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The full State & National Scenic River. 90+ miles from the Clifton Gorge country to the Ohio; Ohio's premier smallmouth float. The river tops out around 12 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Traced from the shoreline, Little Miami River runs 7,327 acres with 171.3 miles of edge, with a single island in the mix. With a shoreline index of 14.3, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. The basin spans about 60.8 mi end to end and 7.9 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Warren County. The nearest mapped water is Mounts Park South, 7 mi to the southwest.
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 4 to 12 ft covers summer, 4 to 12 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Riffle-pool run (Loveland), a rock pile in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle-pool run (Loveland) (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle-pool run (Loveland) (4 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Riffle-pool run (Loveland) (4 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 11.2) (7 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 12 ft before dropping to 4 to 12 ft for winter. The spot to know is Laydown stretch (Newtown), a standing timber / brush in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Laydown stretch (Newtown) (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Laydown stretch (Newtown) (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Milford deep pool (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Milford deep pool (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. The depth story barely changes: 4 to 12 ft through summer, 4 to 12 ft in winter. The spot to know is East Fork confluence, an inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | East Fork confluence (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Milford deep pool (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk | Milford deep pool (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Lower river hole (10 ft) |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 12 ft before dropping to 4 to 12 ft for winter. Winter bluegill concentrate at Lower river hole, a prime-rated deep basin around 10 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Laydown stretch (Newtown) (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Laydown stretch (Newtown) (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 11.2) (7 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Lower river hole (10 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Spring puts common carp in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 12 ft, wintering in 4 to 12 ft. Winter common carp concentrate at Lower river hole, a prime-rated deep basin around 10 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | East Fork confluence (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | East Fork confluence (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday | Milford deep pool (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Lower river hole (10 ft) |
Early season rock bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is a 3 to 12 ft game here, winter a 4 to 12 ft one. The chart's best answer is Riffle-pool run (Loveland) — rock pile, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is the evening. Tie on a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Riffle-pool run (Loveland) (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Riffle-pool run (Loveland) (4 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Riffle-pool run (Loveland) (4 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Riffle-pool run (Loveland) (4 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Little Miami River carries 52 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Lower river hole, about 10 ft down.
Access data: Ohio DNR — Boater & Stream Access. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Ohio waters are set by the Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Little Miami River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ohio fishing regulations →
Little Miami River is about 12 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, common carp, rock bass on Little Miami River.
Riffle-pool run (Loveland) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Little Miami River is regulated by the Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife. Check the official Ohio regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Mounts Park South 7 mi · Caesar Creek Lake 7 mi · Cowan Lake 12 mi · Stonelick Lake 15 mi · Eastwood Lake 24 mi · Winton Woods Lake 25 mi · Great Miami River 27 mi · Rush Run Lake 29 mi · East Fork Lake (Harsha Lake) 29 mi · Grant Lake 32 mi · Woodland Trails 32 mi · Acton Lake 35 mi
See how Little Miami River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ohio · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ohio · best bluegill lakes in Ohio · best channel catfish lakes in Ohio
Browse all Ohio fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.