Ohio species
Pick for spotted bassPiscifun Chaos Pro CNC baitcasting reel25% OFFSale $97.99 $129.99
Spotted Bass in Ohio
Limits, the record and stocking for spotted bass.
- 5 a daylimit
- 5.25 lbrecord
Pick for spotted bassPiscifun Chaos Pro CNC baitcasting reel25% OFFSale $97.99 Photo of the species, not an Ohio water: Dick Biggins, USFWS, Public domain
Ohio fish
A Buckeye profile of spotted bass
The Division of Wildlife lists spotted bass in 5 water classes for 2026-27. Statewide, the booklet sets 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches, open year-round.
The Ohio record weighed 5.25 lb, caught by Roger Trainer on Lake White in 1967.
5 a dayfirst booklet row
5.25 lbOhio record
54booklet rows
1waters with pages
For the spotted bass herePiscifun AlinoX 300 low profile baitcaster34% OFFSale $104.99 Limits
Daily limits and sizes for Ohio spotted bass
| Water class | Where | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide inland waters | Statewide | 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches | Open year-round |
| Lake Erie Sport Fishing District | Lake Erie | 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 14 inches | March 1 – April 30, 2026 |
| Lake Erie Sport Fishing District | Lake Erie | 1 (singly or in combination); minimum 18 inches | May 1 – June 26, 2026 |
| Lake Erie Sport Fishing District | Lake Erie | 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 14 inches | June 27, 2026 – Feb. 28, 2027 |
| Ohio River Western Unit (Ohio/Kentucky) | OHIO REGULATIONS: boat anglers in Ohio waters, shoreline anglers on the Ohio shoreline, all anglers in Ohio embayments a | 6 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches | Open year-round |
| Ohio River Eastern Unit (Ohio/West Virginia) | UNIFIED OHIO AND WEST VIRGINIA REGULATIONS: on or within a quarter mile of the Ohio River on its embayments and tributar | 6 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Knox | 5; minimum 18 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Adams | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Blue Rock | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Caldwell | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Cowan | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Dale Walborn | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Greenfield | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Ohio-Erie Canal | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Hancock County Wetlands | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Pine | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Resthaven Pond No. 8 | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Ross | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Rush Creek Lake | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Rush Run Lake | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Seneca | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Wellington Reservoir South | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Zepernick | 5; minimum 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Acton | 4 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 15 inches, & 2 fish 15 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Findley | 4 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 15 inches, & 2 fish 15 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Hargus | 4 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 15 inches, & 2 fish 15 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Highlandtown | 4 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 15 inches, & 2 fish 15 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Lake Snowden | 4 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 15 inches, & 2 fish 15 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | New Lyme | 4 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 15 inches, & 2 fish 15 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Paint Creek Lake | 4 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 15 inches, & 2 fish 15 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Salt Fork | 4 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 15 inches, & 2 fish 15 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Silver Creek Lake | 4 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 15 inches, & 2 fish 15 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Upper Sandusky No. 2 | 4 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 15 inches, & 2 fish 15 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area | 3 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 14 inches, & 1 fish 20 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Belmont | 3 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 14 inches, & 1 fish 20 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Guilford | 3 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 14 inches, & 1 fish 20 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Jesse Owens State Park & Wildlife Area | 3 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 14 inches, & 1 fish 20 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Killdeer Plains ponds No. 30 and No. 33 | 3 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 14 inches, & 1 fish 20 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Kiser | 3 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 14 inches, & 1 fish 20 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Long | 3 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 14 inches, & 1 fish 20 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Oxbow | 3 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 14 inches, & 1 fish 20 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Spencer | 3 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 14 inches, & 1 fish 20 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | St. Joseph Wildlife Area | 3 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 14 inches, & 1 fish 20 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Tycoon | 3 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 14 inches, & 1 fish 20 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Wingfoot | 3 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 14 inches, & 1 fish 20 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Wolf Run | 3 fish split daily limit; minimum 2 fish less than 14 inches, & 1 fish 20 inches or longer | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Burr Oak | 5; minimum None may be taken between 12 & 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Dow | 5; minimum None may be taken between 12 & 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Fox | 5; minimum None may be taken between 12 & 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Hammertown (Jackson City Reservoir) | 5; minimum None may be taken between 12 & 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Lake Rupert (Wellston City Reservoir) | 5; minimum None may be taken between 12 & 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Slope Creek (Barnesville No. 3) | 5; minimum None may be taken between 12 & 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Turkey Creek | 5; minimum None may be taken between 12 & 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | La Su An (Lake La Su An Wildlife Area, Williams County) | 5; minimum 18 inches | May 1, 2026 – Sept. 7, 2026 (area open to fishing) |
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.
Records
Ohio record spotted bass
| Division | Weight | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rod and reel | 5.25 lb | 21" | Roger Trainer | Lake White | 1967 |
Outdoor Writers of Ohio record fish page, retrieved October 26, 2026; ODNR biologists confirm the species of a new record.
Where to look
Buckeye lakes and creeks holding spotted bass
Lake pages naming spotted bass
- Lake White333 acres
ODNR hot-spot maps, ODNR stocking records, the 2026 trout releases, the steelhead and walleye-run programs and state records; largest waters first.
Lake Erie
spotted bass in the Lake Erie district
Lake Erie carries 3 rows for it, separate from the inland table.
- Lake Eriebasins, bays and launches
- Lake Erie rulesthe full district table
- P.C. Queen Perch HeadboatLake Erie charter
- A Absolute Fishing ChartersLake Erie charter
- A-Hoy Sara-J Fishing ChartersLake Erie charter
- Bass Fish AmericaLake Erie charter
Related fish
Fish sharing a rule with spotted bass
Pictures
Photo stops on the water near Spotted Bass
Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: Michael A. Orlando, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers
spotted bass across Ohio, question and answer
Which length rule applies to Ohio spotted bass?
5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches on statewide inland waters, open year-round; other water classes have their own rows.
Who holds the Ohio spotted bass record?
5.25 lb from Lake White, caught by Roger Trainer in 1967.
Which Ohio pages name spotted bass?
1 water page here list it, led by Lake White.
Do the ODNR records show spotted bass stocking?
The ODNR stocking file has no rows for it.
Is spotted bass regulated on Lake Erie?
Yes: 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 14 inches, march 1 – april 30, 2026.
When can I fish for spotted bass in Ohio?
Open year-round on statewide inland waters.
How much does an Ohio license for spotted bass cost?
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.
How does the Ohio River treat spotted bass?
Yes: 6 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches in the Ohio River Western Unit, open year-round.