Make sure your fishing license is up to date and get ready to cast a line; the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has some recommendations for the best fishing spots in the state.
In a recent Facebook post, the ODNR’s Division of Wildlife listed the top ten lakes for fishing in Ohio, none of which were Lake Erie.
Here is a look at the lists.
The top 10 lakes for fishing in Ohio
The Ohio Division of Wildlife has generated a list of the top 10 inland lakes to fish for largemouth bass, saugeye, crappie and sunfish based on data gathered in 2024 through the Fish Ohio program.
They are:
The top 10 lakes in Ohio for largemouth bass fishing
Largemouth bass are a popular sport fish because they grow to large sizes in Ohio’s lakes and rivers, according to the Division of Wildlife.
The top 10 lakes for these fish are:
- Nimisila Reservoir, Summit County
- Mosquito Creek Lake, Trumbull County
- Mogadore Reservoir, Portage County
- East Reservoir, Summit County
- Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area, Morgan County
- Wingfoot Lake, Portage County
- Alum Creek Lake, Delaware County
- Kiser Lake, Champaign County
- Rocky Fork Lake, Highland County
- Spencer Lake, Medina County
Ohio’s 10 best lakes for saugeye fishing
Saugeye, a hybrid between a walleye and a sauger, are stocked in more than 60 lakes by the Division of Wildlife. They grow fast and can be caught year-round.
The top lakes for saugeye are:
- Indian Lake in Logan County
- Buckeye Lake in Fairfield, Licking and Perry counties
- Alum Creek Lake, Delaware County
- Atwood Lake in Tuscarawas and Carroll counties
- Piedmont Lake in Belmont and Harrison counties
- Caesar Creek Lake in Clinton, Greene and Warren counties
- Salt Fork Lake, Guernsey County
- Tappan Lake, Harrison County
- Charles Mill Reservoir in Richland and Ashland counties
- Pleasant Hill Lake in Richland and Ashland counties
The top 10 lakes for crappie in Ohio
Black crappie and white crappie are plentiful in Ohio. The feisty sport fish can be caught with light tackle and are found near structures such as drop-offs, points, creek beds, brush piles, and fallen trees.
The best lakes for crappie are:
- Mosquito Creek Lake, Trumbull County
- Buckeye Lake in Fairfield, Licking and Perry counties
- Alum Creek Lake, Delaware County
- Hoover Reservoir in Delaware and Franklin counties
- Caesar Creek Lake in Clinton, Greene and Warren counties
- Deer Creek Lake, Stark County
- Indian Lake, Logan County
- Leesville Lake, Carroll County
- Berlin Lake in Stark, Portage, and Mahoning counties
- Acton Lake in Preble and Butler counties
The best lakes in Ohio to catch sunfish
Ohio anglers can find sunfish such as bluegill, redear sunfish, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, and longear, in almost every body of water across the Buckeye State.
- Nimisila Reservoir, Summit County
- Leesville Lake, Carroll County
- East Reservoir, Summit County
- Buckeye Lake in Fairfield, Licking and Perry counties
- Alum Creek Lake, Delaware County
- Indian Lake, Logan County
- Mosquito Creek Lake, Trumbull County
- Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area, Morgan County
- Findley Lake, Lorain County
- Mogadore Reservoir, Portage County
What is Fish Ohio?
The Fish Ohio program recognizes anglers who have made noteworthy catches. Every angler who makes a qualifying catch receives a collectible Fish Ohio lapel pin featuring a different species of fish each year.
There is also a “Master Angler” category for anglers who catch four different Fish Ohio-qualifying species in the same year. The Master Angler pin is identical to the Fish Ohio pin, except it is gold in color.
ODNR stocking rainbow trout through late May. Here’s where
The Division of Wildlife will stock rainbow trout in Ohio rivers and lakes beginning March 12 and ending in late May.
The agency has scheduled the release of 85,000 rainbow trout at 90 locations to ensure that as many anglers as possible have the opportunity to reel in these ferocious fish. Trout releases are designed to maximize angler success and harvest.
ODNR releases 46 million fish in Ohio waterways during 2024 stocking program
Last year, ODRN released more than 46 million fish at 288 locations across the state.
Last year, Ohio stocked 46 million fish in five different life stages.
- 31.8 million fry (less than 1 inch long)
- 13.4 million fingerlings (1 to 2 inches long)
- 236,701 advanced fingerlings (6 to 12 inches long)
- 514,032 yearlings (7 to 12 inches long)
- 105,101 catchable fish (6 inches or longer)
They included the following species:
- Blue catfish : 151,663 advanced fingerlings
- Bluegill : 12,233 catchable
- Brown trout : 23,233 yearlings, 2,603 catchable
- Channel catfish : 61,899 advanced fingerlings, 24,647 yearlings, 6,271 catchable
- Hybrid-striped bass : 1.1 million fries, 748,217 fingerlings
- Muskellunge : 23,139 advanced fingerlings
- Rainbow trout : 83,994 catchable
- Saugeye : 15.6 million fries, 7.6 million fingerlings
- Steelhead trout : 466,152 yearlings
- Walleye : 13 million fries, 4 million fingerlings
- Yellow perch : 2.1 million fries, 1 million fingerlings
For a complete list of waterways and species stocked there, see Ohio’s fish stocking records data site .
Lake Erie poised for another year of excellent fishing, per ODNR
Lake Erie anglers can expect “continued world-class catches” in the 2025 season, according to the ODNR.
Successful walleye hatches from previous years have now reached the Fish Ohio qualifying size of 28 inches. In 2024, anglers reported 980 walleye to Fish Ohio, with the longest measuring 34 inches.
Furthermore, a stable yellow perch population in Lake Erie’s west zone (from Toledo to Huron) will provide good fishing in 2025, while lower catch rates are expected to persist in the central (Huron to Fairport Harbor) and east (Fairport Harbor to Conneaut) zones, according to ODNR.
Also, smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing in 2025 is expected to be excellent, with trophy catches.
How much is a fishing license in Ohio?
Ohio resident fishing licenses cost $25 and are valid for one year from the date of purchase. They can be purchased up to 30 days before their expiration date. Anyone over the age of 16 must have a fishing license to fish in Ohio public waters.
The new licenses can be purchased at wildohio.gov , on the HuntFish OH mobile app, or at participating retail stores statewide.
