Lake Erie offers world-class smallmouth bass fishing, particularly around the islands and reefs of the Western Basin. The Great Miami River, Scioto River, and other Ohio streams also hold excellent smallmouth populations. Many anglers consider Ohio one of the top smallmouth destinations in the country.
Regulations shown are statewide defaults. Some waters have special regulations — always check the
current Ohio DNR regulations
before fishing. An Ohio fishing license is required for ages 16+.