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Fishing Mad River: what the data says
Ohio's premier brown trout stream. cold spring-fed water from Urbana to Dayton. The river tops out around 8 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Mad River
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Spring-fed riffles (Urbana) is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Mad River
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Riffle & run (mile 2.5): a rock pile around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Rock Bass fishing at Mad River
Start shallow in spring: rock bass sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Riffle & run (mile 2.5): a rock pile around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around the evening in the warm months. A ned rig (small) or a marabou jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Notable structure
- Lowhead weir tailrace: dam tailrace, around 7 ft
- Lowhead weir tailrace: dam tailrace, around 7 ft
- Lowhead weir tailrace: dam tailrace, around 7 ft
- Lowhead weir tailrace: dam tailrace, around 7 ft
- Lowhead weir tailrace: dam tailrace, around 7 ft
- Lowhead weir tailrace: dam tailrace, around 7 ft
- Island Park Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 7 ft
- Huffman Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 7 ft
- Hosterman Lake Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 10.0): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 17.1): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 20.8): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 24.9): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 29.6): creek channel, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Mad River?
Mad River is about 8 ft 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.
What fish are in Mad River?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, rock bass on Mad River.
Where is the best fishing spot on Mad River?
Spring-fed riffles (Urbana) is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Mad River?
For rainbow trout, 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.
Nearby waters
Eastwood Lake · Kiser Lake · C.J. Brown Reservoir · Clark Lake · Great Miami River · Caesar Creek Lake
See how Mad River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Ohio · best rock bass lakes in Ohio
Browse all Ohio fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.