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Lake Erie
The rule for this water, with the receipt.
Special regulations for Lake Erie, as the state words them
PA County · Lake · PA
Has its own special rules
How to read this page:Official text quoted regulationParsed fields from the ruleDerived calculated from rulesContext conditions, not a ruleAdvice our suggestion
The rules for this water, verbatimOfficial text
Straight from PA's official regulations. Rules in force today lead; out-of-season rows are dimmed. Nothing is paraphrased. Not legal advice: verify the posted rules at the water.
Whole water
- Muskellunge and Tiger Muskellunge (Hybrids)Open year-roundDaily limit 1Size 40 inches
- Northern PikeOpen year-roundDaily limit 2Size 24 inches
- WalleyeJan. 1 through March 14 and May 3 through Dec. 31 (dates as written)Daily limit 6***Size 15 inches*** Adaptive management for daily limits: After the PFBC executive director establishes the daily limit for the year, the information will be available from any PFBC office and posted on the Fish and Boat Commission website .
- Bass* (Largemouth and Smallmouth)Jan. 1 through April 11 and June 14 through Dec. 31 (dates as written)Daily limit 4 (combined species)Size 15 inches* It is unlawful to conduct or participate in a fishing tournament for bass on Lake Erie or Presque Isle Bay during the period from the second Saturday in April until midnight the second Saturday in June.
- Bass* (Largemouth and Smallmouth)April 12 through June 13* (dates as written)Daily limit 1Size 20 inches* It is unlawful to conduct or participate in a fishing tournament for bass on Lake Erie or Presque Isle Bay during the period from the second Saturday in April until midnight the second Saturday in June.
- All fishMay 1 through Nov. 30Size None
- Sunfish, Crappies, Catfish, Rock Bass, Suckers, Eels, Carp, White Bass, Bowfin and Other Gamefish Not Otherwise ListedOpen year-roundDaily limit 50 (combined species)Size No minimum
- BurbotJune 1 through Sept. 30Daily limit 5Size No minimumGear nonmechanical spears or gigs, at a depth of at least 60 feet, by scuba divers
- BurbotOpen year-roundDaily limit 5Size No minimumGear hook and line
- SmeltOpen year-roundDaily limit NoneSize No minimumGear hook and line
- Brook and Brown Trout**8 a.m. the opening day of the regular season for trout until midnight Labor Day (dates as written)Daily limit 5 (combined species)****Size 9 inches** It is unlawful to fish or possess trout in or along any Lake Erie tributary stream from 12:01 a.m. on April 4 until 8 a.m. on April 5 (32 hours total). **** The daily limit for all species of trout and salmon (combined) is 5 from 8 a.m. the opening day of the regular season for trout until midnight Labor Day. The daily limit for all species of trout and salmon (combined) is 3 per day from 12:01 a.m. the day after Labor Day until 12:01 a.m. on the Friday before the opening day of the regular season for trout.
- Brook and Brown Trout**12:01 a.m. the day after Labor Day until 12:01 a.m. on the Friday before the opening day of the regular trout season (dates as written)Daily limit 3 (combined species)****Size 15 inches**** The daily limit for all species of trout and salmon (combined) is 5 from 8 a.m. the opening day of the regular season for trout until midnight Labor Day. The daily limit for all species of trout and salmon (combined) is 3 per day from 12:01 a.m. the day after Labor Day until 12:01 a.m. on the Friday before the opening day of the regular season for trout.
- Rainbow Trout and Salmon**8 a.m. the opening day of the regular season for trout until 12:01 a.m. the Friday before the opening day of the regular sea-son for trout the following year (dates as written)Daily limit 3 (combined species)****Size 15 inches** It is unlawful to fish or possess trout in or along any Lake Erie tributary stream from 12:01 a.m. on April 4 until 8 a.m. on April 5 (32 hours total). **** The daily limit for all species of trout and salmon (combined) is 5 from 8 a.m. the opening day of the regular season for trout until midnight Labor Day. The daily limit for all species of trout and salmon (combined) is 3 per day from 12:01 a.m. the day after Labor Day until 12:01 a.m. on the Friday before the opening day of the regular season for trout.
- Lake Trout**8 a.m. the opening day of the regular season for trout until 12:01 a.m. the Friday before the opening day of the regular sea-son for trout the following year (dates as written)Daily limit 2****Size 15 inches** It is unlawful to fish or possess trout in or along any Lake Erie tributary stream from 12:01 a.m. on April 4 until 8 a.m. on April 5 (32 hours total). **** The daily limit for all species of trout and salmon (combined) is 5 from 8 a.m. the opening day of the regular season for trout until midnight Labor Day. The daily limit for all species of trout and salmon (combined) is 3 per day from 12:01 a.m. the day after Labor Day until 12:01 a.m. on the Friday before the opening day of the regular season for trout.
- Baitfish/FishbaitOpen year-roundDaily limit 50 (combined species)Size No minimumSee General Fishing Regulations for definitions
- American EelOpen year-roundDaily limit 25Size 9 inches
- All fishLake Erie Permit requirement. Main tributaries requiring a permit: Cascade Creek, Conneaut Creek, Crooked Creek, Eightmile Creek, Elk Creek, Fourmile Creek, Mill Creek, Raccoon Creek, Sevenmile Creek, Sixmile Creek, Sixteenmile Creek, Turkey Creek, Twelvemile Creek, Twentymile Creek and Walnut Creek, plus all waters that flow into these main tributaries.
Out of season today
- Yellow PerchDec. 1 through April 30 (out of season today)Daily limit 30***Size 7 inches*** Adaptive management for daily limits: After the PFBC executive director establishes the daily limit for the year, the information will be available from any PFBC office and posted on the Fish and Boat Commission website .
- Mussels/ClamsCLOSED YEAR-ROUND
- Sturgeon, Spotted Gar, and Other Threatened and Endangered SpeciesCLOSED YEAR-ROUND
Statewide base layerParsed
These defaults apply where the rules above do not modify them.
- Season
- Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
- Gear
- There is no restriction on the number of hooks used on each fishing line. All rods, lines and hooks shall be under the immediate control of the person using them.Statewide
- Bait
- Legally taken gamefish may be used as bait. It is unlawful to use or possess goldfish, comets, koi and Common Carp as baitfish while fishing.Statewide
- Poles
- An angler may use a maximum of three lines fished either by rod or hand when fishing for gamefish, baitfish or both.Statewide
Where the verbatim rules above name a species, season, or limit, they replace the rows below. Each row is tagged with the layer it comes from.
| Species | Daily limit | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|
ALL SPECIES OF TROUT | 5-streams, lakes and ponds (combined species) | min. 7 inches | Statewide |
Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass | 5 (combined species) | min. 12 inches | Statewide |
Muskellunge and Tiger Muskellunge (Hybrids) | 1 | min. 40 inches | Statewide |
Northern Pike | 2 | min. 24 inches | Statewide |
Pickerel | 5 | min. 12 inches | Statewide |
American Shad | 2 | min. No minimum | Statewide |
American Eel | 25 | min. 9 inches | Statewide |
Baitfish/Fishbait | 50 (combined species) | min. No minimum | Statewide |
Trout Varies by water: 18 inches, caught on, or in possession on, the waters under these regulations from 8 a.m. on the opening day of the regular trout season through Labor Day, limit one trout - except for the period from the day after Labor Day to 8 a.m. of the first Saturday in April of the following year, when no trout may be killed or had in possession (All Tackle Trophy Trout); at least 7 inches but less than 12 inches in length to be killed or possessed, limit From 8 a.m. on the opening day of the regular season for trout through Labor Day, the daily creel limit of trout is two (combined species). From the day after Labor Day until 8 a.m. on the opening day of the regular season for trout, no trout may be killed or possessed. (All Tackle Trout Slot Limit); 9 inches, caught on or in possession on, the waters under these regulations from June 15 through Labor Day, limit three trout (combined species) from June 15 through Labor Day, caught on or in possession on the waters under these regulations. From the day after Labor Day until June 15, the daily creel limit is zero. (Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only) | Slot Limit | - | Statewide |
American Bullfrog | 10 (combined species) | - | Statewide |
Green Frog | 10 (combined species) | - | Statewide |
Snapping Turtle | 15 | - | Statewide |
Amphibian Eggs and Tadpoles | 15 (combined species) | - | Statewide |
Timber Rattlesnake | 1 annual limit | min. must be at least 42 inches in length, measured lengthwise along the dorsal surface from the snout to the tail, excluding the rattle, and must possess 21 or more subcaudal scales | Statewide |
Eastern Copperhead | 1 annual limit | - | Statewide |
How this answer was assembled
- StatewideStatewide lake rules are the base layer: default season, gear, bait, and limits.
- This waterSpecial rules written for this exact water replace the statewide defaults where they speak.
- Emergency orderEmergency orders in effect today override everything else. They sync quietly when the phone has coverage and never lock you out of the app.
Where this rule applies
This water is not yet drawn on the map. Its rules are captured and receipted; the geometry ledger records exactly why it is not drawn (an ambiguous name match or a gap in the source data), and it will never ship as a guess. Each rule above describes in the state's own words where it applies, and those written descriptions are the authoritative boundaries.
Season at a glanceDerived
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opensome stretchesclosedunknown
Sampled mid-month from the dated rows; short windows can slip between samples. The rows above are authoritative.
What are you fishing for here?Advice
Pick from the species named in Lake Erie's rules. Setups are checked against the gear rules in force today, and your picks are remembered on this device only. These are rule-aware suggestions, not a claim about what is biting; advice, not law, and the rules above govern.
Receipts
Statewide rules
StatewideChecked against this official source on July 12, 2026.
Special rules - Lake Erie
This waterChecked against this official source on July 12, 2026.
Local services near Lake Erie
Tackle shops, guides, and boat launches that serve this water will appear here - a separate lane below the rules, so a local business can reach you without ever getting between you and the regulation.
Run a shop or guide service on Lake Erie? Get listed.