Ohio hunters get 2027 turkey dates as bass rules change
Ohio hunters get 2027 turkey dates as bass rules change
Jane Imbody, Mansfield News JournalFri, October 30, 2026 at 12:05 PM UTC
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Ohio turkey hunters can start planning their spring hunts, while anglers will see simpler bass fishing rules under newly approved state regulations.
The Ohio Wildlife Council approved spring 2027 wild turkey hunting seasons and changes to bass fishing regulations at its Oct. 28 meeting, according to a community announcement from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
Ohio spring turkey hunting dates
The south zone youth turkey season will run April 17-18, 2027. The northeast zone youth season will run April 24-25, 2027.
The regular south zone season will run April 24 to May 23, 2027, while the northeast zone season will run May 1-30, 2027.
Ohio divides its spring turkey season into two zones to align hunting dates with the timing of turkey nesting in each region. The south zone includes 83 counties. The northeast zone includes Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Trumbull counties.
During both youth weekends, hunting is permitted from 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.
For the first nine days of the regular season in both zones, hunting hours will be from 30 minutes before sunrise until noon. For the remainder of each season, hunting will be permitted from 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.
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Ohio changes bass fishing regulations
The Ohio Wildlife Council also removed many site-specific length restrictions and daily bag limits for largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass.
Most waterbodies that currently have site-specific bass regulations will instead fall under the statewide limit of five bass with a 12-inch minimum length. The changes take effect March 1, 2027.
Division of Wildlife surveys found the site-specific harvest regulations were effectively meeting management goals, according to the announcement.
Other Ohio fishing and trapping changes
The council removed the daily limit and 9-inch minimum length requirement for crappies at Hoover Reservoir. That change also takes effect March 1.
The council also approved an online game check option for river otter trapping. The online option will be available for the upcoming season, which begins Dec. 26.
This story was produced with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Ohio hunters get 2027 turkey dates as bass rules change
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