Lake Erie · Pennsylvania · Michigan · New York · Ohio · Walleye
Lake Erie Walleye Fishing Regulations 2026
Lake Erie Walleye regulations as of 2026-05-08: Season end Dec 31; Season start May 3; Min size 15 inches. Sourced across 4 state agencies.
Rules (367)
Pennsylvania (30)
Commonwealth Inland WatersIn season
- Season opens
- May 3
- Season closes
- Dec 31
- Min size
- 15"
Conowingo Reservoir Up To Holtwood DamOpen year-round
- Season opens
- Jan 1
- Season closes
- Dec 31
- Daily bag
- 5
- Min size
- 15"
Delaware River
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Delaware River - Nj/Pa Border Portion
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Delaware River And Estuary
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Delaware River Between Nj And Pa
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Delaware River Between Ny And Pa
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Hunters Lake — Commonwealth Inland Waters
- Daily bag
- 6 fish/day combined
Jan 1–Mar 14 And May 2–Dec 31
Lake ErieIn season
- Season opens
- May 3
- Season closes
- Dec 31
- Daily bag
- 6 fish
- Min size
- 15"
Applies to Lake Erie, Presque Isle Bay and peninsular waters, all Lake Erie tributaries in their entirety, which include Cascade Creek, Conneaut Creek, Crooked Creek, East Branch Conneaut Creek, Eightmile Creek, Elk Creek, Fourmile Creek, Middle Branch Conneaut Creek, Marsh Run, Mill Creek, Mud Run, Raccoon Creek, Sevenmile Creek, Sixmile Creek, Sixteenmile Creek, Stone Run, Temple Run, Turkey Creek, Twelvemile Creek, Twentymile Creek, Walnut Creek, West Branch Conneaut Creek and all waters that flow into these tributaries.
Pymatuning ReservoirOpen year-round
- Season opens
- Jan 1
- Season closes
- Dec 31
- Min size
- 15"
The Portion Of The Delaware River Between New Jersey And PennsylvaniaOpen
- Status
- Open
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
open year-round
The Portion Of The Delaware River Between New York And PennsylvaniaIn season
- Season opens
- May 3
- Season closes
- Dec 31
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
until midnight
Pennsylvania statewide
- Daily bag
- 6 fish/day
Pymatuning Reservoir (Combined With Saugeye)
Michigan (82)
Banks
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Baptist L.Closed
- Status
- Closed
Reshaped from bag_limit=0 (closure marker)
Black R.Out of season
- Season opens
- May 15
- Season closes
- Mar 15
from Alverno Dam downstream to its confluence with the Cheboygan R.
Cheboygan R.Out of season
- Season opens
- May 15
- Season closes
- Mar 15
Clair Lks.
- Daily bag
- 2 fish
Clark
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Corey
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Craig Lks.
- Daily bag
- 2 fish
Crooked Lks.
- Daily bag
- 2 fish
Crystal L.Closed
- Status
- Closed
Reshaped from bag_limit=0 (closure marker)
Cub
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Deer Island
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Dorothy
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
East Bear
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Elsie
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Fisher
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Florence
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Germain
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Glimmerglass
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Golden Silence
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Hay
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Helen
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
High
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Honey
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Jay
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Johnston Springs
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Katherine
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Keewaydin Lks.
- Daily bag
- 2 fish
Kerr
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Lac Vieux Desert
- Possession
- 3 fish
- Min size
- 18"
Liluis
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Lois
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Loon
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Louise
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Marsh
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Moss
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Mountain
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Nelligan Lks.
- Daily bag
- 2 fish
Snap Jack
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Teddy Lks.
- Daily bag
- 2 fish
Thomas Lks.
- Daily bag
- 2 fish
Trapper
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
West Bear
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Whitefish
- Possession
- 1 fish
- Min size
- 20"
not more than 1 fish of any of these species.
Michigan statewide
- Daily bag
- 5 fish/day
- Possession
- 10 fish
- Min size
- 15"
combined with Sauger
New York (240)
All Finger LakesIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
All Fresh WatersIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 5
Ashokan ReservoirIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Ashokan Reservoir (Ulster County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Black LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Black Lake (St. Lawrence County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Boyd Corners ReservoirIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Boyd Corners Reservoir (Putnam County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Butterfield LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Butterfield Lake (Jefferson County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Canadarago LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Canadarago Lake (Otsego County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Cayuta LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Cayuta Lake (Schuyler County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Cazenovia LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Cazenovia Lake (Madison County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Clear LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Clyde River / Erie Canal (Seneca/Wayne Counties)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Clyde River From The Confluence With Seneca River Upstream To Lock 26 On The Erie CanalIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Cross LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Cross Lake (Cayuga/Onondaga Counties)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Delaware River
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Delaware River & Wes (Ny/Pa Border Water)
- Season closes
- Mar 14
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
East Branch ReservoirIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
East Branch Reservoir (Putnam County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Eaton Brook ReservoirIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Eaton Brook Reservoir (Madison County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Erie Canal From The Confluence With Seneca River Upstream To Lock 26 On The Erie CanalIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Fort PondIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Grass LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Greenwood Lake (New York/New Jersey Border Water)
- Season opens
- May 1
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Harris LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Horseshoe LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Horseshoe Lake (St. Lawrence County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Hyde LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Indian River (St. Lawrence County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Indian River From Black Lake Upstream To The Falls In RossieIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Indian River From The Confluence With The Oswegatchie River Upstream To Black LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Jamesville ReservoirIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Jamesville Reservoir (Onondaga County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Kiwassa LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Lake Champlain
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Lake Champlain And Tributaries To The First Impassible Barrier (New York/Vermont Border Water)
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Lake Erie And TributariesIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 6 fish/day
Lake Ontario And St. Lawrence River
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River, And Their TributariesIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Lake PleasantIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Lake Pleasant TributariesIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Lake RonkonkomaIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Little Wolf PondIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Lower Niagara River And TributariesOut of season
- Season opens
- Jan 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 1 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Mohawk River From The Confluence With The Hudson River Upstream To The Rte. 32 BridgeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Niagara River - Lower Section
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
May 1 - Dec 31
Niagara River - Upper Section
- Daily bag
- 6 fish/day
Otselic River (Broome/Cortland Counties)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Otselic River From Whitney Point Reservoir Upstream To The Cortland County Rte. 169 Bridge At Landers CornersIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Pleasant Lake (St. Lawrence County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Pleasant Lake (Town Of Macomb)In season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Putnam PondIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Redfield Reservoir (Oswego County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Rio ReservoirIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Rio Reservoir (Orange County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Sacandaga LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Sacandaga Lake OutletIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Sacandaga Lake TributariesIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Seneca River (Seneca/Wayne Counties)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Seneca River From Plainville Road (Hamlet Of Jacks Reef – Onondaga County) Upstream To Seneca LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Seneca River From Plainville Road (Hamlet Of Jacks Reef) Upstream To Seneca LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Seneca River From The Confluence With Oneida River Upstream To Plainville Road (Hamlet Of Jacks Reef) Oswego Countyredfield ReservoirIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Sixtown PondIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Sixtown Pond (Jefferson County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Skaneateles LakeOpen year-round
- Season opens
- Jan 1
- Season closes
- Dec 31
- Min size
- 12"
St. Regis Falls ImpoundmentIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Swinging Bridge Reservoir (Sullivan County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Swinging Bridge Reservoir Ulster County Alder LakeIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Titicus ReservoirIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Titicus Reservoir (Westchester County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Upper Niagara River And TributariesIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 6 fish/day
Waterport ReservoirIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Waterport Reservoir (Livingston/Orleans Counties)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
White PondIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
White Pond (Putnam County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
Whitney Point ReservoirIn season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Mar 15
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
- Min size
- 18"
Whitney Point Reservoir (Broome County)
- Daily bag
- 3 fish/day
New York statewide
- Min size
- 15"
Ohio (15)
Lake ErieOpen
- Status
- Permitted
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Feb 28
- Daily bag
- 6 fish/day
- Min size
- 15"
safe to eat one meal per week May 1, 2025 - Feb. 28, 2026 singly or in combination; March 1 - April 30, 2025
Lake Erie And Areas Immediately Upstream In Creeks, Rivers, And Tributaries
- Daily bag
- 6 fish/day
singly or in combination, March 1 - April 30, 2025
Lake Erie And Its Embayments Including Maumee Bay, Sandusky Bay, East Harbor, Middle Harbor, And West Harbor, And From Where Lake Erie Tributaries Enter The Lake Upstream To The Following End Points
- Daily bag
- 6 fish/day
singly or in combination; March 1 - April 30, 2025
Lake Erie And Its Embayments Including Maumee Bay, Sandusky Bay, East Harbor, Middle Harbor, And West Harbor, And From Where Lake Erie Tributaries Enter The Lake Upstream To The Following End Points: Arcola, Wheeler, Cowles, And Indian Creeks : U.s. Route 20 Bridges; Ashtabula River: E. 24th Street Bridge; Black River: State Route 611 Bridge; Conneaut Creek: Main Street Bridge (Downtown To Conneaut); Euclid Creek And Chagrin River: State Route 283 Bridges; Rocky River: Detroit Road Bridge; Sandusky River: Waterworks Dam In Tiffin; Maumee River: First Dam Upstream (Grand Rapids, Ohio); Vermilion River: State Route 2 Bridge; Grand River: State Route 535 Bridge; Cuyahoga River: Harvard Road Bridge.In season
- Season opens
- May 1
- Season closes
- Feb 28
May 1, 2025 - Feb. 28, 2026; to be announced late April
Maumee RiverClosed
- Status
- Prohibited
All fish may be taken by hand except walleye
Ohio River On Its Embayments And Tributaries To The First Riffle Or Dam In The Western Unit
- Min size
- 14"
Pymatuning Lake
- Daily bag
- 6
Sandusky RiverClosed
- Status
- Prohibited
All fish may be taken by hand except walleye
Ohio statewide
- Daily bag
- 6 fish
- Min size
- 15"
singly or in combination with Sauger, & Saugeye
Also known as
Rules above match the following common names in our regulations database: Walleye, Walleye, Saugeye, & Sauger.
Frequently asked questions
When is Walleye season on Lake Erie?
Walleye season on Lake Erie runs from May 3 to Dec 31 (varies by state) per Fish & Boat Commission / DNR / DEC / DNR.
What is the size limit for Walleye on Lake Erie?
Minimum size for Walleye on Lake Erie is 15 inches in Commonwealth Inland Waters. Slot or maximum sizes may apply elsewhere on the water; see the table above.
What is the daily bag limit for Walleye on Lake Erie?
Daily bag limit for Walleye on Lake Erie is 5 in Conowingo Reservoir Up To Holtwood Dam.
Reference only. Regulations change mid-season. Always verify with the official source before keeping a catch. Last verified .