Fishing in
Ohio
6,208 named waters · 0 stocked in the last 30 days
Lake Erie is widely called the walleye capital of the world, and the numbers back it up — the lake's western basin produces more walleye than almost anywhere else in North America. Inland, Ohio's reservoirs carry a heavy saugeye stocking program, developed specifically because the state's turbid, structure-poor lakes never supported pure walleye well.
Ohio holds 6,208 fishable waters on the books. Its agency publishes narrative reports rather than dated records — the waters below are still mapped and searchable. The biggest water in the state is Lake Erie at 6,360,014 acres.
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What you'll catch here
- Channel Catfish91 waters
- Saugeye37 waters
- Rainbow Trout32 waters
- Yellow Perch20 waters
- Hybrid Striped Bass9 waters
- Walleye8 waters
- Steelhead8 waters
- Blue Catfish6 waters
Freshest stockings
Full report →- O'Shaughnessy ReservoirHybrid Striped BassJan 1, 2025
- O'Shaughnessy ReservoirSaugeyeJan 1, 2025
- Defiance ReservoirSaugeyeJan 1, 2025
- Willard City ReservoirYellow PerchJan 1, 2025
- Willard City ReservoirWalleyeJan 1, 2025
Biggest waters
- Lake Erie6,360,014 ac
- Grand Lake12,846 ac
- Mosquito Creek Lake7,016 ac
- Dunns Pond5,069 ac
- Berlin Lake3,591 ac
- Senecaville Lake3,476 ac
- Alum Creek Lake3,203 ac
- Salt Fork Lake2,792 ac
Major rivers
- Great Miami Riverorder 9 · ~5,029 cfs
- Muskingum Riverorder 8 · ~8,016 cfs
- Maumee Riverorder 8 · ~4,786 cfs
- Whitewater Riverorder 8 · ~1,598 cfs
- Scioto Riverorder 7 · ~5,865 cfs
- Tuscarawas Riverorder 7 · ~2,542 cfs
- Walhonding Riverorder 7 · ~2,313 cfs
- Little Miami Riverorder 7 · ~1,810 cfs
Waters by county
All counties →Scioto (185) · Washington (175) · Lucas (173) · Warren (143) · Jefferson (135) · Summit (134) · Lawrence (134) · Clermont (127) · Adams (127) · Muskingum (123) · Belmont (121) · Monroe (117) · Athens (117) · Gallia (115) · Morgan (111) · Meigs (107) · Brown (104) · Harrison (99) · Madison (96) · Columbiana (96) · Ross (91) · Delaware (84) · Cuyahoga (82) · Franklin (80) · Pike (80) · Hamilton (79) · Paulding (78) · Mahoning (77) · Portage (77) · Medina (74)
Seasons, limits, and rules are Ohio's call — read the official regulations and buy your license from the state, not a middleman. We link the source; we never restate the rules.
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Ohio fishing — FAQ
What fish can you catch in Ohio?+
Ohio waters hold channel catfish, saugeye, rainbow trout and yellow perch. The map above shows every fishable water in the state with the species found there.
How often does Ohio stock fish?+
Ohio's agency publishes stocking updates that we check daily. Follow any water to track its stocking schedule.
Do I need a license to fish in Ohio?+
Yes — Ohio requires a fishing license for most anglers. Buy one from the state agency and check current seasons and limits before you go.
How many fishable waters are in Ohio?+
Ohio has 6,208 named fishable waters mapped on FishableWaters, from stocked reservoirs to wild streams.