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Rules, in the code’s own words

These are quotes, not legal advice. Lake Metroparks points anglers to ODNR: Visit wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/fishingregulations for license information. (lakemetroparks.com (PDF))

Daily limit and brook trout

Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-13-08 (Effective: July 6, 2026 (codes.ohio.gov (PDF))), paragraph (E) in full:

“(E) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or possess singly or in the aggregate more than five trout and salmon daily, from any waters in this state. Provided further, it shall be unlawful for any person to: (1) Take or possess more than two trout and salmon combined from: (a) The Mad river or its tributaries in Clark, Champaign and Logan counties; (b) The Clear Fork branch of the Mohican river and its tributaries in Ashland and Richland counties; (c) Clear creek located in Fairfield and Hocking counties from the first Fairfield county road 69 bridge East of the junction of county road 26 and county road 69 to U.S. route 33 Highway bridge in Hocking county; (d) Lake Erie and its tributaries from September first through May fifteenth. (2) Take or possess brook trout from the Ashtabula river, Chagrin river, Conneaut river, Grand river, and their tributaries.”
Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-13-08, Fish daily bag limits · codes.ohio.gov (PDF)

Size

Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-13-09 (Effective: March 1, 2025 (codes.ohio.gov (PDF))):

“It shall be unlawful to take or possess any trout or salmon species less than twelve inches in length while on:”
Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-13-09, Length limits on certain game fish · codes.ohio.gov (PDF)

…and item (3) of the same list:

“Lake Erie or its direct or indirect tributaries, including all the streams in the entire drainage basin, excepting therefrom Cold creek upstream of state route 2 located in Erie county.”
Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-13-09, Length limits on certain game fish · codes.ohio.gov (PDF)

License

Ohio Revised Code 1533.32 opens:

“Except as provided in this section or division (A)(2) or (C) of section 1533.12 of the Revised Code or as exempted at the discretion of the chief of the division of wildlife, no person, including nonresidents, shall take or catch any fish by angling in any of the waters in the state or engage in fishing in those waters without a license.”
Ohio Revised Code 1533.32, Fishing license required · codes.ohio.gov

The section goes on to list exceptions; read section 1533.32 in full.

Access

ODNR’s steelhead maps: In Ohio, you can only gain access to streams flowing on public property. If you are on private property, including land that streams flow over, you must have landowner permission. (ODNR map (PDF))

Lake Metroparks: If you are new to the sport or are a long-time steelhead fisherman, make sure that you are fishing on public property or that you have permission from the land owner. (lakemetroparks.com)

The codes.ohio.gov rule pages still showed these versions when we checked: Effective: July 6, 2026 (codes.ohio.gov) and Effective: March 1, 2025 (codes.ohio.gov).