CINCINNATI — Ohioans will be able to kick back with a line in the water without the need for a license this Father's Day weekend.
The state's free fishing weekend falls on June 17 and 18, which means dad is well within his rights to drag the whole family to the nearest lake or river this Father's Day.
Harsha Lake at East Fork Park, the Little Miami River and Stonelick state parks are just a few popular fishing areas in the Tri-State.
"Fishing is a pastime that's meant to be shared with friends and family," said Governor Mike DeWine in a press release. "We encourage everyone to come out and experience the abundant fishing opportunities Ohio has to offer."
The annual free fishing weekend is the only time Ohioans 16-years-old and older can fish in public waters without a fishing license — kids under the age of 16 can fish for free year-round.
Fishing licenses cost around $25 and are valid for a year, but the free fishing weekend still allows many to try out the activity for the first time without the commitment of registering and paying for a fishing license.
In total, the Ohio Division of Wildlife manages fisheries in 124,000 acres of water throughout the state, including stocking and populating many of those waters with fish.
In 2022, the Ohio Division of Wildlife stocked more than 52 million fish throughout Ohio waters. More than 200 locations in Ohio are home to species like walleye, saugeye, yellow perch, rainbow trout, brown trout, muskellunge, channel catfish, blue catfish and hybrid-striped bass.
In the Ohio River, anglers can keep an eye out for white, striped and hybrid-striped bass, as common according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, though anglers might also find a large and smallmouth bass, sauger, walleye or different kinds of catfish tugging at their lines.
Watch Live:
