Ohio Fish Consumption Advisories Updated for 2014

The 2014 Ohio statewide fish consumption advisory provides recommendations based on samples taken from nine lakes and 34 streams for the upcoming season. Fish consumption evaluations help Ohio anglers make informed decisions about how often to consume their catch.

Many fish caught in Ohio can be safely consumed once per week. In addition, most yellow perch and sunfish can be consumed twice per week, except those caught in the Ashtabula River, Cuyahoga River, Mahoning River, Nesmith Lake, Ohio Canal, Ohio River and West Branch Reservoir, where meals should be limited to once per week. More specific information can be found on Ohio EPA’s website under advisories for specific water bodies, which contain details about sport fish caught in 74 Ohio water bodies.

Advisories that are more restrictive in 2014 include the following water bodies:

RIVERS

Black River

• One meal per month for channel catfish and common carp from Interstate 80 in Elyria to Homewood Park in Lorain; and Homewood Park to U.S. 6 in Lorain;
• One meal per month for channel catfish from Erie Street/U.S. 6 to Lake Erie.
• One meal every two months for common carp from Erie Street/U.S. 6 to Lake Erie.

Black River East Branch

• One meal per month for common carp 23 inches or longer from Richman Road in Lodi to the Black River main stem.

Black River West Branch

• One meal per month for common carp and rock bass in all waters.

Rocky River East Branch

• One meal per month for rock bass from State Route 3 in North Royalton to the Rocky River main stem.

Little Miami River East Fork

• One meal per month for common carp in all waters;
• One meal per month for freshwater drum, flathead catfish, smallmouth buffalo, smallmouth bass and common carp from the Indiana state line to Interstate 75 in Toledo.
• One meal per month for channel catfish from Defiance to Perrysburg.
• One meal every 2 months for channel catfish from Perrysburg to Lake Erie.
• One meal per month for freshwater drum, flathead catfish, smallmouth buffalo and common carp from Interstate 75 to Lake Erie.
• One meal per month for smallmouth bass from Interstate 75 to Lake Erie.

Mill Creek (Marysville)

• One meal per month for smallmouth bass from State Route 46 to the Scioto River.

Ohio River

• One meal per month for freshwater drum from the Pennsylvania border in East Liverpool to the Bellville lock.
• One meal every two months for hybrid striped bass in the same segment.
• One meal per month for freshwater drum from the Bellville Lock to the Indiana border.

Stillwater Creek

• One meal per month for northern pike and saugeye from Piedmont Lake to State Route 800 in Stillwater.

Swan Creek

• One meal per month for freshwater drum and rock bass from Whitehouse to the Maumee River.

Tiffin River

• One meal per month for common carp and freshwater drum from Evansport to the Maumee River.

Walnut Creek

• One meal per month for smallmouth bass 14 inches or longer for all waters.

LAKES

Caesar Creek Lake

• One meal per week for largemouth bass.

Piedmont Lake

• Two meals per week for common carp and largemouth bass.

Stonelick Lake

• One meal per week for largemouth bass.

Ohio fish advisories can be found on Ohio EPA’s website, or call (614) 644-2160 to request a copy. Ohio EPA partners with the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to develop consumption advisories for fish caught in Ohio. Fish consumption advisories are updated annually based on processed samples collected during the previous fishing season. For the latest advisory, Ohio EPA and ODNR collected 591 samples.