Photo by Ron Sinfelt

The arrival of February promises another great fishing season. Relatively balmy days with warmer breezes, above-freezing temperatures and the scent of spring hint of great walleye fishing opportunities to come!

Ohio’s saugeye program dominates in many impounded inland waters, but there are solid walleye strongholds in the northeastern part of the state, along with a smattering of hotspots in the southwestern region.

At this time of year, perhaps the greatest walleye opportunity is provided by the many miles of the Ohio River, which is where we’ll begin our profile of Ohio’s top inland walleye waters.

OHIO RIVER
The big-river walleye fishing begins in late fall and continues into early spring, particularly in the upper portions of our state’s share of the Ohio River.

In general, the best walleye fishing is in the Ohio’s upper pools. The term “pool” refers to the river sections between any two navigational dams.

For example, the Hannibal Pool is a 42-mile section of river flowing from the Pike Island Lock and Dam downstream to the Hannibal Lock and Dam near New Martinsville, W.Va.

Anglers can expect good to excellent walleye fishing on the New Cumberland, Pike Island, Hannibal and Willow Island pools of the river. Some walleyes may be found in the river below the Willow Island Lock and Dam, but changes in habitat make this stretch better suited to saugers.

The reason why big-river walleye fishing tends to be best from late fall into early spring relates mostly to water temperatures. Once water temperatures drop below the mid-40 degree range, the fish stack up in areas with little current.

Find slack-water areas, which are commonly formed below current-deflecting structures such as gravel bars, islands, pilings and bridge piers, and you’ll likely have good fishing for coldwater walleyes.

The mouths of large feeder creeks are also prime walleye-holding spots, as the impounding influence of the river extends well into such streams. The mouths of these feeder streams are often rich with baitfish, which help attract big walleyes.

The Ohio River boasts plenty of industrial discharge pipes that enter the river. Warmwater discharges, common below power plants, pull in baitfish that in turn attract game fish, including walleyes.

The structure most associated with river walleyes is the tailrace area of dams. Dams block the upstream migration of walleyes, and fish become concentrated. This becomes even more evident as waters begin to warm in early spring and the spawning run begins.