Site-Specific Regulations
Inland Lakes, Reservoirs, Rivers, and Streams
These regulations apply to the waters listed under the LOCATION column.
Species | Location | Daily Limit | Minimum Size |
Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass | • La Su An | Special limits are posted | |
• Knox | 5 | 18 inches | |
• Adams • Blue Rock • Caldwell • Cowan • Dale Walborn • Greenfield • Ohio-Erie Canal • Hancock County Wetlands • Pine • Resthaven Pond No. 8 • Ross • Rush Creek Lake • Rush Run Lake • Seneca • Wellington Reservoir South • Zepernick | 5 | 15 inches | |
• Acton • Findley • Hargus • Highlandtown • Lake Snowden • New Lyme • Paint Creek Lake • Salt Fork • Silver Creek Lake • Upper Sandusky No. 2 | 4 fish split daily limit | 2 fish less than 15 inches, & 2 fish 15 inches or longer | |
• Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area • Belmont • Guilford • Jesse Owens State Park & Wildlife Area • Killdeer Plains ponds No. 30 and No. 33 • Kiser • Long • Oxbow • Spencer • St. Joseph Wildlife Area • Tycoon • Wingfoot • Wolf Run | 3 fish split daily limit | 2 fish less than 14 inches, & 1 fish 20 inches or longer | |
• Burr Oak • Dow • Fox • Hammertown (Jackson City Reservoir) • Lake Rupert (Wellston City Reservoir) • Slope Creek (Barnesville No. 3) • Turkey Creek | 5 | None may be taken between 12 & 15 inches | |
Black & White Crappie | • Alum Creek Lake • Buckeye • Caesar Creek Lake • Deer Creek Lake (Fayette and Pickaway counties) • Delaware (including the Olentangy River upstream to the Waldo dam, and Whetstone Creek upstream to State Route 229) • Dillon • East Fork • Ferguson • Grand Lake St. Marys • Hoover • Indian • Lake Milton • Loramie • Mahoning River between Berlin Lake and Lake Milton • Metzger • Mosquito • O’Shaughnessy • Paint Creek Lake • Piedmont • Pleasant Hill • Portage Lakes: East, North, Turkeyfoot, and West • Rocky Fork • Salt Fork • Seneca • Tappan • Veterans Memorial | 30 | 9 inches |
• Killdeer Plains • Oxbow • St. Joseph River Wildlife Area | 10 | None | |
Sunfish (all species) | • Killdeer Plains • Oxbow • St. Joseph River Wildlife Area | 10 | None |
• Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area • Jesse Owens State Park and Wildlife Area | 20 (singly or in combination) | None | |
• Clear Creek from the first Fairfield County Road 69 bridge (east of the junction of County Roads 26 and 69) to the U.S. Route 33 bridge in Hocking County | |||
• Clear Fork of the Mohican River in Ashland County | |||
2 | None | ||
Trout | • Mad River and its tributaries • Clear Fork of the Mohican River in Richland County | ||
2 | 12 inches | ||
• Ashtabula, Chagrin, Grand, and Conneaut rivers and their tributaries | |||
Brook Trout | Possession is prohibited | ||
• Berlin • C.J. Brown • LaDue | |||
Walleye, Saugeye, & Sauger | • Lake Milton, including the Mahoning River connecting Berlin Lake and Lake Milton | ||
• Mosquito Creek Lake • West Branch | 6 | 15 inches |
The 15-inch minimum length requirement for walleye, saugeye, and sauger was removed at Acton Lake, Alum Creek Lake, Atwood Lake, Buckeye Lake, Caesar Creek Lake, Ferguson Reservoir, Findlay Reservoirs No. 1 & No. 2, Indian Lake, Metzger Reservoir, Piedmont Lake, Pleasant Hill Lake, Rocky Fork Lake, Seneca Lake, and Tappan Lake.
Pymatuning Lake Regulations
Ohio – Pennsylvania
Either an Ohio or Pennsylvania fishing license may be used when fishing from a boat; however, a Pennsylvania fishing license is required to take fish, frogs, or turtles from the shore of the Pennsylvania side or from any island. Fish may be taken only by angling, except carp and suckers which may be taken with longbow and arrow, or spears. Special regulations apply to frogs, turtles, tadpoles, minnows, and ice fishing — see the Pennsylvania regulations for specific information.
Pymatuning Lake anglers fishing in either Ohio or Pennsylvania waters may use up to three fishing lines, whether fastened to a pole, a rod and reel, or hand-held. Anglers may use up to three hooks on each line.
Species | Daily Limit | Minimum Size |
Black & White Crappie | 20 (singly or in combination) | 9 inches |
Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass | 5 (singly or in combination) | 12 inches |
Muskellunge | 2 | 30 inches |
Walleye | 6 | 15 inches |
All other fish | No Limit | None |
Mahoning, Maumee, Portage, & Sandusky Rivers
The following regulations are in effect from March 1 through April 30, 2025.
No Fishing With A Line With More Than A Single Hook.
The line may not have a hook larger than ½ inch from shank to point, or lure having more than a single hook larger than ½ inch from shank to point. Double and treble hooks are prohibited. These regulations apply to the following areas:
- The Maumee River from the Grand Rapids Providence Dam to a line in the Maumee Bay from Little Cedar Point to Turtle Island;
- The Sandusky River from the Waterworks Dam in Tiffin to a line running ¼ mile east of and parallel to the full length of the Norfolk Southern railroad bridge in Sandusky Bay;
- The Portage River from State Route 19 to the dam at Elmore;
- The Mahoning River from the dam at Berlin Reservoir to Lake Milton.
Fishing is Allowed Only From Sunrise to Sunset in The Following Areas:
- The Maumee River from the Ohio Turnpike bridge to the Old Waterville interurban bridge at the end of Forst Road in Wood County, and from the State Route
295 bridge to the Grand Rapids Providence Dam; - The Sandusky River from the Waterworks Dam in Tiffin to the northern tip of Brady’s Island in Fremont;
- The Portage River from State Route 19 to the dam at Elmore;
- The Mahoning River from the dam at Berlin Reservoir to Lake Milton.