Bluegill in Ohio
Ohio rules and water for bluegill.
- see bookletlimit
- 3.28 lbrecord
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Ohio bluegill: rules, record, water
Buckeye rules for bluegill fill no separate table of the 2026-27 booklet.
Ohio record: 3.28 lb, Salt Fork Reservoir, by Willis D. Nicholes in 1990. From 2017 through 2021 ODNR records show 160,786 stocked.
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| Division | Weight | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rod and reel | 3.28 lb | 12-3/4" | Willis D. Nicholes | Salt Fork Reservoir | 1990 |
Outdoor Writers of Ohio record fish page, retrieved October 26, 2026; ODNR biologists confirm the species of a new record.
bluegill plantings, 2017 to 2021
By decade, the ODNR records count 1970s 2,412,141, 1980s 1,193,204, 1990s 35,988, 2000s 744,993, 2010s 221,330 and 2020s 4,344.
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); the public file stops at May 2022, so later years are not shown.
Ohio pages that list bluegill
Buckeye lakes for bluegill
- Alum Creek Lake3,331 acres
- Salt Fork Lake3,060 acres
- Buckeye Lake2,877 acres
- Delaware Lake1,215 acres
- Burr Oak Lake668 acres
- Bresler Reservoir583 acres
- Knox Lake491 acres
- Williams Reservoir426 acres
- Lake White333 acres
- Rush Creek Lake289 acres
- New London Reservoir212 acres
- Willard Reservoir199 acres
- Findlay Reservoirs #1186 acres
- Dow Lake161 acres
- Wellington Upground Reservoir159 acres
- Metzger Reservoir157 acres
- Kokosing Lake154 acres
- Hargus Creek Lake143 acres
- Lake Snowden143 acres
- Upper Sandusky Reservoir #2132 acres
- Lost Creek Reservoir130 acres
- Lake Hope121 acres
- Beaver Creek Reservoir110 acres
- Clark Lake102 acres
Buckeye streams for bluegill
- Alum CreekDelaware County
ODNR hot-spot maps, ODNR stocking records, the 2026 trout releases, the steelhead and walleye-run programs and state records; largest waters first.
Shorelines and reservoirs by Bluegill, photographed
Photo: Sixflashphoto, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0
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Questions Buckeye anglers ask about bluegill
How many bluegill may I keep in Ohio?
Ohio prints no separate limit for it.
Where was the Ohio record bluegill caught?
3.28 lb from Salt Fork Reservoir, caught by Willis D. Nicholes in 1990.
What Ohio water is a good bet for bluegill?
43 water pages here list it, led by Alum Creek Lake, Salt Fork Lake and Buckeye Lake.
Where has ODNR stocked bluegill?
Yes; the public ODNR records show 160,786 stocked from 2017 to 2021, most in Lake White. The file ends in May 2022.
Do Lake Erie limits differ for bluegill?
The Lake Erie table has no row for it.
Is bluegill open all year in Ohio?
It has no dated season in Ohio.
Do I need a stamp to fish for bluegill 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.
Does the Ohio River have a bluegill limit?
It has no Ohio River entry.