The weather is warming, the ice is melting and it’s finally time to go fishing. But the state of Ohio is urging anglers to review the rules before they cast their lines.
“It’s important to be aware of Ohio’s fishing regulations,” the State said. “The laws can be different for fishing specific waters and catching certain fish species.”
You can read the regulations here.
Some rules have actually been removed this year.
“Special regulations for walleye, sauger and saugeye in the Sandusky River and Sandusky Bay have been removed,” the State said. “Statewide channel catfish regulations at lakes less than 700 acres have been removed.”
There is no longer a Lake Erie Charter Fishing License.
“A one-day license is valid to fish all public waters, including Lake Erie,” the State said.
You do not need a license to fish on “privately owned ponds, lakes or reservoirs to and from which fish do not migrate,” the State said. Additionally, Ohio residents under the age of 16 are not required to have a fishing license.
There are many options for fishing licenses, including one-day licenses and licenses that are good for your lifetime. They can be purchased online at wildohio.gov.
“On June 19 and 20, 2021, all Ohio residents may fish without a license as part of Free Fishing Days,” the State said.
There are limits on how many fish an angler may legally catch, based on species and size. For example, you can catch as many blue or flathead catfish as you want, as long as they are below 35 inches in size. The daily limit is one, however, for those over 35 inches.
Endangered species such as bigeye shiner, cisco (lake herring), gilt darter and goldeye must be immediately released back into the water after being caught.
If you catch a tagged fish in Lake Erie, the Ohio River or any of the state’s reservoirs, it is permissible to keep the fish but the state requests that you call the number on the tag or visit wildohio.gov to report it.
