Fishing in Franklin County, Ohio
Seat: Columbus. Fish management by ODNR Wildlife District One (Columbus office).
- 3lake pages
- 4launches
- 5river pages
Pick for channel catfishPiscifun LumiCat II catfish rod48% OFFSale $114.99 Photo of Hoover Reservoir: Sixflashphoto, CC BY-SA 4.0
What Franklin County holds for anglers
Columbus serves as county seat for Franklin County, home to 1,323,807 people in 2020. Water takes up 11.2 square miles beside 532 square miles of land. ODNR lists the county under ODNR Wildlife District One (Columbus office).
Still water with its own page: 3 lakes, 3,313 acres, Hoover Reservoir first by size. 1 of the lake pages carry an ODNR horsepower rule, 0 of them electric motors only. Count 4 public launches in all: 4 concrete and 108 trailer spaces among the lots that list them.
Census 2020 population and 2023 Gazetteer areas; ODNR Division of Wildlife lake outlines, horsepower and attractor layers, ODNR launch list; retrieved October 2026.
The Franklin County fishing map
ODNR launch and fishing-access points, ODNR lake outlines (representative points) and ODNR stream access points. Checked October 2026.
Lake pages across Franklin County
| Lake | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Fish on record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoover Reservoir | 2,884 | 5 | 10 HP limit | buffalo sucker, saugeye, walleye |
| Griggs Reservoir | 387 | 0 | saugeye, channel catfish, hybrid striped bass | |
| Antrim Lake | 42 | 0 | saugeye, steelhead, channel catfish |
From Columbus, these lake pages outside Franklin County are the shortest drives.
| Lake | From Columbus | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Fish on record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O'Shaughnessy Reservoir | 17 miles northwest | 896 | 4 | unlimited horsepower | |
| Alum Creek Lake | 19 miles north | 3,331 | 5 | unlimited horsepower | catfish, crappie, largemouth bass |
| Madison Lake | 22 miles west | 98 | 1 | electric motors only | channel catfish, largemouth bass, northern pike |
| Hargus Creek Lake | 25 miles south | 143 | 1 | electric motors only | channel catfish, muskellunge, largemouth bass |
| Buckeye Lake | 26 miles east | 2,877 | 7 | unlimited horsepower | saugeye, hybrid striped bass, muskellunge |
| Deer Creek Lake | 28 miles southwest | 1,301 | 2 | Electric Only, Unlimited | saugeye, tiger muskellunge, channel catfish |
ODNR Division of Wildlife lake outlines (acres), horsepower restrictions, fish hot-spot maps and stocking records; retrieved October 2026.
For the channel catfish herePiscifun Chaos XS round baitcaster36% OFFSale $57.99 Streams of Franklin County with ODNR access
- Olentangy River1 launch, 40 ODNR access points, USGS gauge
- Scioto River2 launchs, 40 ODNR access points, USGS gauge
- Alum Creek24 ODNR access points, USGS gauge
- Big Walnut Creek22 ODNR access points, USGS gauge
- Big Darby Creek19 ODNR access points, USGS gauge
Franklin County river stages and flows
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Big Walnut Creek At Rees Oh | 391 cfs, 2.64 ft gage height | Nov 12 9:00 pm |
| Scioto River At Columbus Oh | 524 cfs, 6.17 ft gage height | Nov 12 8:45 pm |
| Big Walnut Creek At Central College Oh | 159 cfs, 3.86 ft gage height | Nov 12 9:10 pm |
| Alum Creek At Columbus Oh | 25 cfs, 2.99 ft gage height | Sep 30 11:30 pm Not updated since Sep 30, 1998. |
| Scioto River At 5th Ave At Columbus Oh | 178 cfs, 7.06 ft gage height | Nov 12 9:15 pm |
| Olentangy River At J H Herrick Dr At Columbus Oh | 364 cfs, 711.43 ft gage height | Nov 12 9:00 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 12, 2026 9:33 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
ODNR stream access points (Watercraft paddling layer), ODNR steelhead program and walleye-run maps, USGS gauges; retrieved October 2026.
Franklin County launches, piers and banks
- Lower Olentangy Downtown Ramp on Olentangy RiverOlentangy River, concrete ramp, 1 lane, 4 trailer spaces, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Lower Scioto Park and Boat Launch on Scioto RiverScioto River, concrete ramp, 2 lanes, 6 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Trabue Murphy Landing on Scioto RiverScioto River, concrete ramp, 3 lanes, 50 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Walnut Street Launch Ramp on Hoover ReservoirHoover Reservoir, concrete ramp, 2 lanes, 48 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, 10 HP limit
Piers, breakwalls and banks in Franklin County (1)
- Youth Fishing Pondshore fishing, youth only,
ODNR Parks and Watercraft launch facilities, ODNR Division of Wildlife fishing access points and ODNR Office of Coastal Management Lake Erie access; retrieved October 2026.
What ODNR stocked in Franklin County, and the records
From 1984 through 2022, ODNR logged 228 stockings across 2 lakes here, led by 1,890,666 saugeye, 1,073,144 rainbow trout, 165,173 hybrid-striped bass, 113,273 golden trout.
Rainbow trout drops in Franklin County, 2026
| Date | Water | Size |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2026 | Antrim Lake | 10-13 inches |
What ODNR stocked last in Franklin County
| Year | Water | Species | Number and size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Antrim Lake | Rainbow Trout | 2,150 catchable |
| 2021 | Antrim Lake | Channel Catfish | 446 yearling |
| 2021 | Antrim Lake | Channel Catfish | 634 yearling |
| 2021 | Antrim Lake | Rainbow Trout | 2,150 catchable |
| 2021 | Griggs Reservoir | Saugeye | 25,195 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Griggs Reservoir | Saugeye | 13,555 fingerlings |
| 2020 | Griggs Reservoir | Hybrid-Striped Bass | 6,530 fingerlings |
| 2020 | Griggs Reservoir | Hybrid-Striped Bass | 14,802 fingerlings |
| 2020 | Griggs Reservoir | Saugeye | 61,521 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Antrim Lake | Rainbow Trout | 2,151 catchable |
Franklin County in the Ohio record book
| Species | Weight | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Sucker | 50.9 lb | Hoover Reservoir | 2023 |
| Saugeye | 14.04 lb | Antrim Lake | 2004 |
ODNR Division of Wildlife Ohio Fish Stocking Records (public copy of the DataOhio dataset, current as of May 31, 2022; numbers by water, year, species and life stage); ODNR Rainbow Trout Stocking Dates page, spring 2026 releases (trout 10 to 13 inches); Outdoor Writers of Ohio record fish list. Retrieved October 2026.
Statewide and site limits in Franklin County
Statewide inland limits cover Franklin County, with the site-specific entries listed after them.
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Blue & Flathead Catfish (under 35 inches) | No daily limit | Open year-round |
| Blue & Flathead Catfish (35 inches or larger) | 1 of each (statewide); minimum 35 inches | Open year-round |
| Channel Catfish (under 28 inches) | No daily limit | Open year-round |
| Channel Catfish (28 inches or larger) | 1 (statewide); minimum 28 inches | Open year-round |
| Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass | 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches | Open year-round |
| Muskellunge | 1 | Open year-round |
| Striped, Hybrid-Striped, & White Bass | 30 (singly or in combination); minimum No more than 4 over 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Trout | 5 (singly or in combination) | Open year-round |
| Walleye, Sauger, & Saugeye | 6 (singly or in combination) | Open year-round |
| Yellow Perch | 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. Site-specific rules as printed in the 2026-27 Ohio Fishing Regulations (ODNR Division of Wildlife Publication 5085, effective March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027) (booklet PDF), page numbers in the booklet.
Bait counters and charter captains of Franklin County
Franklin County stores that serve anglers
- Columbus Wholesale Fish Baitbait and tackle shop, Columbus
- Fishermans Warehousebait and tackle shop, Columbus
- Fishermans West Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Galloway
- Mad River Outfittersbait and tackle shop, Columbus
- Vance Outdoors, 4250 Alum Creek Drbait and tackle shop, Columbus
- Dick's Sporting Goods Columbus, 4280 Easton Gateway Drivesporting goods store, Columbus
- Dick's Sporting Goods Dublinsporting goods store, Dublin
- Dick's Sporting Goods Grove Citysporting goods store, Grove City
- Dick's Sporting Goods Hilliardsporting goods store, Hilliard
Yellow Pages and chain store listings, charter and guide listings (county of business); retrieved October 2026.
In the orbit of Franklin County
Towns and villages with pages in Franklin County
- Columbuspop. 905,748
- Dublinpop. 49,328
- Grove Citypop. 41,252
- Reynoldsburgpop. 41,076
- Westervillepop. 39,190
- Hilliardpop. 37,114
- Upper Arlingtonpop. 36,800
- Gahannapop. 35,726
- Whitehallpop. 20,127
- Worthingtonpop. 14,786
- Bexleypop. 13,928
- New Albanypop. 10,825
- Lincoln Villagepop. 9,702
- Canal Winchesterpop. 9,107
- Blacklick Estatespop. 8,990
- Grandview Heightspop. 8,085
Neighboring Ohio counties to Franklin County
- Delaware County21 miles north
- Madison County21 miles west
- Pickaway County22 miles south
- Fairfield County25 miles southeast
Piscifun spinning and baitcasting gear for Franklin County
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Camera views of fishing water by Franklin County
Photo: Kevin Payravi, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Photo: Sixflashphoto, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: JlNPhotos, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Dan Keck from Ohio, CC0 1.0
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Hunting in Franklin County
Public hunting land, seasons and processors for Franklin County are on State Hunting Spots, our sister site.
Sorting out a fishing day in Franklin County
How many ODNR-listed launches dot Franklin County?
4 public launches in all, 4 concrete.
What Franklin County lake covers the most acres?
Hoover Reservoir, 2,884 acres by its ODNR outline.
Which Franklin County lakes are electric only?
Check the motor column: 1 lake have a rule, 0 electric only.
Is there a Buckeye bait counter in Franklin County?
Columbus Wholesale Fish Bait heads 9 listings.
Do charters run out of Franklin County?
No guide or charter lists a business here; the statewide guides page has the rest.
Which place is the Franklin County seat?
The seat is Columbus.
Which Ohio license covers a day on Franklin County water?
A Buckeye fishing license runs $25.00 for residents, $76.96 for visitors from other states and $10.00 for residents 65 or older, starting at age 16.
What counties sit next to Franklin County?
Neighbors by distance: Delaware County, Madison County and Pickaway County.
Which Wildlife District is Franklin County in?
Fisheries work goes to ODNR Wildlife District One (Columbus office).
Hitch up for a Franklin County lake day
Check the site rules before keeping fish.