Lake Erie Regulations
These regulations apply to the Lake Erie Sport Fishing District as described here: Lake Erie and areas immediately upstream in creeks, rivers, and tributaries. The following regulations for walleye, sauger, saugeye, yellow perch, black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted), and white bass apply to the waters of Lake Erie, its embayments including Maumee Bay, Sandusky Bay, East Harbor, Middle Harbor, and West Harbor, and from where Lake Erie tributaries enter the lake upstream to the following end points:
- Arcola, Wheeler, Cowles, and Indian creeks: U.S. Route 20 bridges;
- Ashtabula River: E. 24th Street bridge;
- Black River: State Route 611 bridge;
- Conneaut Creek: Main Street bridge (downtown to Conneaut);
- Euclid Creek and Chagrin River: State Route 283 bridges;
- Rocky River: Detroit Road bridge;
- Sandusky River: Waterworks dam in Tiffin;
- Maumee River: First dam upstream (Grand Rapids, Ohio);
- Vermilion River: State Route 2 bridge;
- Grand River: State Route 535 bridge;
- Cuyahoga River: Harvard Road bridge.
All statewide regulations apply to Ohio waters of Lake Erie EXCEPT for those listed below.
Species | Dates | Daily Limit | Minimum Size |
---|---|---|---|
Largemouth,Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass | March 1 - April 30, 2025 | 5 (singly or in combination) | 14 inches |
May 1 - June 27, 2025 | 1 (singly or in combination) | 18 inches | |
June 28, 2025 - Feb. 28,2026 | 5 (singly or in combination) | 14 inches | |
Walleye, Saugeye, & Sauger | March 1 - April 30, 2025 | 6 (singly or in combination) | 15 inches |
May 1, 2025 - Feb. 28, 2026 | to be announced late April | 15 inches | |
Striped, Hybrid, & White Bass | Open year-round | None | None |
Yellow Perch | March 1 - April 30, 2025 | West Zone: 30 | None |
Central Zone: 10 | |||
East Zone: 30 | |||
May 1, 2025 - Feb. 28, 2026 | to be announced late April |

Lake Erie Regulations for Trout and Salmon
Lake Erie proper and the entire length of all Lake Erie creeks, rivers, and tributaries.
Species | Dates | Daily Limit | Minimum Size |
---|---|---|---|
Trout* & Salmon | March 1 - May 15, 2025 | 2 (singly or in combination) | 12 inches |
May 16 - Aug. 31, 2025 | 5 (singly or in combination) | ||
Sept. 1, 2025 - Feb. 28,2026 | 2 (singly or in combination) |
*Brook trout may not be taken or possessed from the Ashtabula, Chagrin, Conneaut, and Grand rivers and their tributaries
Exception To Above Regulations
For the waters of Cold Creek upstream of State Route 2 (Erie County).
SPECIES | DAILY LIMIT | MIN. SIZE |
Trout & Salmon | 5 (singly or in combination) | None |