Rule 1501:31-13-09 | Length limits on certain game fish.
Under authority of sections 1533.02 and 1531.08 of the Revised Code, the chief of the division of wildlife hereby orders that:
(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess a walleye, sauger, or saugeye less than fifteen inches in length while on the following bodies of water:
Lake Milton in Mahoning and Portage counties;
Berlin lake in Stark, Portage and Mahoning counties;
Mahoning river between Berlin lake and lake Milton in Mahoning and Portage counties.
C.J. Brown reservoir in Clark county upstream on Buck creek to the Moorefield road bridge;
Lake Erie sport fishing district;
Acton lake in Butler and Preble counties upstream on Four Mile creek to Main Loop road and upstream on Little Four Mile creek to Main Loop road;
Alum Creek lake in Delaware county upstream on Alum creek to the state route 521 bridge in Kilbourne;
Atwood lake in Carroll and Tuscarawas counties upstream to Glendale road;
Buckeye lake in Fairfield, Perry and Licking counties;
Caesar Creek lake in Clinton, Greene and Warren counties upstream on Anderson Fork to the state route 380 bridge and upstream on Caesar creek to the Roxanna-New Burlington bridge;
Ferguson reservoir in Allen county;
Findlay reservoirs 1 and 2 in Hancock county;
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 (county road 38);
Metzger reservoir in Allen county;
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;
Seneca lake in Guernsey and Noble counties upstream on Beaver creek to the state route 513 bridge and upstream on Seneca Fork of Wills creek to the county road 62 bridge;
Tappan Lake in Harrison county upstream to Addy road;
West Branch reservoir in Portage county.
(B) It shall be unlawful to take or possess any trout or salmon species less than twelve inches in length while on:
(1) The Mad river or its tributaries in Clark, Champaign and Logan counties;
(2) The Clear Fork branch of the Mohican river and its tributaries in Richland county;
(3) Lake Erie or its direct or indirect tributaries, including all the streams in the entire drainage basin, excepting therefrom Cold creek upstream of state route 2 located in Erie county.
(C) It shall be unlawful to take or possess largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, or spotted bass less than fifteen inches in length on the following bodies of water:
Blue Rock lake in Muskingum county;
Cowan lake in Clinton county upstream on Cowan creek to West Champlain road, township highway 103 and upstream on Wilson creek to Osborn road;
Greenfield lake in Fairfield county;
Wellington south reservoir in Lorain county;
Zepernick lake in Columbiana county;
Dale Walborn reservoir in Portage and Stark counties;
Ross lake in Ross county;
Adams lake in Adams county;
Resthaven pond no. 8 in Erie county;
Rush creek lake in Fairfield and Perry counties;
Rush Run lake in Preble county upstream on Rush run to the state line;
Pine lake in Ross county;
Seneca lake in Guernsey and Noble counties upstream on Beaver creek to the state route 513 bridge and upstream on Seneca Fork of Wills creek to the county road 62 bridge;
Hancock county wetland lake in Hancock county;
Caldwell lake in Ross county;
Ohio/Erie canal in Cuyahoga county.
(D) It shall be unlawful to take or possess largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, or spotted bass less than eighteen inches in length on the following bodies of water:
Knox lake in Knox county;
Lake La Su An wildlife area lakes in Williams county.
(E) It shall be unlawful to take or possess largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass less than fourteen inches in length while on or within one-quarter mile of the lake Erie sport fishing district from the fourth Saturday in June through April thirtieth.
(F) It shall be unlawful to take or possess largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass less than eighteen inches in length while on or within one-quarter mile of the lake Erie sport fishing district from May first until the fourth Saturday in June.
(G) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, or spotted bass greater than twelve inches but less than fifteen inches in length while on the water or surrounding shoreline of the following bodies of water:
Burr Oak lake in Athens and Morgan counties;
Dow lake in Athens county;
Fox lake in Athens county;
Lake Rupert (Wellston city reservoir) in Vinton county upstream on Little Raccoon creek to the county road 25 bridge;
Jackson City reservoir (Hammertown lake) in Jackson county;
Slope creek reservoir (Barnsville no. 3) in Belmont county;
Turkey creek lake in Scioto county.
(H) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess black crappie or white crappie less than nine inches in length on the following bodies of water:
Alum Creek lake in Delaware county upstream in Alum creek to the state route 521 bridge in Kilbourne;
Buckeye lake in Licking, Fairfield and Perry counties;
Caesars Creek lake in Clinton, Greene and Warren counties upstream on Anderson Fork 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 on Deer creek 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 the Shannon Valley road bridge, upstream on Poverty run to the Pinecrest drive bridge, upstream on Big run to the Creamery road bridge 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 East Fork of the Little Miami river to the West Main street bridge in Williamsburg;
Ferguson lake in Allen county;
Grand Lake St. Marys in Auglaize and Mercer counties upstream in the tributaries to 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 on 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 (county road 38);
Lake Loramie in Auglaize and Shelby counties upstream on Loramie creek to state route 29 and upstream on Northwest Feed to state route 119;
Milton lake in 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 on the Scioto river to the old bridge abutments just north of Bellepoint and upstream on Mill creek to the state route 257 bridge in Bellepoint;
Paint Creek lake in Highland and Ross counties upstream on Rattlesnake creek to state route 138 and upstream on Paint creek to state route 28;
Portage lakes - East, North, Turkeyfoot, West in Summit county;
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 to state route 124, upstream on Clear creek to Northshore drive and upstream on 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 of Wills creek to the county road 62 bridge;
Tappan lake in Harrison county upstream to Addy road;
Veterans Memorial reservoir in Hancock county.
(I) 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;
(J) It shall be unlawful to take or possess largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass less than twelve inches in length from any waters in this state where a fishing license is required as set forth in section 1533.32 of the Revised Code, not withstanding any other length limits in this rule.
(K) All definitions set forth in rule 1501:31-1-02 of the Administrative Code apply to this rule.
Last updated November 1, 2024 at 8:59 AM
Supplemental Information
Amplifies: 1531.06, 1531.08, 1531.10, 1533.02
Five Year Review Date: 3/1/2030
Prior Effective Dates: 6/1/1986 (Temp.), 9/20/1986 (Temp.), 6/1/1987 (Temp.), 5/15/1988 (Temp.), 3/1/1989 (Temp.), 3/1/1990, 3/1/1991, 2/29/1992, 2/28/1994, 5/1/1995, 3/1/1996, 3/1/1997, 3/1/1998, 3/1/2000, 3/1/2001, 2/1/2002, 3/1/2004, 3/1/2006, 11/24/2008, 11/27/2009, 3/1/2011, 3/1/2012, 3/1/2013, 3/1/2014, 3/1/2015, 3/1/2017, 3/1/2018, 3/1/2019, 1/1/2020, 5/1/2021, 1/1/2023