2026 regulation year
Ohio Largemouth bass 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules
Micropterus nigricans
Last updated
Ohio largemouth fishing centres on the state's public reservoirs — Lake St. Marys (no-horsepower-limit), Buckeye Lake, Indian Lake, Alum Creek, Hoover Reservoir, and the Muskingum Watershed lakes. A 12-inch statewide minimum and 5-fish combined black-bass bag apply on most waters, with 15-inch slot regs on listed trophy reservoirs.
Season
Open year-round Open year-round statewide.
Bag & possession
- Daily bag
- 5 / day combined with smallmouth (black bass)
- Possession
- 5 in possession (combined)
Size, slot, trophy rules
- Size
- 12 in minimum most reservoirs; 15 in on listed slot waters
- Slot
- Per-lake protected slots on listed trophy reservoirs
Gear restrictions
- Hook-and-line on most waters
- Tournament boats must follow Division of Wildlife livewell + culling rules
Named water-body overrides
Where statewide rules differ on specific Ohio waters:
Lake St. Marys
12 in minimum, 5 / day; no-horsepower-limit reservoir
Buckeye Lake
12 in minimum, 5 / day; central Ohio metro fishery
Indian Lake
12 in minimum, 5 / day; popular Logan County reservoir
Alum Creek Reservoir
12 in minimum, 5 / day; Columbus-area saugeye + bass water
Hoover Reservoir
12 in minimum, 5 / day; Columbus metro reservoir
Official source
Ohio Department of Natural Resources — Division of Wildlife publishes the authoritative 2026 Ohiofishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.