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75 miles from Markland Dam past Madison and the Kentucky River mouth to the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville. The river tops out around 60 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 rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 16,276 acres wrapped in 150.7 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. An index of 8.4 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 74% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Call it 56.2 mi long by 15.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. Trimble County claims this one. If the bite dies, Benjy Kinman Lake is 21 mi to the east.
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Start at Kentucky River mouth (Carrollton). It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Kentucky River mouth (Carrollton) (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 6.8) (14 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 6.8) (14 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Louisville approach hole (29 ft) |
In spring, blue catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 40 ft before dropping to 20 to 50 ft for winter. Spring blue catfish concentrate at Main-channel hole (mile 6.8), a prime-rated creek channel around 14 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 6.8) (14 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 6.8) (14 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 16.1) (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Louisville approach hole (29 ft) |
When the water first warms, flathead catfish slide up into 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter a 20 to 45 ft one. Start at Louisville approach hole. It's a deep basin holding about 29 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 1.2) (14 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 1.2) (14 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Louisville approach hole (29 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Louisville approach hole (29 ft) |
When the water first warms, white bass & hybrids slide up into 3 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Kentucky River mouth (Carrollton): an inflow / creek mouth around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Kentucky River mouth (Carrollton) (6 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Markland Locks and Dam tailrace (13 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Markland Locks and Dam tailrace (13 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Louisville approach hole (29 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Markland tailwater: a rock pile around 7 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Markland tailwater (7 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 8.7) (17 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 5.0) (17 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Channel current seam (mile 18.0) (18 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Main-channel hole (mile 6.8). It's a creek channel holding about 14 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Kentucky River mouth (Carrollton) (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 5.0) (17 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-channel hole (mile 6.8) (14 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 16.1) (18 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Ohio River - McAlpine 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 41 features, led in depth by Louisville approach hole at roughly 29 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 - McAlpine Pool specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Indiana fishing regulations →
Ohio River - McAlpine Pool is about 60 ft (18 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 - McAlpine Pool.
Kentucky River mouth (Carrollton) is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 6 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 - McAlpine 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.
Benjy Kinman Lake 21 mi, KY · Schlamm Lake 22 mi, IN · Hardy Lake 24 mi, IN · Guist Creek Lake 25 mi, KY · Deam Lake 26 mi, IN · Kiwanis Lake (Sam Peden Park) 28 mi, IN · Elmer Davis Lake 28 mi, KY · Elk Creek Lake 32 mi, IN · McNeely Lake 32 mi, KY · Elkhorn Creek 35 mi, KY · Salt River 36 mi, KY · Taylorsville Lake 37 mi, KY
See how Ohio River - McAlpine 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. 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.