Ohio Fishing 2025

Ohio has an abundance of fresh water and public fishing locations including Lake Erie, the Ohio River, and thousands of inland lakes, reservoirs, ponds, and streams.

More than 200 locations in Ohio are stocked annually with species such as walleye, saugeye, yellow perch, rainbow trout, brown trout, muskellunge, channel catfish, blue catfish, and hybrid-striped bass. In 2024, ODNR Division of Wildlife stocked more than 46 million fish in Ohio waters.

To assist anglers, Ohio DNR offers an array of resources.

To find public fishing areas, anglers can download the HuntFish OH mobile application or visit the Go and Do fishing page at ohiodnr.gov.

Wild Ohio Harvest has online modules, events, enhanced learning, and recipes to get anglers started. Information can be found online at wildohio.gov.

The Fish Ohio program celebrates amazing catches of 25 species of fish and there are specific fish length requirements based on species to be a qualifying catch.

Anglers with a qualifying catch receive a commemorative Fish Ohio pin for their first entry, and a Master Angler pin for catching four different qualifying species in the same year. The 2025 Ohio Master Angler pin features a largemouth bass.

Free Fishing Weekend

Held each year in June, Ohio’s annual free fishing days allow residents a chance to fish at any public waterway without a license, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. This includes Lake Erie and Ohio’s public lakes, reservoirs, streams, and rivers.

Free fishing weekend is the only weekend of the year on which residents 16 years old and older can fish public waters for free without purchasing a fishing license. Anglers under 16 can fish for free year-round and are not required to hold a license. All other fishing regulations, size requirements, and bag limits apply during the special weekend.

For beginner anglers, Ohio DNR offers some tips:

• Consider a person’s age and skill level and keep the trip simple.
• Choose a pond, lake, or stream where beginners can easily catch a few fish.
• Use live bait to increase the odds of catching a fish. Live bait is also more interesting for children.
• Take plenty of photos and bring snacks.
• Be patient and prepared to spend time untangling lines, baiting hooks, waiting for a bite, landing fish, and other activities.

Fishing is one of the most popular outdoor activities in Ohio. Approximately 18% of Ohio’s adults, about 1.7 million individuals, participate in fishing, according to a report released by the Wildlife Management Institute, Responsive Management, and Southwick Associates.

The research found that anglers generated $5.5 billion in economic spending in Ohio in 2022.

source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources