Ohio’s spring turkey hunt dates approved for 2027, bass regs simplified

Columbus — The Ohio Wildlife Council approved spring 2027 wild turkey hunting seasons and simplified bass fishing regulations during its regularly scheduled meeting on Oct. 28, the Ohio DNR (ODNR) Division of Wildlife announced.

Like the 2026 spring season, the spring wild turkey hunting seasons include separate youth dates for the South and Northeast zones. The spring 2027 wild turkey hunting season dates are:

South Zone Youth: Saturday, April 17 to Sunday, April 18

Northeast Zone Youth: Saturday, April 24 to Sunday, April 25

South Zone: Saturday, April 24 to Sunday, May 23

Northeast Zone: Saturday, May 1 to Sunday, May 30

Ohio’s spring turkey hunting season is split into two zones to align with the timing of turkey nesting in those regions. The South Zone covers the majority of Ohio, comprising 83 counties. The Northeast Zone includes Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, and Trumbull counties.

Hunting hours during the youth weekends in both zones are from 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset. In the South Zone and Northeast Zone, hunting hours for the first nine days of each season will be from 30 minutes before sunrise until noon, with hours for the remainder of the season from 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.

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Site-specific bass fishing regulations

The Ohio Wildlife Council voted to remove many site-specific length restrictions and daily bag limits for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass.

Most waterbodies with site-specific bass regulations will fall under the statewide limit of five bass and minimum length of 12 inches. The change simplifies fishing regulations for Ohio’s anglers after Division of Wildlife surveys revealed the site-specific harvest regulations were effectively meeting management goals. These new regulations take effect March 1, 2027.

Other regulations

The daily limit and 9-inch minimum length requirement for crappies at Hoover Reservoir were removed. This regulation takes effect on March 1, 2027.

An online game check option for river otter trapping was approved. The online game check will be in place for the upcoming season, which begins Saturday, Dec. 26.

Ohio Wildlife Council

The Ohio Wildlife Council considers all Division of Wildlife proposed rules and regulations. Council meetings are open to the public. Individuals interested in providing comments are asked to call 614-265-6304.