Fishing Forecast Details
There are two types of inland lake fishing forecasts on the Division of Wildlife website. One type of fishing forecast, called the Inland Sport Fish Forecast, ranks the best lakes in the state and in each management district based upon standardized fish surveys conducted during the previous five years. These forecasts are organized by the type of sport fish anglers most often seek in Ohio lakes and they can be found on the Fishing Reports page. Each spring these reports are updated to reflect the results of the previous year's fish surveys.
The other type of inland lake fishing forecast is the Lake Forecast found on each lake's Fishing Map page. This type of forecast provides anglers information on what sport fish are present in a lake and how the fish compare to other lakes in the state. These reports are based on long term fish survey data as well as from angler surveys. The reports list how the fish in a lake compare to other lakes where that type of fish is present. Since this forecast is intended to characterize the long term trend of a lake, it is only updated as the standard surveys show dramatic changes in the fish abundance.
In the Lake Forecast, ratings are given to each type of sportfish surveyed in a lake or reservoir. A rating of "Excellent" indicates the lake is in the top 25 percent of lakes in Ohio for that type of fish, whereas a rating of "Poor" indicates the lake is in the bottom 25 percent of the lakes. A rating of "Good" indicates the lake is slightly above average and a rating of "Fair" indicates the lake is slightly below average.
Ratings a lake can receive:
| Rating |
Description |
| Excellent |
Best lakes |
| Good |
Slightly above average |
| Fair |
Slightly below average |
| Poor |
Worst lakes |
There are several reasons a sport fish may not be listed in the fishing forecast for a lake. The most likely reason is that the sport fish is not common in the lake. If a sport fish is common in a lake, but it is still not listed in the forecast then the lake has not been surveyed for that sport fish.
Ratings are not comparable between sport fish so a rating of "Excellent" for smallmouth bass does not mean that smallmouth bass are more abundant than other types of fish in the same lake. It only means the lake is in the top 25% of the lakes in Ohio for smallmouth bass.
Descriptions of each field used in the inland fishing forecasts.
Lake Forecast Fields from Fish Surveys
| Field |
Decription |
| Type of Fish |
The type of sport fish surveyed in the lake. |
| Overall Numbers |
Average number of mature fish ("stock" size or greater) captured per hour in the fish surveys. |
| Size |
The percentage of mature fish in a lake that are "quality" size or larger (also known as the proportional stock density). |
| Largest (inches) |
The size of the largest fish captured in the surveys. |
| Fishing Tips/Comments |
Helpful fishing tips or other general comments to help inform anglers. |
Lake Forecast Fields from Angler Surveys
| Field |
Decription |
| Type of Fish |
The type of sport fish surveyed in the lake. |
| Percent Seeking |
The percentage of anglers fishing for the sport fish. |
| Catch Rates |
The average number of fish caught by anglers |
| Fishing Pressure |
The average hours in a day anglers fish for the sport fish. Fishing pressure is rated as "High", "Average", or "Low". |
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