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Columbus to Portsmouth. 90 miles of smallmouth, sauger and flathead water. The river tops out around 25 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The drawn water covers 17,210 acres wrapped in 248.8 miles of bank — 2 islands included. With a shoreline index of 13.5, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Roughly 73% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 85.6 mi end to end and 12.1 mi across at its widest. It sits in Ross County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Ross Lake, is 2 mi to the east.
Spring smallmouth bass on Scioto River hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 25 ft. Put Channel bar / point (mile 26.7) first on the milk run — a point near 10 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 26.7) (10 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 5.6) (14 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 26.7) (10 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 5.6) (14 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter an 8 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Circleville deep bends — creek channel, 18 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Ohio River confluence (Portsmouth) (15 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Circleville deep bends (18 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk | Circleville deep bends (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Circleville deep bends (18 ft) |
Early season flathead catfish use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 7 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 25 ft. Put Tailout eddy (mile 3.7) first on the milk run — an eddy pocket near 14 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 3.7) (14 ft) | |
| Summer | 7 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 3.7) (14 ft) | |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 3.7) (14 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 3.7) (14 ft) |
When the water first warms, freshwater drum slide up into 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 7 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Circleville deep bends: a creek channel around 18 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. Keep a jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Ohio River confluence (Portsmouth) (15 ft) | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 7 to 25 ft | dusk | Circleville deep bends (18 ft) | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 7 to 25 ft | midday | Circleville deep bends (18 ft) | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Circleville deep bends (18 ft) | Jigging spoon (slow) |
Come spring, look for common carp tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 25 ft. Start at Tailout eddy (mile 3.7). It's an eddy pocket holding about 14 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Ohio River confluence (Portsmouth) (15 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Ohio River confluence (Portsmouth) (15 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Circleville deep bends (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 3.7) (14 ft) |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter an 8 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Channel bar / point (mile 26.7) — point, 10 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 26.7) (10 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 26.7) (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 26.7) (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Circleville deep bends (18 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Scioto River also holds saugeye (8 to 22 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 59 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Greenlawn Avenue Low Head Dam tailrace, sits near 21 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 Scioto River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ohio fishing regulations →
Scioto River is about 25 ft (8 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 smallmouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, common carp, largemouth bass, saugeye, rock bass on Scioto River.
Channel bar / point (mile 26.7) is the top-rated area: a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For smallmouth bass, 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.
Fishing on Scioto River 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.
Ross Lake 2 mi · Caldwell Lake 8 mi · Pine Lake 11 mi · Lake White 17 mi · Hargus Creek Lake 20 mi · Rose Lake 22 mi · Paint Creek Lake 25 mi · Lake Rupert (Wellston Reservoir) 25 mi · Deer Creek Lake 25 mi · Lake Alma 27 mi · Lake Logan 29 mi · Rocky Fork Lake 31 mi
See how Scioto River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ohio · best smallmouth bass lakes in Ohio · best saugeye lakes in Ohio · best channel catfish lakes in Ohio
Browse all Ohio 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.