State Regulations
These regulations apply to all public waters in Ohio where site-specific regulations are not implemented. Exceptions to these regulations include locations listed for Lake Erie and its tributaries, the Ohio River, and Site-Specific Waters.
| Species | Daily Limit | Minimum Size |
|---|---|---|
Blue & Flathead Catfish (under 35inches) | No limit | None |
Blue & Flathead Catfish (35 inches or larger) | 1 of each (statewide) | 35 inches |
Channel Catfish (under 28 inches) | No limit | None |
Channel Catfish (28 inches or larger) | 1 (statewide) | 28 inches |
Largemouth, Smallmouth, & SpottedBass | 5 (singly or in combination) | 12 inches |
Muskellunge | 1 | None |
Striped, Hybrid-Striped, & White Bass | 30 (singly or in combination) | No more than 4 over 15inches |
Trout | 5 (singly or in combination) | None |
Walleye, Sauger, & Saugeye | 6 (singly or in combination) | None |
Yellow Perch | 30 | None |
State Endangered Fish Species
The fish listed below are protected in all Ohio waters and if caught must be immediately released back into its originating waterbody. Possession of these fish is prohibited: alligator gar, bigeye shiner, blacknose shiner, brook trout*, cisco (or lake herring), gilt darter, goldeye, Iowa darter, lake sturgeon, longhead darter, longnose sucker, mountain brook lamprey, northern brook lamprey, northern madtom, Ohio lamprey, pirate perch, popeye shiner, pugnose minnow, shoal chub, shortnose gar, shovelnose sturgeon, spotted darter, spotted gar, tonguetied minnow, and western banded killifish.
*Taking or possessing brook trout is prohibited in the Ashtabula, Chagrin, Conneaut, and Grand rivers and their tributaries.
Ohio Fish Tag
Anglers may encounter fish from Lake Erie, the Ohio River, or any of Ohio’s reservoirs which are tagged to improve the Division of Wildlife’s knowledge and management of the state’s fisheries. The fish may be kept but please remove the tag, rinse with water, and store the tag at room temperature. Call the number printed on the tag or visit wildohio.gov to report when and where the fish was caught.
Tagged Lake Erie walleye will have up to two external tags and one internal transmitter. Please remove the tags and transmitter. Call (419) 625-8062 to report tagged Lake Erie walleye. A $100 reward is offered for information on the external tag and transmitter in the event that you catch and keep a tagged walleye.
