Lake Erie Aquarium Fish

[JTRG05]

Living around the Lake in Ohio I've always wondered ever since I started keeping fish, is there any fish that can be caught out of the lake that are able to be kept in a tank? And the legality of certain species...

I work in a Seafood market, and get in Walleye, Yellow Perch and White Bass from the lake, would it be possible to keep any of these? I've heard it was illegal to keep walleye, but was not sure if this was just rumor.

What other species would be possibilities from the lake could be kept? I tried checking online but found little more than dead ends, and sites I wasn't sure to trust so I decided to ask here.

Just FYI this is currently nothing but a plan that will probably not see fruition for another 5 years so I will have access to more space and tanks.

 

[Catfish Keeper]

You could try to keep something small that isn't going to grow very big like Gobys. However this is also illegal, just depends if you are willing to take the risk. Also it is no like anyone is going to check your house.

 

[JTRG05]

You could try to keep something small that isn't going to grow very big like Gobys. However this is also illegal, just depends if you are willing to take the risk. Also it is no like anyone is going to check your house.

Banning Goby's once they were introduced and overpopulated was ridiculous, they were a tad late on that one as that fish has caused some serious problems from what I understand. I'm not worried about the bigger species in the lake, I'm willing to go up to 150 or 200 gallons.

 

[WattaMelon]

You could try to keep something small that isn't going to grow very big like Gobys. However this is also illegal, just depends if you are willing to take the risk. Also it is no like anyone is going to check your house.

Hello!

Don't break the law. There's conservation efforts in place for a reason, and part of native fish keeping is respecting those efforts...even furthering those efforts if you're so inclined.

Visit http://www.nanfa.org/ for great information on starting up a native tank, fish profiles and caresheets, etc. It's the best place to look on the web.

 

[Joshua_pope2001]

You can keep Perch, White Fish, Bluegill, Pumpkin Seed, Longear, Black or White Crappie, Bullheads, or Green Sunfish.....Just be sure you have a 2009 fishing licence and a tank large enough.....I am not sure about the White Bass.....If there is a season on them then you cannot keep them leagaly out of season without a permit from the DNR......That goes for all fish that have a season.....

 

[MultispeciesTamer]

You can keep Perch, White Fish, Bluegill, Pumpkin Seed, Longear, Black or White Crappie, Bullheads, or Green Sunfish.....Just be sure you have a 2009 fishing licence and a tank large enough.....I am not sure about the White Bass.....If there is a season on them then you cannot keep them leagaly out of season without a permit from the DNR......That goes for all fish that have a season.....

But you also cant release them when the season ends . I would send a letter to your local dnr. And also do a post on NANFA.

 

[Gator]

Banning Goby's once they were introduced and overpopulated was ridiculous, they were a tad late on that one as that fish has caused some serious problems from what I understand. I'm not worried about the bigger species in the lake, I'm willing to go up to 150 or 200 gallons.

Actually they are banned for good reason. Sure they are in the lake erie drainage but the law is there to keep people from keeping then releasing them outside the area where they are not present like the Ohio River watershed.

The red line is the elevation divide in ohio. Rivers, streams, creeks etc dont cross over that line which is what keeps the goby from spreading southward in the states other aquatic habitats. If you travel the highways that go from north to south and vice versa you will see signs that read Entering Ohio River watershed heading south or Entereing Lake Erie Watershed if your heading north. Contrary to popular belief laws arent made up just to harass people, they are in place for a reason.

 

[Catfish Keeper]

Do you think it would be okay to keep them if you had no intension of releasing them because they are a trash fish and I believe you are supposed to kill them if you catch them in Lake Erie(correct me if I am wrong). So why would it matter if you kept some in a tank?

 

[MultispeciesTamer]

Do you think it would be okay to keep them if you had no intension of releasing them because they are a trash fish and I believe you are supposed to kill them if you catch them in Lake Erie(correct me if I am wrong). So why would it matter if you kept some in a tank?

I know in MI you can get a $10,000 fine for transporting them, Or having live ones in your possesion. I dont know the laws about them being dead cuz I would use them for brown trout bait.

 

[Catfish Keeper]

Ya they are good bait, but do they live in a lake in Michigan