Sunfish in Ohio
sunfish under the 2026-27 booklet.
- 20 a daylimit
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Ohio sunfish in short
ODNR writes rules for sunfish under 1 water class in the 2026-27 booklet. Anglers on site-specific inland waters follow 20 (singly or in combination), open year-round.
On 27 lakes with pages, ODNR maps hot spots for it.
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| Water class | Where | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site-specific inland waters | Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area | 20 (singly or in combination) | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Oxbow | 10 | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Killdeer Plains | 10 | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | St. Joseph River Wildlife Area | 10 | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | Jesse Owens State Park and Wildlife Area | 20 (singly or in combination) | Open year-round |
| Site-specific inland waters | La Su An (Lake La Su An Wildlife Area, Williams County) | 15 | 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.
Ohio lakes where ODNR maps sunfish hot spots
| Lake | County | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Berlin Lake | Portage | 3,344 |
| Alum Creek Lake | Delaware | 3,331 |
| Salt Fork Lake | Guernsey | 3,060 |
| Tappan Lake | Harrison | 2,306 |
| Charles Mill Lake | Ashland | 1,348 |
| Dillon Lake | Muskingum | 1,279 |
| Delaware Lake | Delaware | 1,215 |
| Mogadore Reservoir | Portage | 1,105 |
| Clear Fork Reservoir | Richland | 1,034 |
| Pleasant Hill Reservoir | Richland | 790 |
| Burr Oak Lake | Morgan | 668 |
| Findlay Reservoirs #2 | Hancock | 645 |
| Bresler Reservoir | Allen | 583 |
| Kiser Lake | Champaign | 394 |
| Lake Logan | Hocking | 333 |
| Lake Rupert | Vinton | 327 |
ODNR Division of Wildlife lake fishing hot-spot layers (DOW_LakeFishing), retrieved October 26, 2026; largest lakes first.
Finding sunfish around Ohio
Lakes worth a try for sunfish
- Berlin Lake3,344 acres
- Alum Creek Lake3,331 acres
- Salt Fork Lake3,060 acres
- Tappan Lake2,306 acres
- Charles Mill Lake1,348 acres
- Dillon Lake1,279 acres
- Delaware Lake1,215 acres
- Mogadore Reservoir1,105 acres
- Clear Fork Reservoir1,034 acres
- Pleasant Hill Reservoir790 acres
- Burr Oak Lake668 acres
- Findlay Reservoirs #2645 acres
- Bresler Reservoir583 acres
- Kiser Lake394 acres
- Lake Logan333 acres
- Lake Rupert327 acres
- Ferguson Reservoirs308 acres
- Wolf Run Lake208 acres
- Willard Reservoir199 acres
- Dow Lake161 acres
- Metzger Reservoir157 acres
- Lake Snowden143 acres
- Upper Sandusky Reservoir #2132 acres
- Lake Hope121 acres
ODNR hot-spot maps, ODNR stocking records, the 2026 trout releases, the steelhead and walleye-run programs and state records; largest waters first.
More Ohio fish near sunfish on the list
How the water near Sunfish looks
Photo: Roy Luck, CC BY 2.0
Photo: J Astolfi, aka Tcjoe1985 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: AndyHemmerCincinnati, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Tim Kiser, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Sorting out sunfish fishing in Ohio
How many sunfish go home with an Ohio angler?
20 (singly or in combination) on site-specific inland waters, open year-round; other water classes have their own rows.
Does Ohio keep a record for sunfish?
No Ohio record is listed for it.
Which Ohio lakes hold sunfish?
27 water pages here list it, led by Berlin Lake, Alum Creek Lake and Salt Fork Lake.
Are sunfish stocked in Ohio?
ODNR lists no stocking of it.
Does Lake Erie have its own sunfish limit?
It has no Lake Erie entry in the booklet.
In which months may sunfish be kept in Ohio?
Open year-round on site-specific inland waters.
Do out-of-state anglers need a license for Ohio sunfish?
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.
Do Ohio River limits differ for sunfish?
The Ohio River tables leave it out.