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Ohio

Fishing

Fishing

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.

SpeciesDatesDaily LimitMinimum 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 ZONE MAP

Lake Erie Regulations for Trout and Salmon

Lake Erie proper and the entire length of all Lake Erie creeks, rivers, and tributaries.

SpeciesDatesDaily LimitMinimum 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