OHIO RIVER GUIDE

Ohio River Guide

Follow 981 miles of the Ohio River from Pittsburgh to the Mississippi, with live USGS gauges, fishing, boating, history and places to reach the river.

River story

History, landscapes and river context

Fishing

Species, water and places to explore

Boating

Paddling, boating and access

Live data

Current USGS gauges along the river

LIVE OHIO RIVER DATA

Ohio River levels, gauges and monitoring stations

Check the live river overview or open an individual USGS gauge for current streamflow, gauge height, trends and historical context.

Current Ohio River levels & streamflow →River overview with live USGS conditions and trends Illinois river levels →Browse monitoring stations across Illinois Indiana river levels →Browse monitoring stations across Indiana Kentucky river levels →Browse monitoring stations across Kentucky

OHIO RIVER AT CANNELTON DAM AT CANNELTON, INUSGS 03303280 · View live gauge →OHIO RIVER AT DAM 51 AT GOLCONDA, ILUSGS 03384500 · View live gauge →OHIO RIVER AT MARKLAND DAM NEAR WARSAW, KYUSGS 03277200 · View live gauge →OHIO RIVER AT OLMSTED, ILUSGS 03612600 · View live gauge →

EXPLORE THE RIVER

Follow the Ohio River

Trace the verified Ohio River mainstem downstream to its confluence with the Mississippi River.

Loading river map…

River path derived from U.S. Geological Survey NLDI hydrography.

Ohio River · Wikimedia Commons

THE OHIO STORY

A river that shaped the American interior

From its beginning at Pittsburgh to its meeting with the Mississippi at Cairo, the Ohio River has been an Indigenous homeland, migration route, commercial highway and working navigation river. Its 981-mile course connects some of the defining landscapes and stories of the eastern United States.

Before European settlement

A river corridor and homeland

Indigenous peoples lived, traveled and traded throughout the Ohio Valley long before large-scale European-American settlement. The river connected communities across a broad interior landscape.

Late 1700s–1800s

Settlement and river commerce

As settlement expanded, the Ohio became one of the principal routes into the interior. Flatboats and later steamboats carried people, farm products and manufactured goods toward the Mississippi and New Orleans.

1803

Lewis and Clark travel the Ohio

Meriwether Lewis began the river journey at Pittsburgh, met William Clark near the Falls of the Ohio, and continued to the Mississippi. The Ohio River is now part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

1800s–1900s

Engineering a navigation river

Navigation improvements transformed the Ohio from a river strongly constrained by seasonal water levels into a managed commercial waterway. Locks and dams created a dependable navigation channel from Pittsburgh to the Mississippi.

Today

981 miles of working river

The modern Ohio River Navigation System extends 981 miles and includes 19 lock-and-dam systems. Barges, recreational boats, communities, wildlife refuges and major tributaries all share the river corridor.

Lydia Purdy Hess · Public domain

FISHING

Fishing the river

The Ohio supports a true big-river fishery. Productive water ranges from dam tailwaters and tributary mouths to deep main-channel habitat, backwaters and the lower river near the Mississippi.

Fish you may encounter

Sauger

Walleye

Blue Catfish

Channel Catfish

Flathead Catfish

White Bass

Hybrid Striped Bass

Smallmouth Bass

Freshwater Drum

Where the river changes

FISHING AREA

Meldahl Lock & Dam tailwater ↗

The tailwater near Foster, Kentucky is a noted Ohio River sauger area, with bank-fishing access below the dam.

FISHING AREA

Falls of the Ohio & McAlpine tailwater ↗

The Louisville-area Falls and water below McAlpine Lock and Dam combine unusual river habitat with a productive sauger fishery and public fishing opportunities.

FISHING AREA

Upper Ohio River islands ↗

The Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge protects island, backchannel and floodplain habitat along the upper river and provides public fishing opportunities.

FISHING AREA

Lower Ohio River ↗

Below Cannelton and farther toward the Mississippi, the river becomes increasingly important for blue, channel and flathead catfish.

Before you fish

Ohio River fishing regulations can vary by state, reach and species; check the rules for the water you plan to fish.
Fish-consumption advisories differ between upper, middle and lower reaches of the river.
Tailwaters can have powerful current and rapidly changing conditions around navigation structures.

BOATING & PADDLING

On the water

The Ohio is both a recreational river and a major commercial navigation corridor. Its 981-mile navigation system includes 19 lock-and-dam systems, so paddlers and recreational boaters share the river with towboats, barges and lock traffic.

Ohio River Islands ↗

The refuge spans hundreds of river miles and includes islands that can be visited by canoe or kayak. FWS identifies suggested island landing locations and public access information.

Kayaking Canoeing Fishing

Falls of the Ohio ↗

At Clarksville and Louisville, the river passes exposed fossil beds and the historic Falls of the Ohio. The state park provides an Ohio River boat ramp as well as fishing and river interpretation.

Boating Fishing River history

Ohio River Navigation System ↗

USACE maintains a navigation channel from Pittsburgh to Cairo through 19 lock-and-dam systems. Recreational boats can encounter commercial tows and lock operations throughout the river.

Boating Navigation

Know before you go

Expect commercial tow and barge traffic on the main navigation channel.
Use extra caution near locks, dams, restricted areas and strong tailwater currents.
Check river stage, weather, navigation notices and local launch conditions before heading out.
Paddlers should plan conservatively: the Ohio is a large river with long crossings, current and commercial traffic.

PARKS & ACCESS

Places to reach the river

Falls of the Ohio State Park Boat Ramp ↗

Public Ohio River boat launch at Clarksville, Indiana, near the Falls of the Ohio and Louisville.

Neville Ramp ↗

Paved public ramp off U.S. 52 at Neville, Ohio, listed for trailerable recreational boats.

Henderson Ramp ↗

Multi-lane paved Ohio River ramp at the end of Second Street in Henderson, Kentucky.

Diamond Island Boat Ramp ↗

Year-round paved ramp west of Henderson with access for trailerable recreational boats.

Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge ↗

A chain of protected islands and mainland tracts along the upper Ohio with fishing, wildlife viewing and canoe/kayak access.

Middle Island ↗

One of the few refuge islands with bridge access, trails, river views and public fishing access at St. Marys, West Virginia.

Falls of the Ohio State Park ↗

Riverfront state park at Clarksville featuring the Falls, Devonian fossil beds, fishing, trails and Ohio River access.

Ohio–Mississippi Confluence ↗

At Cairo, Illinois, the Ohio completes its 981-mile journey where it joins the Mississippi River.

UNDERSTAND THE CONDITIONS

Learn how river levels affect fishing and paddling

How river flow affects fishing →How river levels affect kayaking →How to read a USGS river gauge →What CFS means →