Media Release from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s annual free fishing days on Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21, give all residents a chance to fish at any public waterway without a license, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. This includes Lake Erie and Ohio’s public lakes, reservoirs, streams, and rivers.
June 20 and 21 is the only weekend of the year on which residents 16 years old and older can fish public waters without purchasing a fishing license. Anglers under 16 can fish for free year-round and are not required to hold a license. All other fishing regulations, size requirements, and bag limits apply during the special weekend.
“Fishing is a great Ohio pastime for people of all ages,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “From the great Lake Erie to the Ohio River, Ohio’s great outdoors provides the perfect setting for your next fishing trip.”
More than 200 locations in Ohio are stocked annually with species such as walleye, saugeye, yellow perch, rainbow trout, brown trout, muskellunge, channel catfish, blue catfish, and hybrid-striped bass to support the state’s longstanding reputation of excellent fishing. In 2025, the Division of Wildlife stocked more than 36 million fish in Ohio waters.
Ohio’s public fishing locations are great places to catch a Fish Ohio! qualifying trophy. The Fish Ohio program celebrates amazing catches of 26 species of fish, and there are specific fish length requirements based on species to be a qualifying catch. Those who reel in a qualifying catch receive a commemorative Fish Ohio pin for their first entry, and a Master Angler pin for catching four different qualifying species in the same year. This year, the pin features a channel catfish.
