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62 miles from R.C. Byrd Dam past Huntington, Ashland and Ironton to Greenup Dam; hybrid and cat water with a famous dam tailrace. The river tops out around 50 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. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
On the chart, Ohio River - Greenup Pool draws 12,295 acres inside 125.5 miles of shoreline. The 8.1 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. 42% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 37.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 19 mi at the beam. The water lies in Lawrence County. The nearest mapped water is Lake Vesuvius, 8 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 Main-channel hole (mile 3.1), a creek channel in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. 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 | Tailout eddy (mile 62.3) (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 3.1) (22 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 3.1) (22 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Greenup dam approach hole (41 ft) |
Spring blue catfish on Ohio River - Greenup 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 Main-channel hole (mile 3.1) first on the milk run — a creek channel near 22 ft that grades prime for 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 | Main-channel hole (mile 3.1) (22 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 3.1) (22 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 3.1) (22 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Greenup dam approach hole (41 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. Greenup dam approach hole is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 41 ft, rated prime for winter 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 | Tailout eddy (mile 62.3) (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 1.2) (21 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 1.2) (21 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Greenup dam approach hole (41 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: Dam tailrace, a dam tailrace in the 6 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 | Dam tailrace (6 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Gallipolis Lock and Dam tailrace (19 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Gallipolis Lock and Dam tailrace (19 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Greenup dam approach hole (41 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
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: R.C. Byrd tailwater, a rock pile in the 15 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 | Tailout eddy (mile 62.3) (6 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | R.C. Byrd tailwater (15 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 8.7) (15 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 18.1) (26 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
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 bar / point (mile 8.7), a point in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. 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 | Dam tailrace (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 8.7) (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 8.7) (15 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 3.1) (22 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Ohio River - Greenup 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.
35 pieces of structure are mapped here — Greenup dam approach hole, around 41 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 - Greenup Pool specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ohio fishing regulations →
Ohio River - Greenup Pool is about 50 ft (15 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, blue catfish, flathead catfish, white bass & hybrids, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar, sauger on Ohio River - Greenup Pool.
Main-channel hole (mile 3.1) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 22 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. 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 - Greenup 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.
Lake Vesuvius 8 mi, OH · Timbre Ridge Lake 10 mi, OH · Beech Fork Lake 18 mi, WV · Greenbo Lake 20 mi, KY · Jackson Lake 25 mi, OH · Tycoon Lake 28 mi, OH · Krodel Lake 29 mi, WV · East Lynn Lake 31 mi, WV · Yatesville Lake 33 mi, KY · Upper Mud River Lake 37 mi, WV · Grayson Lake 37 mi, KY · Roosevelt Lake 38 mi, OH
See how Ohio River - Greenup 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.