Are fish caught in Northeast Ohio safe to eat?

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(WJW) — Ohio anglers looking to cook up the day’s catch should pause before picking up the frying pan. In some Ohio waters, caught fish should be consumed in moderation — or not at all — due to contamination, a new report shows.

The 2023 Ohio Sport Fish Consumption Advisory, released by the Ohio Department of Health, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, shows the Ohio spots where the fish are the most contaminated and offers guidance on safely preparing and eating them.

What are the contaminants and their dangers?

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, are naturally occurring and environmentally persistent chemicals found in coal, crude oil and gasoline.

Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, are man-made chemicals that were banned in 1979 but still persist in old industrial and commercial products as well as the environment because they are slow to break down.

Mercury is a naturally occurring metal and often a byproduct of forest fires and man-made sources like coal-burning power plants. Methylmercury is a mercury compound that builds up in fish.

Methylmercury and PCBs are responsible for most of the state’s fish consumption advisories. The materials can build up in a person’s body over months or years and stay in the body long after that person stopped eating contaminated fish, according to the report.

Contaminants found in Ohio-caught fish could cause birth defects in newborns carried by mothers who ate highly contaminated fish for years before becoming pregnant, according to the report.

Mercury is also known to affect the heart, brain and nerves in older adults.

Ohio fish are also analyzed for metals like arsenic and lead and pesticides like DDT.

How to safely catch and prepare fish caught in Ohio:

Even with the contamination advisories, Ohio-caught fish are still good to eat because they’re rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and healthy oils — all of which outweigh the risks from contaminants, according to the report.

The report recommends following the four “Cs”: Check, Catch, Clean and Cook:

Check for consumption advisories before going fishing

Eating one serving of Ohio-caught fish per week is generally safe, but it depends on the person’s age and size according to the report.

But there are several fishing spots in Northeast Ohio where anglers are advised to eat their catches less frequently due to contamination. The list of advisories below shows you how often you should eat them.

One adult serving — one meal — is about 4 to 6 ounces of cooked fish and one child serving is about 2 to 3 ounces of cooked fish.

To identify the fish on your hook, or get tips on how to catch them, use the visual guide on ODNR’s website.

Catch smaller, younger fish

Smaller or younger fish are generally healthier and safer to eat. The younger they are, the less time they’ve spent building up contaminants in their bodies.

Bottom-feeders and suckers should be avoided, as well as any fish caught in waters known to be contaminated.

Don’t catch just one type of fish. If one type of caught fish has a mercury contamination advisory while another type of caught fish has a PCB contamination advisory, it’s still safe to eat a serving of each within the same month, since mercury and PCBs affect the body in different ways, according to the report.

Clean the skin, fat and guts

Contaminants build up in a fish’s skin, fat and organs, including the eggs. Those should all be removed, leaving only the fillet.

Cook the fish in an oven, grill or broiler

Cooking fish on a rack allows extra fat to drip away from the fillet, along with its contaminants. If you deep-fry fish, be sure to discard the oil after.

Most kinds of fish bought in grocery stores and restaurants are safe to eat, but you should avoid bigger fish like bigeye tuna, king mackerel, marlin, shark or swordfish.

Read on for the state’s fishing advisories for 2023. If your fishing spot isn’t on the lists below, that means fish caught there are safe to eat.

Do not eat fish caught here

Fish caught in some parts of two Ohio rivers should only be released and never eaten, according to the report:

Little Scioto River, Marion County

From state Route 739 near Marion to Holland Road near Marion: All species of fish are contaminated with PAHs.

Tuscarawas River, Stark and Tuscarawas counties

From Massillon to state Route 416 in New Philadelphia: Common carp are contaminated with PCBs.

Do not wade or swim in these waters

High levels of contaminants have been found in certain areas of three water bodies. It’s recommended to stay out of these waters:

Dicks Creek, Butler County

The area from river mile 4.1 in Middletown — 1 mile downstream from North Branch Dicks Creek — to the Great Miami River is contaminated with PCBs.

Little Scioto River, Marion County

The area from state Route 739 near Marion to Holland Road near Marion is contaminated with PAHs.

Mahoning River, Mahoning and Trumbull counties

The area from Northwest Bridge Road in Warren to the Pennsylvania state line is contaminated with PAHs and PCBs.

Other fish consumption advisories in Northeast Ohio:

Ashtabula River, Ashtabula County

From Hilldom Road to U.S. Route 20/Prospect Road: Largemouth bass are contaminated with mercury and smallmouth bass are contaminated with PCBs. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

From U.S. Route 20 to the mouth of Lake Erie: Common carp and freshwater drum are contaminated with PCBs. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

All waters: Snapping turtles are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per week.

Atwood Lake, Carroll and Tuscarawas counties

All waters: Common carp and largemouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should only eat two meals per week. There are no advisories on the amount of bluegill, saugeye and white crappie you should eat.

Berlin Lake, Mahoning, Portage and Stark counties

All waters: Channel catfish and common carp are contaminated with PCBs. The carp are also contaminated with lead. You should eat no more than one meal per month of either of those types of fish.

Black Fork Mohican River, Ashland and Richland counties

All waters: Freshwater drum and rock bass are contaminated with mercury. Channel catfish are contaminated with PCBs. You should eat no more than two meals per week of the drum and no more than one meal per month of the catfish and bass.

Black River, Lorain County

From Interstate 80 to Homewood Park: Channel catfish and freshwater drum are contaminated with PCBs. Drum are also contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month of either type of fish.

Homewood Park to Erie Street/U.S. Route 6: Common carp, channel catfish and freshwater drum are contaminated with PCBs. Drum are also contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month of any of those types of fish.

Erie Street/U.S. Route 6 to the mouth of Lake Erie: Common carp, channel catfish and freshwater drum are contaminated with PCBs. Drum are also contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per two months of the carp and no more than one meal per month of the catfish or drum.

All waters: Snapping turtles are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per week.

Chagrin River, Lake County

From Interstate 90 to the mouth of Lake Erie: Rock bass and smallmouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month of either type of fish.

Chippewa Lake, Medina County

All waters: Common carp and white crappie are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than two meals per week of either type of fish. There are no advisories on the amount of bluegill or channel catfish you should eat.

Clear Fork Reservoir, Richland County

All waters: Largemouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than two meals per month.

Confluence Park Ponds, Summit County

All waters: Largemouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

Conneaut Creek, Ashtabula County

All water: Smallmouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

Cuyahoga River, Cuyahoga; Geauga; Portage; and Summit counties

From state Route 87, Russell Park, to Ohio Edison Dam Pool: Black crappie and smallmouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

From Ohio Edison Dam Pool to the mouth of Lake Erie: Brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, freshwater drum and smallmouth buffalo are contaminated with PCBs. Rock bass, white suckers 16 inches and larger, smallmouth bass 15 inches and larger and freshwater drum are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than two meals per week of the rock bass and no more than one meal per month for any of the other types of fish.

Dale Walborn Reservoir, Stark County

All waters: Channel catfish, largemouth bass and white crappie are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than two meals per week of the catfish and crappie and no more than one meal per month of the bass.

Eagle Creek, Portage County

All waters: Redfin pickerel and rock bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

East Branch Rocky River, Cuyahoga County

From state Route 3 in North Royalton to the mouth of the Rocky River: Common carp 23 inches and larger, rock bass, smallmouth bass and yellow bullhead are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

Grand River, Ashtabula; Geauga; Lake; and Trumbull counties

Lake Estabrook in Parkman Township to Sweitzer Road at Camp Yakewi: Common carp 22 inches and larger are contaminated with PCBs. Freshwater drum, largemouth bass, rock bass, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye and yellow bullhead are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month of any of these types of fish.

Sweitzer Road at Camp Yakewi to state Route 2 in Painesville: Common carp 22 inches and larger and rainbow trout are contaminated with PCBs. Freshwater drum, largemouth bass, rock bass, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye and yellow bullhead are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month of any of these types of fish.

State Route 2 in Painesville to the mouth of Lake Erie: Common carp 18 inches and larger and rainbow trout are contaminated with PCBs. Freshwater drum, largemouth bass and silver redhorse are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month of any of these types of fish.

Guilford Lake, Columbiana County

All waters: Common carp and largemouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than two meals per week of either type of fish. There are no advisories on the amount of bluegill, channel catfish and white crappie you should eat.

Highlandtown Lake, Columbiana County

All waters: Largemouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

Huron River, Erie and Huron counties

All waters: Common carp, smallmouth buffalo, channel catfish and flathead catfish are contaminated with PCBs. Freshwater drum, rock bass and white crappie are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month of the carp, buffalo, catfish and drum and no more than two meals per week of the bass and crappie.

Kirwan Reservoir (West Branch), Portage County

All waters: Largemouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

LaDue Reservoir, Geauga County

All waters: Brown bullhead and largemouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than two meals per week of either type of fish.

Lake Erie

All waters: Common carp 19 inches and larger, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, freshwater drum, lake trout, steelhead trout, white bass and whitefish 21 inches and larger are contaminated with PCBs. Smallmouth bass and brown bullhead are also contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal every two months of common carp 27 inches and larger and no more than one meal per month of any of the other types of fish. There is no advisory on the amount of bluegill sunfish you should eat.

Lake Milton, Mahoning County

All waters: Common carp are contaminated with PCBs. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

Lake Nesmith, Summit County

All waters: Channel catfish and common carp are contaminated with PCBs. You should eat no more than one meal per month of either type of fish.

Little Beaver Creek, Columbiana County

Upstream of Bell School Road in Williamsport to the Pennsylvania state line near Grimms Bridge Road: Channel catfish, common carp and sauger are contaminated with PCBs. Smallmouth bass 12 inches and larger are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal every two months of the catfish and no more than one meal per month of any of the other types of fish.

Little Cuyahoga River, Summit County

From state Route 532 near Mogadore to the mouth of the Cuyahoga River: Common carp are contaminated with PCBs. Yellow bullhead are contaminated with lead. You should eat no more than one meal per month of either type of fish.

Mahoning River, Mahoning; Portage; Stark; and Trumbull counties

From Rockhill Avenue Northeast in Alliance to the Pennsylvania state line: Channel catfish, smallmouth bass, walleye, bluegill, common carp, northern pike, rock bass and yellow perch are contaminated with PCBs. Smallmouth bass and walleye are also contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal every two months of the catfish; no more than one meal per month of the bass, walleye, carp, bluegill and pike; and no more than one meal per week of the perch.

Middle Fork Little Beaver Creek, Columbiana and Mahoning counties

From Allen Road in Salem to state Route 14 in Millville: Common carp, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, smallmouth bass and smallmouth buffalo are contaminated with PCBs and mercury. Sauger are also contaminated with PCBs. You should eat no more than one meal per month of any of these types of fish.

From state Route 14 in Millville to the mouth of the Little Beaver Creek: Common carp and sauger are contaminated with PCBs. Freshwater drum are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month of any of these types of fish.

Mill Creek, Ashtabula County

From South Denmark Road in Jefferson to the mouth of the Grand River: Largemouth bass and rock bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month of either type of fish.

Mosquito Creek, Trumbull County

All waters: Northern pike are contaminated with mercury. Common carp and bluegill are contaminated with PCBs. Bluegill are also contaminated with lead. You should eat no more than one meal per month of the pike and carp and no more than one meal per week of the bluegill.

New Lyme Lake, Ashtabula County

All waters: Largemouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

Nimishillen Creek, Stark; Summit; and Tuscarawas counties

All waters: Common carp are contaminated with PCBs. You should eat no more than one meal per month. There is no advisory on the amount of green sunfish you should eat.

Ohio River, Columbiana County

From the Pennsylvania state line in East Liverpool to Belleville Lock: Channel catfish, common carp, hybrid striped bass and white bass are contaminated with PCBs. You should eat no more than one meal every two months of any of these types of fish.

Portage Canal (Ohio Canal), Summit County

All waters: Channel catfish and common carp are contaminated with PCBs. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

Punderson Lake, Geauga County

All waters: Largemouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

Pymatuning Reservoir, Ashtabula County

All waters: Largemouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than two meals per week.

Rocky Fork Mohican River, Richland County

From Interstate 71 to the mouth of the Black Fork Mohican River: Channel catfish and common carp are contaminated with PCBs. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

Sandy Creek, Carroll; Columbiana; Stark; and Tuscarawas counties

From Stump Road in Minerva to the mouth of the Tuscarawas River: Common carp, rock bass and smallmouth bass are contaminated with PCBs. Smallmouth bass are also contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month of any of these types of fish.

Springfield Lake, Summit County

All waters: Largemouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than two meals per week. There is no advisory on the amount of white crappie you can eat.

Stillwater Creek, Tuscarawas County

From Piedmont Lake to state Route 800: Northern pike and saugeye are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

Summit Lake, Summit County

All waters: Channel catfish and common carp are contaminated with PCBs. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

Tinkers Creek, Cuyahoga and Summit counties

From East Idlewood Drive near Twinsburg to the Cuyahoga River: Common carp are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

Tuscarawas River, Stark; Summit; and Tuscarawas counties

From Arlington Road in Akron to state Route 619 in Barberton: Channel catfish and common carp are contaminated with PCBs. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

From state Route 619 in Barberton to Massillon: Channel catfish, common carp, smallmouth bass and yellow bullhead are contaminated with PCBs. Northern pike 25 inches and larger are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month of any of these types of fish.

From Massillon to state Route 416 in New Philadelphia: Channel catfish, common carp, black crappie, rock bass 9 inches and larger, smallmouth bass and yellow bullhead are contaminated with PCBs. Northern pike 25 inches and larger are contaminated with mercury. DO NOT EAT the carp. You should eat no more than one meal per month of the crappie, bass, bullhead and pike and no more than one meal every two months of the catfish.

From state Route 416 in New Philadelphia to Township Road 62 in Tuscarawas: Channel catfish, common carp, flathead catfish and walleye are contaminated with PCBs. You should eat no more than one meal per month of any of these types of fish.

From Township Road 62 in Tuscarawas to state Route 751 in Orange: Channel catfish, common carp, flathead catfish, freshwater drum and walleye are contaminated with PCBs. Freshwater drum and walleye are also contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month of any of these types of fish.

Vermilion River, Erie; Huron; Lorain; and Richland counties

All waters: Smallmouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

West Branch Black River, Lorain County

All waters: Rock bass and smallmouth bass are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than one meal per month.

Portage Lakes West Reservoir, Summit County

All waters: Black crappie are contaminated with mercury. You should eat no more than two meals per month. There are no advisories on the amount of bluegill sunfish and channel catfish you should eat.