmas tree piles and planted pallets.

Small jigs with tube bodies or one-inch twisters are good crappie lures, made even more effective with the addition of a small minnow or a pair of maggots or waxworms.

Largemouth bass are another favorite fish of northeastern Ohio fishers, particularly for those who regularly visit Mosquito Lake. Bass in the two- to four-pound class are the main class of bass at Mosquito this year.

Bass are on the move toward the shallow cover-strewn banks at all three major NE Ohio lakes. They frequently use the same cover as crappies as they feed to build reserves for the May spawning season. Look for schools of largemouths in the emerging vegetation at Mosquito and Pymatuning as they stop in those areas before moving to sandy-bottom areas later this month when the water warms into the upper 50s and 60s.

Productive spring bass lures include jerkbaits, bladed jigs, conventional jigs, square-bill crankbaits in crawfish and perch colors, and Colorado-blade spinnerbaits.

Mosquito is good in early April, while Pymatuning often turns on mid-month, while Berlin gets going in late April.

No doubt, however, the best time in April for the NE Ohio trifecta is any time the weather cooperates and you’ve got some free time.

Jack Wollitz is the author of “The Common Angler,” a book featuring stories about experiences that help define the “why” behind anglers’ passion for fishing. Email Jack at jackbbaass@gmail.com.