Main Beach is the largest of three swimming beaches at Ohio's Pymatuning State Park, one of two state parks by that name on Pymatuning Reservoir (Pennsylvania runs the other). The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Watercraft, runs it. The beach is a 500-foot strip of sand on the reservoir's west shore in Andover Township, Ashtabula County, just south of the long causeway that carries East Main Street (Ohio 85) across the lake toward Espyville, Pennsylvania. The reservoir itself dates to the early 1930s, when a dam was built on the Shenango River, and Ohio began developing its side of the park in 1950.

From the village square in Andover, drive east on East Main Street about two miles. Just before the road heads out onto the causeway, turn south on Pymatuning Lake Road and watch for the beach entrance on the lake side. Several paved lots sit behind the sand, so the walk from the car to the water is short. The main park office and a two-lane boat ramp are also along this stretch of Pymatuning Lake Road, which makes the area easy to find even on a first visit.

The swim area is a marked zone off the sand. Pymatuning is a broad, shallow reservoir (its average depth is around 15 feet), and the water near shore warms up quickly by midsummer. There is no current to speak of, but wind across the open lake can kick up chop in the afternoon. ODNR's park page does not list lifeguards for any of its beaches and asks visitors to use caution, so plan on watching your own group. Swimming is allowed only inside the designated area and only during daylight. Pets are not allowed on the beach. Behind the sand you'll find a changing house, showers, restrooms, two volleyball courts, a playground, horseshoe pits and picnic tables under shade trees.

There is no charge to use the beach. Ohio's state parks do not collect entrance or parking fees, so a day of swimming here costs nothing. The park is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The one thing that does cost money nearby is the Main Beach Shelter, a 75 by 25 foot lakeside pavilion with 20 picnic tables and a large charcoal grill, which groups can reserve. It is open to everyone when it is not booked.

Water quality is the main thing to check before you go. The Ohio Department of Health samples this beach for E. coli during the swimming season and posts results on its BeachGuard system. Advisories have been posted here before, with bacteria at Main Beach at times measuring several times the state standard. Geese around the beaches are a known source of the bacteria on this lake. An advisory sign at the beach means children, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system should stay out of the water. Look up the current BeachGuard status or call the park office at (440) 261-4551 if the weather has been hot and calm.

The rest of the Ohio side is set up for longer stays. A large campground and rental cabins sit a few miles south, each with its own smaller beach, and the Beaver Dam Trail starts near Cabin Beach. Boats on the reservoir are limited to 20 horsepower, a marina near the causeway rents boats, and the lake is known for walleye and muskie. Bald eagles nest around the shoreline.