# Best river in ohio



## pendog66 (Mar 23, 2005)

My whole life me and my dad have been fishing the stillwater river. And in my mind its the best smallmouth river in ohio. It is full of trophy smallmouth you just have to scout and find places to fish. The largest we have caught is 22 inches and a couple of 19 and 20's.


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## Alter (Apr 8, 2004)

According to the DNR's stats on big smallies caught the Licking River is better 
I certainly miss fishing the Stillwater.

Steve


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## getinjiggy (May 24, 2004)

The Auglaize river holds some great smallies as well I would never reccomend eating any fish from here but there is some great fish to be caught.Find a good hole and you can get into some nice slab crappies as well. Glenn


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## catking (Apr 5, 2004)

Down this way ( SW corner ) the Little Miami is tops. Some smallie guys rank it in the top three . Very scenic and loaded with fish. Very easily accessed also. THE CATKING !!!


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

...all the rivers here up north have real bad fishing... 
don't come up this way


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## Walter Adkins (May 20, 2004)

I would have to put Deer Creek, not the lake, above all of the rivers that I have fished. I never run into anyone fishing where I fish.You can catch smallies, largemouth and spotts with an average size above any other body of water.


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

I plan to focus almost exclusively on fishing rivers this year (from smallies to flatheads). Other than one planned trip to AEP, I will only be fishing lakes when the rivers become unfishable.

I will be fishing the following rivers in their entirety:

LMR
GMR
Stillwater
Whitewater

In addition, I will be fishing a lot of the smaller tributaries (of the rivers listed above).

Which is the best? I will have a much better answer to that question next year!


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## River Walker (Apr 7, 2004)

I fish streams for smallies all across Ohio.Although the Stillwater River is a very fine bass stream,as is Greenville Creek and Twin Creek in that same general area,I wouldn't consider any of them to be the absolute best-no way.I keep a personal log on stream fishing each year,then at the end of the year comprise a personal "top ten".In the last five years,the Stillwater only made this list once.And yes,I do fish it quite a bit.I'll probably piss off a few people,but I'll list a few streams that I would consider "blue ribbon" for smallmouth's.Without question,Ohio Brush Creek rates very high every year,as does Eagle Creek down in Brown County.The guy that said there's no good bass streams up north-well.....try the Grand River,Ashtabula River,and a few of it's tributaries,and Conneaut Creek is also very good.I also like the Tuscarawas River near Newcomerstown.The Huron River and Vermilion Rivers both offer great bass fishing also.The Kokosing and Walhonding Rivers have good fishing too,but both are hit pretty hard as far as streams go.Finally,although some people don't agree with me,the Little Muskingum River has some outstanding bass fishing in it with some real hogs taken.I guess if the stream you fish most often is your favorite,so be it,but it's virtually impossible to name any stream as the overall best.We're truly blessed with an abundance of great bass streams in Ohio,and every one of them is probably "best" on somebody's list.


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## dmbfanatpsu (Nov 22, 2004)

I've got the same intentions as you Rooster! I used to do a lot of creek fishing up in Erie, PA for trout and knew those creeks like the back of my hand. I've been in Cincinnati for two years, but have only been fishing down here for about a year. I must say the Ohio River is very different then the creeks up north in Erie. Also, it seems to be that the rivers\creeks up in Erie are more accessible then what I've seen down here so far. I really would like to explore more of the LMR and GMR and any other creeks\streams that are around southwest Ohio. I've never heard of Whitewater and Stillwater? Are those in southwest ohio?


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

Nope... no good streams up north...
Don't bother making the trip up here gang


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

The Stillwater is north of Dayton, and the Whitewater is mostly in Indiana.

I just added Ohio Brush Creek to my list of rivers to fish this year.


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## River Walker (Apr 7, 2004)

Try the area between the villages of Peebles and West Union.Around the Serpent Mound is also good,as is upstream a bit NW of the little crossroads town called Louden.There's a couple of outstanding tribs to fish also,namely,Middle Fork,and Baker Creek.Both offer super bass action.Try Baker Creek around the town of Sinking Springs,and the Middle Fork off of Straight Creek Rd.just a tad south of Sinking Springs.1/6 0z.white roostertails will give you all the action you want on any of these streams.


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## tvfisherman (Apr 16, 2004)

I haven't fished any Southern Ohio River's apart from the Little Miami and Ohio, but up north I grew up fishing the Rocky River east of Cleveland. I know atrkyhntr says there are no good rivers up north but I've caught lots of good smallies out of the Rocky. No major trophies but quite a few 17 and 18 inchers. Lots of smaller ones too that you have to go through to get to the bigger ones.


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

..they drained the Rocky


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## River Walker (Apr 7, 2004)

Don't worry atrkyhntr,I didn't give up a few of the best NE creeks.If you fish the creeks up there,I'm sure you know which ones I mean.Rocky River's not bad,I'm glad all those steelhead guys don't know about the bass.A lot of guys like the Cuyahoga,but I'm not real crazy about it.There's some decent bassin' on it here and there,and some nice pike fishing,but not my cup of tea.


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

gezzzzzzzzzzus you guys are slow to get my drift LOL
Good catch River Walker


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## Dingo (Apr 13, 2004)

"I'm glad all those steelhead guys don't know about the bass"

I wouldn't say that. Seems like more folks - especially those with the fly rod - are hanging out in the rocky after the end of the steelhead season to take advantage of the 'lake run' smallmouth. They are learning that, although steelhead are fun to catch, a similar size smallmouth will outfight a steelhead. Plus, the weather conditions are better for the smallie season than the dead of winter for steelhead. It isn't as crowded as steelhead fishing, but much more crowded than in previous years.

I would say that the Grand River is the most diverse river I have fished (with the exception of the Ohio), where you can catch steelhead, salmon, smallmouth, largemouth, carp, walleye (both lake run and resident), muskies, pike, burbot (wintertime near the mouth), and many others that I may have missed. It is like two different rivers, where the stretch above the harpersfield dam is much different than what is below it.


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## River Walker (Apr 7, 2004)

The Grand River is just that! Love fishing it in the area where I-90 crosses over it.


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## tvfisherman (Apr 16, 2004)

The goofy thing about the Rocky River is the only steelies I've ever caught there were in early spring on rapalas looking for smallmouth and didn't think the steelhead were still in there.


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## Dingo (Apr 13, 2004)

The steelies stay in there quite late (sometimes too late) in the spring. My latest catch (fishing for smallies) was the 3rd week of June -- two steelies from the same hole as some jumbo smallies. I don't target the steelies after the end of April (too hard to successfully revive), but don't complain when I get one by suprise between the smallies from the deeper holes.


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

Been out since I saw you Dingo?


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## pendog66 (Mar 23, 2005)

I still feel the smallmouth fishing is better in the stillwater


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## Hellgramite (Feb 18, 2005)

According to the fish manager of SW Ohio DNR, the GMR is 5 times better than the Stillwater in both numbers and size for smallies.. During their stream surveys, about 17" is max for the Stillwater. Then again, he can't rule out that larger fish are there, they just haven't seen them. Of course seeing is believing. I suggest anyone catching 19"-21" smallies should photo them.


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## atrkyhntr (May 31, 2004)

I'll never question anyone over what they say they have caught but photos do clear up that end of it if available... I know I would not wade a stream (anymore) and put my camera at risk should I fall in and I did just that while steelhead fishing this year. I am very lucky and its not worth losing a several hundred dollar camera to prove I caught something to someone else... That I know I did is enough for me... If I am catching fish and have a good pattern to share I hope you guys won't need me to post a photo to prove it


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

if cameras are a problem, i have always used a cheap disposable camera locked safely in a zip-lock baggie.


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## Walter Adkins (May 20, 2004)

What you cant make it out. Oh darn I knew I had film in that camera when I caught that 12lb smallie.  I will take your word atrkyhntr about the fish now about that big ole gobbler


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## pendog66 (Mar 23, 2005)

I have one mounted on my wall


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

There are very few people that I believe without photographic proof. About 95% of the fishing population (including myself) can not judge weight. Further, I think that as fishermen we are genetically programmed to add a few inches here and there. No offence, but without a picture it doesnt count! I dont think that we intentionally lie, but subconsciously we add an a few inches, or add a few pounds out of ignorance. I refuse to fish without a camera (I don't even trust myself).


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## Hellgramite (Feb 18, 2005)

Pardon me for being cynical, but some fishermen have a tendency to, let's say, exaggerate or streeeeeeeetch the truth. I've seen it too many times. A 2lber will become a 5lber after a few beers or several years.


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## pendog66 (Mar 23, 2005)

I never said a 12 pound smallie, i don't even know how much it weighed all i know is that it was 20 inch smallie. And i got it back about 3 months ago.


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## Teeray (Apr 11, 2004)

in about a month and I'll be looking for some advice on access spots. I live in Columbus for now and I'm not surprised to see that the Scioto and the Olentangy were not mentioned on anyones lists, though when you look at those rivers you'd SWEAR they hold big smallies. In my opinion thay have been poached out. I use the fly rod, so I'll need to know where I can wade the LMR.

teeray


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## Hellgramite (Feb 18, 2005)

Pendog, did you have a replica made or did you use the real thing?


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## pendog66 (Mar 23, 2005)

i caught the fish late July on a crawdad. Give me ur email and i'll send a pic to you


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