Fishing Ohio River Tailwaters

Helpful hints and information for a successful trip

By Michael Greenlee, Fisheries Biologist

Tailwaters make up less then 1% of fishable water in the Ohio River, yet they sustain the majority of fishing and catches in the river. An angler survey conducted by the Ohio Division of Wildlife in 1992 indicated that over 50% of the total angling effort and 66% of the total catch in the Ohio River occurs at tailwaters. Tailwaters are popular with anglers because they offer good shore access where habitats and current congregate fish, producing excellent year-round sportfishing.

For an inexperienced angler, fishing a tailwater for the first time can be an overwhelming and frustrating experience. Although most offer easy shore access, strong current and fluctuating river stages (water level) can present a new and unfamiliar challenge to anglers used to fishing lakes. Experienced anglers have learned to rely on a few basic pieces of information and principles to improve their chances at a successful trip. Here are a few things to consider that should increase your chances of landing a fish in one of the nine tailwaters adjacent to Ohio:  

Sources of Information: Do some homework before taking a trip to the river. Many people drive long distances to the river only to find out once they have arrived that the river is “blown out” and unfishable due to recent rains occurring somewhere else in the drainage. If you have access to the internet, there are some excellent web sites that will help you determine river conditions from the comfort of your home. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains a Web site with information on flow, river stage, water temperature and other river conditions that can help you determine how fishable the river might be before leaving home. The nine locks and dams adjacent to Ohio fall in two different U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Districts; the Pittsburgh and Huntington Districts. The following Web sites will take you to the District site that contains a list of dams with links to each lock and dam Web site where you can access current river stage, flow and temperature conditions for each dam and tailwater.

• Pittsburgh District: Locks and Dams - New Cumberland, Pike Island, Hannibal 
  Web Site Link: http://www2.mvr.usace.army.mil/WaterControl/new/layout.cfm
• Huntington District: Locks and Dams - Willow Island, Belleville, Racine, R.C. Byrd, Greenup, Meldahl
  Web Site Link: http://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/_kd/go.cfm?destination=Page&Pge_ID=1033

If you do not have access to the internet you can contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office at the lock and dam to check on river conditions. Refer to the following list for the location (which side of the river) of the tailwater abutment fishing access and the phone numbers for each lock and dam office.

When and Where to Fish: River conditions can vary greatly from tailwater to tailwater. For example, one weekend this past spring I arrived to fish the Greenup tailwater only to find the river stage had gone up five feet in the past 48 hours – the tailwater was blown-out and too rough to fish (oops…forgot to check the Web site!). In order to salvage the days fishing, I decided to drive in search of calmer water at one of the tailwaters up river. R.C. Byrd was blown out as well, so to Racine I went in search of calmer water. When I arrived at Racine, I was pleased to find the river at near normal conditions and fishable. It turns out that West Virginia had received a lot of rain causing the Kanawha River to rise. The Kanawha empties into the Ohio River upstream of the R.C. Byrd and Greenup pools causing them to rise. Use the Web site to determine current river conditions; it will save you gas and time!

Current and River Stage: The current supplied by the dam plays a large role in concentrating bait fish and sportfish in the tailwater. However, strong current presents challenges to the angler and the presentation of baits. For example, during periods of higher flow in the winter and early spring, sauger anglers will need to choose heavier baits moving from 1/4 ounce to 1/2 or 5/8 ounce lead-head jigs to keep them down in strong current. Avoid boiling and turbulent current. The Division’s electrofishing surveys show that most fish will avoid these areas. Instead, look for current breaks along the shore and fish on the bottom. Sauger, white bass and hybrid striped bass often hold in current breaks caused by large rocks, indentations and other irregularities along the shore. For most tailwaters, higher flow and current will make it very difficult to fish immediately below the dam. Try to find current breaks and refuge areas several hundred yards downstream from the dam (see illustration “Anatomy of a Tailwater”). The Greenup Tailwater is a good example of one that will still produce good fishing opportunities in early spring when flows are up. There are two large sweeping cuts into the shore downstream that provide current breaks and refuge areas for sauger and white bass when the river is up. These areas will hold fish and produce good fishing opportunities for anglers even at high flow.

The experienced tailwater fisherman can quickly determine if the river is fishable by using visual cues or references such as exposed rocks, trees and other fixed landmarks. As you gain more experience, you will become more in tune with specific areas and when fishing conditions are best for each individual tailwater. 

Also, use the river stage charts (plots) located at the Web sites listed above for trends in river stage. These are handy visual aids to see if the river is rising or falling. Although the scale varies from tailwater to tailwater, most charts show the river stage over a two month to several week time frames. A change in stage of less than a foot or so will not drastically change the conditions, whereas a three foot change in river stage will. The key here is to look for trends in the last several days. Is the river falling, rising or is it stable? Most anglers believe fishing is best when the river is on the rise while others say it is good both on the rise and fall…you decide for yourself.

Hydroelectric Plant Discharge: Many of the dams located on the Ohio River have hydroelectric power plants, often called a “hydro,” located adjacent to the fisherman’s access in the tailwater. Discharge from a hydro plant produces strong current when they are generating power. For most of the year (when discharge is high), this current is too strong and turbulent to fish. Fish the “flanks” or sides of the concrete structure that forms the hydro. During high water when the hydro structure is under water, fish will feed on top of the structure where there is calmer water. The strong current exiting the hydro produces “backlash “or eddies moving upstream towards the dam (see illustration “Anatomy of a Tailwater”). The calmer water is a good area to catch hybrid striped bass feeding on shad and other bait fish that have passed through the hydro. During the summer when the hydro is discharging less water, “hybrids” can be caught feeding directly in the discharge. The slack water formed to the sides and upstream of the hydro are also good places to catch flathead and channel catfish.

Ohio River tailwaters offer excellent fishing opportunities for sauger, white bass, hybrid striped bass, channel and flathead catfish and even an occasional smallmouth bass. The combination of excellent habitat and great fishing access make these areas a favorite for river anglers year-round. If you have never fished one, do your homework and give it a try! It can be some of the most exciting fishing you’ll ever try!

For additional information on angling techniques for several of the more sought after species of fish found in the Ohio River, check out the Division of Wildlife Go Fish! section of the Web site or return to Ohio River Fisheries Management.