Ohio Fishing Calendar
What's biting month by month, and how many Ohio charters on Unreel target each fish.
| Fish | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Walleye128 charters · April to October, also December to March | January: also fished | February: also fished | March: also fished | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: also fished |
 Yellow Perch72 charters · July to October, also May to June and December to February | January: also fished | February: also fished | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: also fished | June: also fished | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: also fished |
 Trout29 charters · April to October, also January, March and November | January: also fished | February: off peak | March: also fished | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: also fished | December: off peak |
 Smallmouth Bass24 charters · May to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Steelhead14 charters · March to April and October to November, also May and December to February | January: also fished | February: also fished | March: peak | April: peak | May: also fished | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: peak | November: peak | December: also fished |
 Catfish10 charters · May to July | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Salmon9 charters · April to September, also March and October to November | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: also fished | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: also fished | November: also fished | December: off peak |
Shaded months are the typical peak for a charter trip. The outlined column is this month.
Ohio fishing, month by month
- January
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- February
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
- March
- Steelhead
- May
- Walleye, Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Catfish, Salmon
- June
- Walleye, Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Catfish, Salmon
- July
- Walleye, Yellow Perch, Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Catfish, Salmon
- August
- Walleye, Yellow Perch, Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Salmon
- September
- Walleye, Yellow Perch, Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Salmon
- October
- Walleye, Yellow Perch, Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Steelhead
- November
- Steelhead
- December
- Off season for most charters. Some captains still run trips, so it is worth asking.
Before you book
- Walleye: Lake Erie walleye is open all year. Inland lakes open in early to mid May (late April in lower Michigan).
- Smallmouth Bass: Spring smallmouth is mostly catch and release, for example on Green Bay into late June and a 1-fish limit on Ohio's Lake Erie until late June.
How this calendar is built
The charter counts are live from the Unreel directory: each one is a Ohio charter that lists that fish as a target. A fish only appears here if at least three local charters target it.
The shaded months are general peak windows for the Great Lakes, not fishing regulations. For ocean species, the spawning, migration and federal closure notes were checked against NOAA Fisheries species profiles, and for inshore and freshwater species against state wildlife agency guidance and rules. Seasons, closures and limits change every year and can differ by water, so check Ohio's current regulations and ask your captain what is running before you book.