Find Great Fishing in Ohio

Guide to fishing in the Buckeye State

By AA-Fishing Staff Writers

If you like fishing for big walleyes, monster smallmouth bass, big-and-plentiful crappie, the state of Ohio offers you some great fishing opportunities. Big lakes and reservoirs as well as small ponds and streams provide a day on the water (or ice) for some great fishing. Here, we concentrate primarily on the larger lakes and reservoirs in Ohio. The purpose of this page is to share basic information about the best fishing lakes in the state, plus the species found in each lake.

Ohio offers a rich and diverse fishing experience with a wide variety of species available in its warm water lakes, cold water environments, ponds, lakes, and rivers. Anglers in Ohio have the opportunity to target popular game fish such as bass, crappie, walleye, trout, catfish, and panfish.

Warm water lakes in Ohio are known for their vibrant populations of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, and catfish. These lakes provide excellent angling opportunities throughout the year, with bass tournaments and panfish outings being popular among anglers of all skill levels. The warm water lakes not only offer great fishing but also serve as recreational hubs for boating and other water-based activities.

In contrast, Ohio's cold water environments, particularly Lake Erie and its tributaries, are renowned for their world-class fishing for species such as steelhead trout, walleye, yellow perch, and smallmouth bass. Lake Erie, often referred to as the "Walleye Capital of the World," attracts anglers from far and wide who come to experience the excitement of reeling in trophy-sized walleye or battling steelhead trout during their seasonal migrations.

Ohio's numerous ponds, lakes, and rivers provide additional fishing opportunities. Anglers can explore smaller bodies of water, such as ponds, where they may find an abundance of panfish like bluegill, sunfish, and crappie. These smaller water bodies often provide a more intimate fishing experience and are popular among families and beginners.

Rivers in Ohio, including the Ohio River and its tributaries, offer diverse fishing opportunities for species like catfish, bass, walleye, and sauger. Anglers can enjoy fishing from the riverbanks or explore the waters by boat, taking advantage of the varied habitats and fishing techniques available.

Overall, Ohio's fishing scene is characterized by its wide variety of species and fishing environments. From warm water lakes teeming with bass and panfish to cold water destinations like Lake Erie for walleye and trout, anglers of all levels can find their preferred fishing experience in Ohio's ponds, lakes, and rivers.

Here, you can fish for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, black crappie, white crappie, walleye, rainbow trout, brown trout, lake trout, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, longear sunfish, pumpkinseed sunfish, redear sunfish, rock bass, warmouth, white bass, white perch, yellow perch, coho salmon, striped bass, hybrid stripers, bowfin, chain pickerel, longnose gar, muskie, northern pike, sauger, saugeye and tiger muskie in local lakes, rivers, ponds and/or streams.

Many of these lakes offer fishing boats for rent.

Major Ohio Lakes & Species

Fishing lake sizes and locations in the state.

Click the images and links above for species details.

To learn more about fishing in Ohio, visit the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife website. Click here for an Ohio fishing license.

State of OH Fishing Guides

We are also looking for information on local guides who offer services within Ohio. You can find a listing of OH fishing guides here. If you are a fishing guide in Ohio or know of a good resource, please send us information for consideration.

Fish for big bass

Excellent largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass fishing opportunities are available to anglers.

Fishing in all states

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