Ohio

Fishing in Ohio

Lake Erie, the Ohio River, inland reservoirs and rivers across all 88 counties, with ODNR limits.

Search a town, county, lake or bait shop

License and regulations Tournaments

148lakes
70rivers
533ramp pages

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Photo of Grand Lake St. Marys: Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0

Fishing in Ohio

Ohio reservoirs, rivers, Lake Erie and the Ohio River

Ohio fishing runs from the walleye reefs of the Lake Erie western basin and the perch grounds off Cleveland to the Ohio River along the Kentucky and West Virginia line. Between them sit hundreds of reservoirs, from Grand Lake St. Marys and Pymatuning in the west and northeast to the Muskingum Watershed lakes and the strip-mine ponds of the southeast, and rivers such as the Maumee and Sandusky with their spring walleye runs.

This guide holds 148 lake pages, 70 river and creek pages, 533 boat ramp pages, 373 bait shops and marinas, all 88 counties and 600 towns, each with the 2026-27 ODNR limits for its water.

148lake pages

70river pages

533ramp pages

88counties

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Big water

The largest Ohio inland lakes with pages

Pymatuning Lake

16,254 acres, Ashtabula County

Lake page

Grand Lake St. Marys

13,396 acres, Mercer County and Auglaize County

Lake page

Mosquito Creek Lake

7,212 acres, Trumbull County

Lake page

Indian Lake

5,161 acres, Logan County

Lake page

Seneca Lake

3,587 acres, Noble County and Guernsey County

Lake page

Berlin Lake

3,344 acres, Portage County and 2 other counties

Lake page

Alum Creek Lake

3,331 acres, Delaware County

Lake page

Salt Fork Lake

3,060 acres, Guernsey County

Lake page

Lake Erie and the Ohio River

Ohio great waters: Lake Erie and the Ohio River

Lake Eriethe whole Ohio shore, launches, piers and NOAA levels
Western Basinreefs and islands from Toledo to Sandusky
Central BasinHuron to Conneaut, perch and steelhead country
Sandusky Baythe sheltered bay behind Cedar Point
Maumee Baythe Toledo end of the lake
Steelhead streams7 stocked tributaries
Reefs and shoalswestern basin reefs and central basin artificial reefs
The Ohio RiverWestern and Eastern units and their launches

Rivers

Ohio rivers known for steelhead and walleye runs

Cuyahoga Riversteelhead stream, Cuyahoga County
Grand Riversteelhead stream, Ashtabula County
Chagrin Riversteelhead stream, Cuyahoga County
Conneaut Creeksteelhead stream, Ashtabula County
Rocky Riversteelhead stream, Cuyahoga County
Ashtabula Riversteelhead stream, Ashtabula County
Vermilion Riversteelhead stream, Erie County
Maumee Riverspring walleye run, Defiance County
Sandusky Riverspring walleye run, Sandusky County
Portage Riverspring walleye run, Ottawa County

Limits

Ohio inland limits at a glance, 2026-27

Species	Where	Limit	Season
Blue & Flathead Catfish (under 35 inches)	Statewide	No daily limit	Open year-round
Blue & Flathead Catfish (35 inches or larger)	Statewide	1 of each (statewide); minimum 35 inches	Open year-round
Channel Catfish (under 28 inches)	Statewide	No daily limit	Open year-round
Channel Catfish (28 inches or larger)	Statewide	1 (statewide); minimum 28 inches	Open year-round
Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass	Statewide	5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches	Open year-round
Muskellunge	Statewide	1	Open year-round
Striped, Hybrid-Striped, & White Bass	Statewide	30 (singly or in combination); minimum No more than 4 over 15 inches	Open year-round
Trout	Statewide	5 (singly or in combination)	Open year-round
Walleye, Sauger, & Saugeye	Statewide	6 (singly or in combination)	Open year-round
Yellow Perch	Statewide	30	Open year-round

Limits as printed in the 2026-27 Ohio Fishing Regulations (ODNR Division of Wildlife Publication 5085, effective March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027) and the ODNR Lake Erie walleye and yellow perch daily limits sheet (May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027); retrieved October 26, 2026.

License and regulations Lake Erie rules

Seasons

Ohio fishing seasons and dates to know

No closed season for game fish on inland water; limits apply all year.inland lakes and rivers
Lake Erie black bass: 1 (singly or in combination); minimum 18 inches from May 1 – June 26, 2026.Lake Erie spring bass
Free Fishing Days for residents: June 20, 2026 and June 21, 2026; 2027 dates not yet announced.license-free days
Bullfrogs and green frogs: June 12, 2026 – April 30, 2027.frogs
Snapping and softshell turtles: July 1 – December 31, 2026.turtles
Spring rainbow trout releases ran March to May 2026 on 93 waters.trout

Free Fishing Days

Records

The heaviest Ohio record fish

Blue Catfish, 96 lbOhio River, 2009
Flathead Catfish, 76 lbPiedmont Lake, 1972
Muskellunge, 55.13 lbPiedmont Lake, 1972
Buffalo Sucker, 50.9 lbHoover Reservoir, 2023
Carp (Common), 50 lbPaint Creek, 1967
Channel Catfish, 37.65 lbLaDue Reservoir, 1992

All Ohio records

Guides and gear

Charters, bait shops and gear for an Ohio trip

Charters and guides65 listings, most in Lakeside Marblehead, Port Clinton and Oak Harbor
Bait shops by district373 shops and marinas
Walleye crankbaits on AmazonLake Erie trolling staples
Perch rigs on Amazonspreaders for the perch grounds

Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.

Where to start

Ohio fishing pages by lakes, rivers and places

Lakes148 lakes
Rivers and creeks70 rivers and creeks
Countiesall 88
Towns600 cities and villages
Species46 species
Tournamentsorganizer schedules and winners
Water levelsUSGS and NOAA readings

Reference

Ohio rules, records and directories

Every Ohio water, A to Zlakes, rivers, counties, towns and species on one list
Ohio license and regulationsfees, exemptions and the inland limit table
Ohio Free Fishing Daystwo license-free days a year for residents
Ohio record fishOutdoor Writers of Ohio records by division
Ohio fish stockingODNR stocking records and the 2026 trout releases
Ohio water levelsUSGS lake gauges and NOAA Lake Erie stations
Lake Erie in Ohiobasins, bays, harbors, launches and piers
The Ohio Riverboth regulation units and the river launches
Lake Erie steelhead streamsthe seven stocked tributaries
Lake Erie reefs and shoalswestern basin reefs and Cleveland and Lorain artificial reefs
Ohio boat rampsODNR launch inventory by wildlife district
Ohio shore fishingLake Erie piers and accessible ODNR sites
Ohio bait shopstackle counters and marinas by district
Ohio charters and guidesLake Erie captains and inland guides
Ohio tournamentsorganizer schedules and printed winners
Protected Ohio fishspecies that must go back in the water

Fish photos

Fish pictures for Fishing in Ohio

Blue Catfish, Ohio — Blue Catfish
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain

Channel Catfish, Ohio — Channel Catfish
Photo: Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA, CC BY 2.0

Largemouth Bass, Ohio — Largemouth Bass
Photo: TMDSA, CC BY-SA 3.0

Muskellunge, Ohio — Muskellunge
Photo: Engbretson, Eric / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain

Hybrid Striped Bass, Ohio — Hybrid Striped Bass
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain

Steelhead, Ohio — Steelhead
Photo: Mike Heine, CC BY 4.0

Walleye, Ohio — Walleye
Photo: Engbretson, Eric / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain

Yellow Perch, Ohio — Yellow Perch
Photo: Fizzishin, CC BY 4.0

Answers

Questions about fishing in Ohio

Which license covers an adult fishing in Ohio?

Anglers 16 and older need an Ohio fishing license: $25.00 a year for residents, $76.96 for nonresidents and $10.00 for residents 65 and older. Lake Erie and trout need no extra stamp.

Which Ohio inland lake is the biggest?

Pymatuning Lake, about 16,254 acres by its ODNR outline.

Is any Ohio game fish season closed?

Not for game fish on inland water; Lake Erie black bass have a 1-fish, 18-inch rule from May 1 to late June.

When are Ohio Free Fishing Days?

June 20, 2026 and June 21, 2026 in 2026, for Ohio residents only; 2027 dates are not yet announced.

Which state office publishes the Ohio limits booklet?

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, in the yearly Ohio Fishing Regulations booklet.

Where are Ohio tournaments listed?

On the Ohio tournaments page, built from organizer schedules and published results.

Can I fish Lake Erie with a regular Ohio license?

Yes; Ohio needs no separate Lake Erie stamp, and charters book from ports such as Port Clinton, Huron and Fairport Harbor.

How many lakes and rivers have pages here?

148 lakes and 70 rivers and creeks, with more added as pages go live.