Pay lakes in Ohio
Ohio has 64 pay lakes; 13 stock catfish; most charge $15 to $50 a day.
Find a pay lake in Ohio by name or town
Matches appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose, and Enter to open.
Pay lakes by city in Ohio
Do you need a fishing license at a pay lake in Ohio?
It depends. No Ohio fishing license is needed in privately owned ponds/lakes that fish cannot migrate to or from (typical isolated pay ponds), but a license is required if the private water is open to public fishing via a Division of Wildlife agreement or lease, or connects to public waters.
"Persons fishing in privately owned ponds, lakes, or reservoirs to or from which fish are not accustomed to migrate are exempt from the license requirements set forth in this section."
Source: Ohio Revised Code § 1533.32, checked November 2026. Compare every state on our pay lake license rules page.
More pay lake states
- Kentucky 89
- North Carolina 46
- Tennessee 27
- California 26
- Indiana 25
- South Carolina 25
- Georgia 24
- West Virginia 23
Browse catfish pay lakes, trout pay ponds or see what pay lakes cost.