(A) No person shall trespass upon lands or rights in lands of another, lying in or bordering upon a natural or artificial pond or brook less than ten miles in length into which have been introduced brook trout, speckled trout, brown trout, landlocked salmon, California salmon, or other fish by artificial propagation or actual importation from other waters, for the purpose of fishing for, catching, or killing fish.

(B) No person shall catch or kill fish in such pond or brook or buy, receive, or possess fish caught contrary to this section.

(C) No person shall willfully place poison or other substance injurious to the health of such fish in a pond or brook described in this section for the purpose of capturing or harming such fish therein, or wrongfully and willfully let the water out of such pond or brook with intent to take or injure fish therein.

(D) Prosecutions for a violation of this section shall be instituted only upon the complaint of the person or the person's agent upon whose lands or rights in lands or waters the trespass has been committed.

(E) Except as otherwise provided in this division, the owner, lessee, renter, or occupant of lands or rights in lands upon which a person violates division (A) of this section is not liable in damages to any person in a civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property that arises during or incidental to the violation. For the purposes of this division, a finding that a person violated division (A) of this section is not dependent upon the person being charged with or convicted of a violation of division (A) of this section. This division does not apply to civil claims based upon alleged willful or wanton misconduct or intentionally tortious conduct of the owner, lessee, renter, or occupant. This division does not create a new cause of action or a substantive legal right against the owner, lessee, renter, or occupant, and does not affect any immunities from civil liability or defenses established by another section of the Revised Code or available at common law, to which the owner, lessee, renter, or occupant may be entitled under circumstances not covered by this section.

Effective Date: 06-01-1998.