Ohio Fishing Regulations: Bag Limits, Size Limits and Seasons
These are the statewide daily bag limits and length limits Ohio anglers work under, taken from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife guide for March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027. Statewide means the default: most states, Ohio included, override these on specific lakes, rivers and coastal zones, so treat this page as the baseline and the official guide as the rule for the water you are standing on.
Inland Ohio has no closed season for any sport fish. Lake Erie is the exception: its black bass limit drops to 1 fish at 18 in. from May 1 through late June for the spawn, and the Lake Erie walleye and yellow perch daily limits are announced each spring (walleye was 6 at 15 in. and perch 30/10/20 by zone through April 30, 2026). You will still need the Ohio fishing license, which runs $25 for residents and $76.96 for non-residents; the Ohio fishing license page covers short-term options, exemptions and where to buy.
Limits last verified 2026-09-16.
Ohio freshwater bag and length limits
| Species | Daily bag | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bassLake Erie: 5 at 14 in., except 1 at 18 in. from May 1 to late June. | 5 combined | 12 in. minimum |
| Walleye, sauger and saugeyeLake Erie: 15 in. minimum, limit set each spring. | 6 combined | None inland |
| Yellow perchLake Erie zones run 30 west, 10 central, 20 east through April; summer limits announced in late April. | 30 | None |
| Crappie and sunfishMany reservoirs set a 30-crappie, 9 in. rule. | No statewide limit | None |
| Channel catfish | No limit under 28 in.; 1 per day at 28 in. or larger | See bag |
| Blue and flathead catfish | No limit under 35 in.; 1 of each per day at 35 in. or larger | See bag |
| Muskellunge40 in. minimum on the managed muskie lakes. | 1 | None statewide |
| Striped, hybrid striped and white bass | 30 combined | No more than 4 over 15 in. |
| Trout (all species) and steelheadLake Erie steelhead: 2 from September through mid-May, 12 in. minimum. | 5 combined | None |
How to read a bag limit
A daily bag limit is the number of that species one angler may keep in a day, and in most states also the number you may have in possession on the water. Where a row says "combined", the number is shared across every species named in it. A minimum length is measured from the tip of the closed mouth to the tip of the tail with the tail pinched; a slot means fish inside the range must go back. When a lake has its own rule in the official guide, that rule replaces the statewide one for that water only.
Related: the Ohio fishing license page for the fee and where to buy, non-resident fishing license fees across states, and fishing regulations for every state.