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95 miles from Meldahl Dam through downtown Cincinnati to Markland Dam. Big cats, sauger, hybrids and drum. The river tops out around 80 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
On the chart, Ohio River - Markland Pool draws 22,447 acres inside 191.6 miles of shoreline. The 9.1 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 33% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 42.9 mi with a 27.8-mi widest point. The water lies in Kenton County. For a second option, Bullock Pen Lake lies 12 mi south.
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Spring channel catfish concentrate at Licking River mouth, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 10 ft. 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 | Licking River mouth (10 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Downtown deep hole (12 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Downtown deep hole (12 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 56.0) (32 ft) |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. Riprap bank (stadium reach) is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 14 ft, rated prime for summer smallmouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 95.2) (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Riprap bank (stadium reach) (14 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Gravel bar point (Anderson Ferry) (13 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 28.0) (30 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Fall largemouth bass concentrate at Gravel bar point (Anderson Ferry), a prime-rated point around 13 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Barge tie-offs & marinas (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Gravel bar point (Anderson Ferry) (13 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Gravel bar point (Anderson Ferry) (13 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 4.4) (17 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Laydown bank (north shore) is the standout, a standing timber / brush at roughly 17 ft, rated prime for summer crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Barge tie-offs & marinas (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Laydown bank (north shore) (17 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Downtown deep hole (12 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 4.4) (17 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, white bass & hybrids run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. Licking River mouth is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for spring white bass & hybrids. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Licking River mouth (10 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Lake Louise Dam tailrace (16 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Gravel bar point (Anderson Ferry) (13 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Mill Creek Barrier Dam tailrace (32 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
When the water first warms, blue catfish slide up into 5 to 25 ft. Summer is a 10 to 40 ft game here, winter a 20 to 50 ft one. Start at Downtown deep hole. It's a creek channel holding about 12 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Downtown deep hole (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Downtown deep hole (12 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 4.4) (17 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Mill Creek Barrier Dam tailrace (32 ft) |
Ohio River - Markland Pool also holds flathead catfish (8 to 30 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 56 features, led in depth by Bend hole (Sayler Park) at roughly 58 ft.
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 Ohio River - Markland Pool specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ohio fishing regulations →
Ohio River - Markland Pool is about 80 ft (24 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target channel catfish, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, white bass & hybrids, blue catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar, sauger on Ohio River - Markland Pool.
Licking River mouth is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 - Markland Pool 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.
Bullock Pen Lake 12 mi, KY · A.J. Jolly Lake 13 mi, KY · Boltz Lake 18 mi, KY · Williamstown Lake 20 mi, KY · Winton Woods Lake 21 mi, OH · Licking River (Lower) 23 mi, KY · Kincaid Lake 24 mi, KY · East Fork Lake (Harsha Lake) 26 mi, OH · Whitewater River 29 mi, IN/OH · Corinth Lake 32 mi, KY · Stonelick Lake 33 mi, OH · Mounts Park South 35 mi, OH
See how Ohio River - Markland Pool stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ohio · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ohio · best sauger lakes in Ohio · best crappie lakes in Ohio
Browse all Ohio fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.