1533.02 Fishing and trapping districts - restrictions on taking, possession and selling.
1533.02 Fishing and trapping districts - restrictions on taking, possession and selling.
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.
Minimum
Legal Daily
Lengths Bag
Name of Fish Open Season in Inches Limits
Inland Lake Erie
1 Muskellunge….. No closed No closed 30 None 2 None season season
2 Yellow Pike-perch No closed No closed 13 None 6 None season season
3 Bluegill…..... No closed No closed 5 5 20 20 season season
4 Rock Bass….... No closed No closed 5 5 20 20 season season
5 Yellow Perch…. No closed No closed None None 20 None season season
6 White Bass…... No closed No closed None None 20 None season season
7 Trout…........ Apr. 15- Apr. 15- 7 7 6 6
Sept. 15 Sept. 15
8 Black Bass…... June 16- July 1- 10 10 6 6
Apr. 30 May 24
9 Crappie…...... No closed No closed 20 20 season season
10 Sunfish…..... No closed No closed None None 20 20 season season
11 Catfish…..... No closed No closed None None 20 None season season
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.
Bag Possession
Name Open Season Limit Limit
Pheasant (Cockbirds only)........................ Nov.15-Nov.30 2 4
Ruffed Grouse…................................. Nov.15-Nov.30 2 4
Hungarian Partridge…........................... Nov.15-Nov.30 4 4
Sharp-tailed Grouse…........................... No open season
Pinnated Grouse…............................... 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.
Inland Trapping Lake Erie
District Trapping District
Open Season Open Season
Name
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 fishermen. 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.
Effective Date: 10-20-1994