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114 miles from the Falls of the Ohio through the Leavenworth bends to Cannelton Dam; classic flathead water. The river tops out around 60 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Traced from the shoreline, Ohio River - Cannelton Pool runs 21,217 acres with 217.3 miles of edge. The 10.6 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 29% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 52.1 mi, about 21.3 mi across. The water lies in Meade County. The nearest mapped water is Lake Celina, 22 mi to the northwest.
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Salt River mouth (West Point), an inflow / creek mouth in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Salt River mouth (West Point) (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Salt River mouth (West Point) (12 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 5.6) (33 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Slackwater eddy (mile 5.6) (33 ft) |
Spring blue catfish on Ohio River - Cannelton Pool hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 10 to 40 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 50 ft. Put Outside-bend hole (mile 24.8) first on the milk run — a creek channel near 45 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Salt River mouth (West Point) (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 5.6) (33 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 24.8) (45 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Cannelton dam approach hole (52 ft) |
In spring, flathead catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. Slackwater eddy (mile 5.6) is the standout, an eddy pocket at roughly 33 ft, rated prime for fall flathead catfish. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | McAlpine tailwater (Falls of the Ohio) (20 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 5.6) (33 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 5.6) (33 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Slackwater eddy (mile 5.6) (33 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: white bass & hybrids in 3 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Salt River mouth (West Point), an inflow / creek mouth in the 12 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Salt River mouth (West Point) (12 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 7.4) (24 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 7.4) (24 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Channel current seam (mile 3.7) (30 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Channel current seam (mile 3.7), a current seam in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Salt River mouth (West Point) (12 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 7.4) (24 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Salt River mouth (West Point) (12 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Channel current seam (mile 3.7) (30 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: McAlpine tailwater (Falls of the Ohio), a rock pile in the 20 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Salt River mouth (West Point) (12 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | McAlpine tailwater (Falls of the Ohio) (20 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 7.4) (24 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Channel current seam (mile 3.7) (30 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Ohio River - Cannelton Pool also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), freshwater drum (8 to 30 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer), sauger (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 57 features, led in depth by Cannelton dam approach hole at roughly 52 ft.
Access data: Indiana DNR — Fishing Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Indiana waters are set by the Indiana DNR — and special regulations can apply to Ohio River - Cannelton Pool specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Indiana fishing regulations →
Ohio River - Cannelton Pool is about 60 ft (18 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 channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, white bass & hybrids, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar, sauger on Ohio River - Cannelton Pool.
Salt River mouth (West Point) is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For channel catfish, the summer bite is best in after dark 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 Ohio River - Cannelton Pool is regulated by the Indiana DNR. Check the official Indiana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
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See how Ohio River - Cannelton Pool stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Indiana · best smallmouth bass lakes in Indiana · best sauger lakes in Indiana · best crappie lakes in Indiana
Browse all Indiana 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.