COLUMBUS — Fish Ohio records from Lake Erie show 3,916 catches of trophy fish from 17 different species were submitted in 2023, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
The Fish Ohio program celebrates amazing catches of 25 species of fish. On Lake Erie, popular species sought by anglers include walleye, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and channel catfish. Those who reel in a qualifying catch receive the commemorative Fish Ohio pin for their first entry and a Master Angler pin for catching qualifiers of four different species in the same year. Applications for a Fish Ohio pin and minimum length requirements are found at fishohio.gov.
Lake Erie, renowned as The Walleye Capital of the World, received the most Fish Ohio submissions of all the state’s waters in 2023 and is known as a premier fishing destination for a variety of species. Angler-submitted Fish Ohio records from 2023 specific to Lake Erie are shown below:
Walleye
- 1,073 Fish Ohio entries (qualifying length 28 inches)
- 34 inches was longest reported catch
Yellow Perch
- 324 Fish Ohio entries (qualifying length 13 inches)
- 15½ inches was longest reported catch
Smallmouth Bass
- 152 Fish Ohio entries (qualifying length 20 inches)
- 23¾ inches was longest reported catch
Freshwater Drum
- 810 Fish Ohio entries (qualifying length 24 inches)
- 36 inches was longest reported catch
White Bass
- 247 Fish Ohio entries (qualifying length 15 inches)
- 19 inches was longest reported catch
Steelhead
- 115 Fish Ohio entries (qualifying length 28 inches)
- 35 inches was longest reported catch
Channel Catfish
- 687 Fish Ohio entries (qualifying length 26 inches)
- 38 inches was longest reported catch
Largemouth Bass
- 78 Fish Ohio entries (qualifying length 20 inches)
- 24½ inches was the longest reported catch
Find Lake Erie fishing resources at wildohio.gov. Many additional resources are available with the HuntFish OH mobile app.
