Ohio Sport Fish Consumption Advisory
Click here for full Ohio Sport Fish Consumption Advisory.
There are many benefits to including fish in a balanced diet for people of all ages. Fish are high in protein, low in fat, and contain healthy oils called omega-3 fatty acids which are important during fetal development and which help prevent heart disease in adults. Additionally, fishing can be a rewarding hobby that brings people closer to nature, provides a source of natural food, and can even help with wildlife conservation.
Most Ohio sport fish are safe to eat ONE MEAL PER WEEK, unless there is a more or less restrictive advisory outlined in the Ohio Sport Fish Consumption Advisory. ODH advises this general statewide advisory due to low level mercury contamination.
The one meal per week advisory protects sensitive populations, including women of child bearing age and children under age 15.
| Meal Frequency | Fish Species |
|---|---|
| Two meals per week |
Yellow perch Sunfish (bluegill, green, longear, redear) |
| One meal per week | All other Ohio sport fish not specified in this table |
| One meal per month |
Flathead catfish 23" and over Northern pike 23" and over Steelhead trout from Lake Erie and its tributaries |
For more advice, including how to clean and prepare caught fish, turtle advisories, and Do Not Wade advisories, visit the General Recommendations page.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) manages an interactive map of fishing advisories in Ohio.
NOTE: Beginning in 2019, the Ohio Sport Fish Consumption Advisory moved from being hosted on the OEPA Division of Surface Water website to the Ohio Department of Health website. Any references to the old OEPA URL are outdated and may not work.