Rule 1501:31-13-08 | Fish daily bag limits: protected species.
(A) Throughout the state it shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess more than six saugeyes, six sauger, or six walleyes, singly or in the aggregate in any one day while on any stream, river or other body of water where fishing therein requires the licenses set forth in section 1533.32 of the Revised Code; excepting therefrom the lake Erie sport fishing district in accordance with rule 1501:31-13-14 of the Administrative Code and the eastern and western fishing units of the Ohio river in accordance with rule 1501:31-13-11 of the Administrative Code.
(B) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess more than: one muskellunge, or one tiger muskellunge, singly or in the aggregate; or five black bass, including smallmouth, largemouth, or spotted bass singly or in the aggregate in any one day statewide except: black bass in the lake Erie sport fishing district in accordance with paragraph (R) of this rule, the eastern and western fishing units of the Ohio river in accordance with rule 1501:31-13-11, Pymatuning lake in accordance with paragraph (Q) of rule 1501:31-13-07 of the Administrative Code, or in waters with designated split daily bag limits associated with length limits as specified in paragraphs (O) and (P) of this rule.
(C) The possession limits set forth in paragraphs (A), (B), (E), (H), (I), and (Q) of this rule do not apply to such fish when transported on a commercial ferry boat in lake Erie.
(D) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess blue pike or sturgeon from lake Erie or any of its tributaries.
(E) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess singly or in the aggregate more than five trout and salmon daily, from any waters in this state. Provided further, it shall be unlawful for any person to:
(1) Take or possess more than two trout and salmon combined from:
(a) The Mad river or its tributaries in Clark, Champaign and Logan counties;
(b) The Clear Fork branch of the Mohican river and its tributaries in Ashland and Richland counties;
(c) Clear creek located in Fairfield and Hocking counties from the first Fairfield county road 69 bridge East of the junction of county road 26 and county road 69 to U.S. route 33 Highway bridge in Hocking county;
(d) Lake Erie and its tributaries from September first through May fifteenth.
(2) Take or possess brook trout from the Ashtabula river, Chagrin river, Conneaut river, Grand river, and their tributaries.
(F) It shall be unlawful for any person to seine or take bait in King's creek between the bridge on county road no. 223 and the Mad river.
(G) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess a fish in any form or condition other than in the round while on or when unloading the fish from a boat, while wading, while fishing from shore, or while on any waters in this state where a fishing license is required as set forth in section 1533.32 of the Revised Code, except: forage fish, rough fish, and game fish that do not have a possession or length limit on those waters, may be cut up and used for bait provided that the skin or head of the fish being used is intact so that the species is visually identifiable.
(1) It shall be unlawful to possess or transport a fish taken from any stream, river or other body of water where fishing therein requires the licenses set forth in section 1533.32 of the Revised Code unless the fish is in the round or complete fillet until a person reaches their permanent residence or until the fish is being prepared for immediate consumption. Frozen fish must be transported in such a way the fillets can be easily identified and counted.
(2) It shall be lawful to possess fish in the round or as a complete fillet while returning from the lake Erie islands on a commercial ferry boat.
(3) Paragraph (G)(1) of this rule does not apply if the fish in a person's possession are accompanied by a receipt or statement issued by a person who for consideration, hire, or resale, scales, fillets, dresses, or in any manner processes fish taken with other than commercial fishing gear or a receipt or statement issued by a licensed Ohio fishing guide. Such statement or receipt shall list the name of the person, the number and species of fish and the date said fish were caught. It shall be unlawful to falsify any information on said statement or receipt or to provide a falsified statement or receipt to anyone.
(H) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess more than thirty yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in any one day statewide, except in the eastern and western fishing units of the Ohio river, in accordance with the rule 1501:31-13-11 of the Administrative Code, Pymatuning lake, in accordance with paragraph (Q) of rule 1501:31-13-07 of the Administrative Code, and the lake Erie sport fishing district, in accordance with rule 1501:31-13-14 of the Administrative Code.
(I) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess more than one channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) in excess of twenty-eight inches, and one flathead catfish (Pylodictus olivaris) in excess of thirty-five inches, and one blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) in excess of thirty-five inches in any one day statewide from any waters in the state wherein an Ohio fishing license is required by section 1533.32 of the Revised Code, except Pymatuning lake in accordance with paragraph (Q) of rule 1501:31-13-07 of the Administrative Code.
(J) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess more than ten sunfish in the aggregate in any one day from each of the following areas:
St. Joseph river wildlife area;
Oxbow lake wildlife area;
Killdeer Plains wildlife area.
(K) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess more than ten crappie in the aggregate in any one day from each of the following areas:
St. Joseph river wildlife area;
Oxbow lake wildlife area;
Killdeer Plains wildlife area.
(L) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess more than thirty crappie in the aggregate in any one day from each of the following areas:
Alum Creek lake in Delaware county upstream to the state route 521 bridge in Kilbourne;
Buckeye lake in Licking, Fairfield and Perry counties;
Caesar Creek lake in Clinton, Greene and Warren counties upstream on Anderson Fork creek to the state route 380 bridge and upstream on Caesar creek to the Roxanna-New Burlington bridge;
Deer Creek lake in Fayette and Pickaway counties upstream to the Yankeetown Pike bridge;
Delaware lake in Delaware county, including the Olentangy river in Marion county upstream to the Waldo dam and Whetstone creek upstream to state route 229;
Dillon lake in Muskingum county upstream on Stump Run to Shannon Valley road, upstream on Poverty run to Pinecrest drive, upstream on Big run to Creamery road and upstream on the Licking river to the county road 408 bridge;
East Fork lake in Clermont county upstream on Todd run to the state route 133 bridge and upstream on the East Fork of the Little Miami river to West Main street bridge in Williamsburg;
Ferguson lake in Allen county;
Grand Lake St. Marys in Auglaize and Mercer counties upstream in the tributaries from the south to state route 219 and upstream on Coldwater creek to state route 127;
Hoover reservoir in Franklin and Delaware counties upstream on Big Walnut creek to the Columbus street bridge in Galena and upstream in Little Walnut creek to the state route 3 bridge;
Indian lake in Logan county upstream on the north fork of the Great Miami river to the state route 117 bridge and upstream on the south fork of the Great Miami river to the Bickham covered bridge on county road 38;
Lake Loramie in Auglaize and Shelby counties upstream in Loramie creek to state route 29 and upstream on Northwest feed to state route 119;
Milton lake Mahoning county upstream to Ellsworth road;
Mahoning river between Berlin lake and lake Milton in Mahoning and Portage counties;
Metzger reservoir in Allen county;
Mosquito lake in Trumbull county;
O'Shaughnessy reservoir in Delaware county upstream in the Scioto river to the old bridge abutments just north of Bellepoint and upstream in Mill creek to the state route 257 bridge in Bellepoint;
Portage lakes - East, North, Turkeyfoot, West in Summit county;
Paint Creek lake in Highland and Ross counties upstream in Rattlesnake creek to state route 138 and upstream on paint creek to route 28;
Piedmont lake in Guernsey, Harrison and Belmont counties upstream on Stillwater creek to the township road 343 bridge;
Pleasant Hill lake in Richland and Ashland counties upstream to the Pleasant Hill road bridge;
Rocky Fork lake in Highland county upstream on Rocky Fork creek to state route 124, upstream on Clear creek to Northshore drive and upstream on Plum run, the southeast feed, to Lucas lane;
Salt Fork lake in Guernsey county upstream on Sugartree Fork to the township road 587 bridge, upstream on Brushy Fork to the state route 22 bridge, upstream on Salt Fork to the Fairground road bridge and upstream on rocky Fork to the township road 855 bridge;
Seneca lake in Guernsey and Noble counties upstream on Beaver creek to the state route 513 bridge and upstream on Seneca Fork (Wills creek) to the county road 62 bridge;
Tappan lake in Harrison county upstream to Addy road;
Veterans Memorial reservoir in Hancock county.
(M) It shall be unlawful to take or possess more than thirty striped bass, hybrid striped bass, or white bass, singly or in the aggregate in any one day from any waters in the state wherein an Ohio fishing license is required by section 1533.32 of the Revised Code, except Pymatuning lake and the lake Erie sport fishing district.
It shall be unlawful to take or possess more than four striped bass, hybrid striped bass, or white bass singly or in the aggregate greater than fifteen inches in length in any one day from any waters in the state wherein an Ohio fishing license is required by section 1533.32 of the Revised Code, except Pymatuning lake and the lake Erie sport fishing district.
(N) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess more than twenty sunfish (Lepomis spp.) in the aggregate in any one day from all lakes and ponds in the Jesse Owens park, Jesse Owens wildlife area, and the Appalachian Hills wildlife area in Guernsey, Morgan, Muskingum, and Noble counties.
(O) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess more than four largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass singly or in aggregate, of which no more than two can be less than fifteen inches in length and no more than two can be greater than or equal to fifteen inches in length on the following bodies of water or surrounding shoreline:
Acton lake in Preble and Butler counties upstream on Four Mile creek to Main Loop road and upstream on Little Four Mile creek to Main Loop road;
Findley lake in Lorain county;
Hargus Creek lake in Pickaway county;
Highlandtown lake in Columbiana county;
Lake Snowden in Athens county;
New Lyme lake in Ashtabula county;
Paint creek lake in Highland and Ross counties upstream in Rattlesnake creek to state route 138 and upstream on Paint creek to route 28;
Salt Fork lake in Guernsey county upstream on Sugartree Fork to the township road 587 bridge, upstream on Brushy Fork to the state route 22 bridge, upstream on Salt Fork to the Fairground road bridge and upstream on Rocky Fork to the township road 855 bridge;
Silver creek lake in Summit county;
Upper Sandusky reservoir no. 2 in Wyandot county.
(P) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess more than three largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass singly or in aggregate, of which no more than two can be less than fourteen inches in length and no more than one can be greater than or equal to twenty inches in length on the following bodies of water or surrounding shoreline. In addition, it shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, or spotted bass greater than fourteen inches but less than twenty inches in length while on the water or surrounding shoreline of the following bodies of water:
Appalachian Hills wildlife area lakes and ponds in Guernsey, Morgan, Muskingum and Noble counties;
Belmont lake in Belmont county;
Guilford lake in Columbiana county;
Jesse Owens park lakes and ponds in Morgan county;
Jesse Owens wildlife area lakes and ponds in Morgan county;
Killdeer pond number 30, and Killdeer pond number 33 in Wyandot county;
Kiser lake in Champaign county;
Long lake in Summit county;
Oxbow lake in Defiance county;
Spencer lake in Medina county;
St. Joseph river wildlife area lakes in Williams county;
Tycoon lake in Gallia county;
Wingfoot lake in Portage county;
Wolf Run lake in Noble county.
(Q) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess more than one black bass, including smallmouth, largemouth, or spotted bass, in any one day while on or within one-quarter mile of the lake Erie sport fishing district from May first until the fourth Saturday in June.
(R) Unless otherwise provided by division rule, there is no daily bag limit for the following species of fish statewide: crappie, white bass, bluegill, sunfish, and rock bass.
(S) All definitions set forth in rule 1501:31-1-02 of the Administrative Code apply to this rule.
Last updated January 2, 2024 at 10:08 AM
Supplemental Information
Amplifies: 1531.06, 1531.08, 1531.10, 1533.02
Five Year Review Date: 1/1/2029
Prior Effective Dates: 2/5/1977, 6/1/1979, 3/1/1980, 1/25/1982, 11/12/1982, 6/1/1984, 3/1/1985 (Emer.), 6/1/1985, 6/1/1986, 6/1/1987, 6/1/1988, 3/1/1989, 3/1/1991, 7/31/1995, 1/2/1996, 11/20/1996, 3/1/1998, 3/1/2000, 3/1/2001, 2/1/2002, 3/1/2004, 5/27/2005, 3/1/2006, 4/10/2007 (Emer.), 7/1/2007, 7/1/2008, 11/24/2008, 7/1/2009, 11/27/2009, 1/1/2012, 3/1/2013, 3/1/2014, 3/1/2016, 3/1/2017, 3/1/2018, 3/1/2019, 1/1/2020, 7/1/2020, 1/1/2021, 5/1/2021, 1/1/2023, 6/30/2023