Flathead Catfish in Ohio
Ohio rules and water for flathead catfish.
- no daily limitlimit
- 76 lbrecord
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Ohio flathead catfish: rules, record, water
Buckeye rules for flathead catfish fill 1 water class of the 2026-27 booklet. Most inland Ohio water follows no daily limit, open year-round.
Ohio record: 76 lb, Piedmont Lake, by Dale C. Yoho in 1972. From 1978 through 1982 ODNR records show 106,134 stocked.
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| Water class | Where | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide inland waters | Statewide | No daily limit | Open year-round |
| Statewide inland waters | Statewide | 1 of each (statewide); minimum 35 inches | 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.
The biggest Ohio flathead catfish on file
| Division | Weight | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rod and reel | 76 lb | 53" | Dale C. Yoho | Piedmont Lake | 1972 |
| trotline, bankline or floatline | 76.5 lb | 58-5/8" | Richard Affolter | Clendening Lake | 1979 |
Outdoor Writers of Ohio record fish page, retrieved October 26, 2026; ODNR biologists confirm the species of a new record.
flathead catfish plantings, 1978 to 1982
By decade, the ODNR records count 1970s 240,672 and 1980s 27,134.
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 flathead catfish
Buckeye lakes for flathead catfish
- Grand Lake St. Marys13,396 acres
- Salt Fork Lake3,060 acres
- Piedmont Lake2,377 acres
- Tappan Lake2,306 acres
- Rocky Fork Lake1,953 acres
- Clendening Lake1,732 acres
- Charles Mill Lake1,348 acres
- Lake Loramie870 acres
- Pleasant Hill Reservoir790 acres
- Lake Logan333 acres
- Jackson Lake252 acres
- Veto Lake135 acres
- Ross Lake127 acres
ODNR hot-spot maps, ODNR stocking records, the 2026 trout releases, the steelhead and walleye-run programs and state records; largest waters first.
Ohio neighbors of flathead catfish on the list
Shorelines and reservoirs by Flathead Catfish, photographed
Photo: Eric Marshall, CC BY 3.0
Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Dan Keck from Ohio, CC0 1.0
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Photo: Ll1324, CC0 1.0
Questions Buckeye anglers ask about flathead catfish
How many flathead catfish may I keep in Ohio?
No daily limit on statewide inland waters, open year-round; other water classes have their own rows.
Where was the Ohio record flathead catfish caught?
76 lb from Piedmont Lake, caught by Dale C. Yoho in 1972.
What Ohio water is a good bet for flathead catfish?
13 water pages here list it, led by Grand Lake St. Marys, Salt Fork Lake and Piedmont Lake.
Where has ODNR stocked flathead catfish?
Yes; the public ODNR records show 106,134 stocked from 1978 to 1982, most in Piedmont Lake. The file ends in May 2022.
Do Lake Erie limits differ for flathead catfish?
The Lake Erie table has no row for it.
Is flathead catfish open all year in Ohio?
Open year-round on statewide inland waters.
Do I need a stamp to fish for flathead catfish 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 flathead catfish limit?
It has no Ohio River entry.