2023 Ohio Revised Code › Title 15 | Conservation of Natural Resources › Chapter 1533 | Hunting; Fishing › Section 1533.02 | Fishing and Trapping Districts - Restrictions on Taking, Possession, and Selling.

Effective:
October 20, 1994
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 182 - 120th General Assembly
Fish in the inland and Lake Erie fishing districts, game birds and game quadrupeds throughout the state, and fur-bearing animals in the inland and Lake Erie trapping districts may be taken and possessed only in open season, in compliance with this section or a division rule, stipulating the length of fish and the number of fish, game birds, game quadrupeds, and fur-bearing animals that may be taken.
The waters of Lake Erie and the waters, lands, and marshes included in Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, Erie, Lorain, Cuyahoga, Lake, and Ashtabula counties constitute the "Lake Erie trapping district," and all other waters, lands, and marshes within the state constitute the "inland trapping district."
The waters of Lake Erie; the waters of Sandusky bay as far west as a continuation due south to the Sandusky county shore of the section line between sections 23 and 24 in Bay township, Ottawa county, and as far east as a continuation due north of the township line between Perkins and Huron townships, Erie county, indicated by markers which shall be permanently erected on each shore; and the waters of Maumee bay as far south as a line which shall be a continuation due eastward of the section line between sections 16 and 21 in Washington township, Lucas county, indicated by markers which shall be permanently erected on each shore, constitute the "Lake Erie fishing district." All other waters over which the state has jurisdiction, whether lakes, rivers, creeks, or reservoirs or whether natural or artificial, including East Harbor, West Harbor, and Middle Harbor in Ottawa county, and the waters of Ten Mile creek lying within this state constitute the "inland fishing district."
(A) All species or kinds of fish may be taken and possessed only according to the following schedule or as otherwise provided in this chapter or Chapter 1531. of the Revised Code or by division rule.
Open Season
Minimum Legal Lengths in Inches
Daily Bag Limits
Name of Fish
Inland
Lake Erie
1
Muskellunge
No closed season
No closed season
30
None
2
None
2
Yellow Pike-perch
No closed season
No closed season
13
None
6
None
3
Bluegill
No closed season
No closed season
5
5
20
20
4
Rock Bass
No closed season
No closed season
5
5
20
20
5
Yellow Perch
No closed season
No closed season
None
None
20
None
6
White Bass
No closed season
No closed season
None
None
20
None
7
Trout
Apr.15-Sept.15
Apr. 15-Sept.15
7
7
6
6
8
Black Bass
June 16-Apr.30
July 1-May 24
10
10
6
6
9
Crappie
No closed season
No closed season
20
20
10
Sunfish
No closed season
No closed season
None
None
20
20
11
Catfish
No closed season
No closed season
None
None
20
None
Division (A)(7) of this section includes brooktrout, rainbow trout, and brown trout.
Division (A)(8) of this section includes largemouth black bass, smallmouth black bass, and spotted black bass.
Division (A)(9) of this section includes white crappies and black crappies.
Division (A)(10) of this section includes pumpkinseed sunfish, long-eared sunfish, and green sunfish.
Division (A)(11) of this section includes channel catfish and shovel head catfish and yellow bullhead, brown bullhead, and black bullhead.
The total daily bag limit throughout the state for the combined species mentioned in division (A) of this section shall not exceed twenty-five, and not more than two days' legal catch of any one species, nor more than fifty of all species shall be in possession at any one time, except fish allowed to be taken by commercial fishermen in the Lake Erie fishing district.
(B) All species of game birds and game quadrupeds throughout the state may be taken and possessed only according to the following schedule or as otherwise provided in this chapter or Chapter 1531. of the Revised Code, or by division rule.
Name
Open Season
Bag Limit
Possession Limit
Pheasant (Cockbirdsonly)
Nov. 15 - Nov. 30
2
4
Ruffed Grouse
Nov. 15 - Nov. 30
2
4
Hungarian Partridge
Nov. 15 - Nov. 30
4
4
Sharp-tail Grouse
No open season
PinnatedGrouse
No open season
Woodcock
Oct. 10 - Oct. 24
4
8
Wilson's or Jack Snipe
Oct. 16 - Dec. 14
15
15
Rail and Gallinule
Sept. 1 - Nov. 30
15
15
Black-breasted Plover
No open season
Golden Plover
No open season
Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs
No open season
Coot
Oct. 16 - Dec. 14
25
25
Duck
Oct. 16 - Dec. 14
10
20
Geese and Brant
Oct. 16 - Dec. 14
3
6
Hare or Rabbit
Nov. 15 - Jan. 1
4
4
Gray, Black, and Fox Squirrel
Sept. 25 - Oct. 10
4
8
Red or Pine Squirrel
No closed season
Ground Hog or Woodchuck
No closed season
Deer
No open season
Bear
No open season
(C) All species of fur-bearing animals may be taken and possessed only according to the following schedule, or as otherwise provided in this chapter or Chapter 1531. of the Revised Code or by division rule.
Name
Inland Trapping District Open Season
Lake Erie Trapping District Open Season
Mink
Dec. 1 - Jan. 15
Dec. 15 - Mar. 15
Weasel
No closed season
No closed season
Raccoon
Nov. 15 - Jan. 15
Nov. 15 - Jan. 15
Skunk
Nov. 15 - Jan. 15
Nov. 15 - Jan. 15
Opossum
Nov. 15 - Jan. 15
Nov. 15 - Jan. 15
Muskrat
Dec. 1 - Jan. 15
Dec. 15 - Mar. 15
Beaver
No open season
No open season
Fox
Nov. 15 - Mar. 1
Nov. 15 - Mar. 1
The season provided for the taking of fox does not prohibit the chasing of a fox by dog or on horseback when the chasing does not result in the killing of the fox.
This section does not prevent the owner or operator of a farm or enclosure used to breed and raise raccoon, skunk, mink, muskrat, or opossum from taking or possessing at any time such fur-bearing animals although the farm or enclosure, in addition to that use, also is used during the open season for hunting other game.
No person within the state shall buy, sell, expose for sale, offer for sale, or have in possession for any such purpose any of the fish, or any part thereof, mentioned in this section, whether taken within or without the state, except such fish as are protected by law and taken by licensed commercial fishermen in the Lake Erie fishing district and in other waters wherein fishing with nets is licensed by law. This section does not prohibit the sale of fish taken by angling in the Lake Erie fishing district that are of a length provided by law and permitted to be taken and sold by licensed commercial fisherman . No person within the state shall buy, sell, expose for sale, offer for sale, or have in possession for any such purpose any game bird or game quadruped, or any part thereof, whether taken within or without the state. Each such fish, game bird, or game quadruped, or part thereof, bought, sold, exposed for sale, offered for sale, or had in possession for any such purposes contrary to this section or division rule constitutes a separate offense.
No person shall take a hare or rabbit, within the state, through the use of a ferret, or place a ferret in any hole or opening in the ground, a stone wall, a log, or elsewhere outside a building, in which a hare or rabbit might be confined, or have a ferret in possession or under control while hunting, going hunting, or returning from hunting. Each hare or rabbit caught, killed, or had in possession contrary to this section constitutes a separate offense. This section does not prevent the owner of a young fruit orchard or nursery or his tenant or bona fide employee from possessing a ferret or using a ferret in any manner to take or kill rabbits or hares when they are doing actual and substantial damage to his fruit trees or nursery stock.
The possession of the hide, skin, or pelt of a wild bird or wild quadruped during the closed seasons is prima-facie evidence that it was illegally taken unless the possessor can show an original invoice signed by a shipper that the hide, skin, or pelt was shipped from without the state or furnish satisfactory proof that it was legally taken or acquired.
(D) No person shall take a wild bird or wild quadruped from its nest, house, den, or burrow, or destroy such a nest, house, den, or burrow, or with a spear hunt, pursue, injure, or kill any wild bird or wild quadruped except as otherwise provided in this chapter or Chapter 1531. of the Revised Code or by division rule. Each wild bird or wild quadruped or each hide, skin, or pelt of any such wild bird or wild quadruped, or part thereof, taken or had in possession contrary to this section constitutes a separate offense.
Last updated May 24, 2022 at 5:11 PM