# O’shay is now O’shallow



## ski (May 13, 2004)

Took my son down to Oshay last evening for a little wade fishing in the lake since it’s sooo low. Told him to remember this because it may not happen for quite a while. Waded out from the east shore just north of the twin lakes buoys. Got skunked and ended the day stacking rocks. A good night.


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

How many of my Flicker Shads did you find??? Remember I know where you live


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## scioto_alex (Dec 30, 2015)

I thought there would be more trash. When it was low a few years ago the exposed mud flats on the east side had plenty of cans and bottles half-embedded in the grit.










Plenty of broken glass. I learned the hard way not to wade barefoot there.









BTW the flats showed where the waves at different lake levels had sorted the gravel.


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## Draggin along (Nov 8, 2012)

you know that the city of Columbus will refund the boaters that have their boats docked at the Home road Marina. And they'll also assist in getting their boats out of the water. Good luck guys.


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

has anyone attempted to launch there? was thinking about hitting oshay this weekend?


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## Crappie/Eyes (Mar 10, 2007)

NewbreedFishing said:


> has anyone attempted to launch there? was thinking about hitting oshay this weekend?


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## Crappie/Eyes (Mar 10, 2007)

I would think twice before attempting to launch at Oshay and then go to alum instead. I fished there two weeks ago, had trouble recovering my 17 ft tracker and decided that was it for. me at least untill the water levels return to near normal levels after the dam work is completed. You maybe able to fish with a kayak but even that could. be hazardous.


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## ski (May 13, 2004)

Brahmabull71 said:


> How many of my Flicker Shads did you find??? Remember I know where you live


Everyone knows flicker shads don't work!!


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## ski (May 13, 2004)

I've been out of town all weekend but if the lake is still like it was on Friday, there is no way I would launch a boat. The docks were resting on the concrete and I can't imagine there is much ramp left under the water. I'll stop by tomorrow to take a look.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

How far down would you say it is?


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

Drove over it Sat. and looks to be at least 6-8' low. So much for trolling for those hybrids, AJ.


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## Govbarney (Jan 3, 2011)

This maybe a stupid question, but where is the water from O'Shay going? I was down at Griggs yesterday, and even after the rain the flow coming over the dam was at a trickle, but the Griggs pool (above dam) looked to be at relitivley normal levels, wouldnt it stand to reason that if they are releasing higher than normal discharge from O'shay everything below O'shay would be up?


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

NewbreedFishing said:


> Drove over it Sat. and looks to be at least 6-8' low. So much for trolling for those hybrids, AJ.


 

Wondering if I can get up there and cast at them from shore, hmmm


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Govbarney said:


> This maybe a stupid question, but where is the water from O'Shay going? I was down at Griggs yesterday, and even after the rain the flow coming over the dam was at a trickle, but the Griggs pool (above dam) looked to be at relitivley normal levels, wouldnt it stand to reason that if they are releasing higher than normal discharge from O'shay everything below O'shay would be up?


The main O'shay releases occurred a month ago or so. Water was elevated for about a week while they drew it down. Anymore they aren't really dumping, just releasing slightly more water than is coming into the Res.


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

The area north of 42 looks like a desert



acklac7 said:


> Wondering if I can get up there and cast at them from shore, hmmm


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## scioto_alex (Dec 30, 2015)

I asked my friend in Bellepoint, he says Mill Creek is "not completely dry but you can walk across it easily."


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## ski (May 13, 2004)

About 1/2 mile above the home rd bridge the lake is only about 50ft wide. It is surrounded by dry mud flats, so not much water coming into the lake. They are releasing water through the bypass pipe, probably just enough to keep a flow down the Scioto. 
AJ, I'm betting you can cast for those wipers and saugeye by walking out from the east side by Seldom Seen. You can walk almost out to the middle of the lake without geting your feet wet.


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## scioto_alex (Dec 30, 2015)

They;'re probably releasing from the upground reservoir.


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

I highly doubt that. The purpose of the upground reservoir is for a drinking water supply reservoir. It is not used to control the flow of the river.


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## scioto_alex (Dec 30, 2015)

Yes but the river is how the water gets to the city. They don't have a pipe from the reservoir to the city.


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

I didn’t know that. I thought that the water was piped to the treatment plant. I just read up on it, and you are correct. The water is piped back to the river to free flow back to Columbus via the river.


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## scioto_alex (Dec 30, 2015)

Yeah they can go back and forth with that pumping station. It can make some weird swings on the gauge at Prospect.

Look at the flow increase on October 2, looks like they opened a gate.

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/oh/nwis/uv?site_no=03219500


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

scioto_alex said:


> Yeah they can go back and forth with that pumping station. It can make some weird swings on the gauge at Prospect.
> 
> Look at the flow increase on October 2, looks like they opened a gate.
> 
> https://waterdata.usgs.gov/oh/nwis/uv?site_no=03219500


That's funny we fished a spot south of cbus today expecting more flow then last wwwk when my friend was there. And was shocked to see less flow today. 
Makes since now! And is something to watch when the river is low! 
Thanks alex!!


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## scioto_alex (Dec 30, 2015)

When it's really low south of cbus you can walk where you'd otherwise wade, and you can see how many washed-out holes there are. You could go from knee-deep to shoulder-deep in one step.


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## ski (May 13, 2004)

I went down to the Home rd ramp and it looks like they took one of the docks and placed it on the other one to extend it out into the water. At least now you can load and unload a boat. But the ramp may end before you get your boat off the trailer. I also watched a beaver for 20 minutes from 10 feet away.


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## ski (May 13, 2004)

Stopped by o’shay dam this morning and there is no water coming through the dam and the river is pretty much drying up.


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## PolkRunKid (Aug 25, 2015)

Howdy all. Looks like it might not rain here in Cincinnati for several more days. Depressing. Miss Grandview Heights up there. Been five years. Lots of fishing by there. Will do rain dance.


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

ski said:


> View attachment 325335
> Stopped by o’shay dam this morning and there is no water coming through the dam and the river is pretty much drying up.


What in the name of fuuuu. I don't think they're allowed to do that. Time to make some phone calls...


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Back up now, phew.


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## meisjedog (Oct 4, 2010)

At least 3-4cfs coming over the top now!


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## Workingman (Jan 21, 2016)

I may be ignorant, probably am.... but is it just because of no rain? I know they're working on the dam, but there seems to be little water above the dam as well. Is there another dam north of there? I didn't think there was which seems to me all the creeks running into Oshay are just really low? I guess if the dam is wide open, it just drained??? Hard for me to understand for sure. Maybe someone will explain it for dummies haha


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

Creeks North of Oshay in the Scioto watershed where I live are dry. This is the driest year I’ve seen in many years.


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## scioto_alex (Dec 30, 2015)

Columbus has sort of a dam, they call it an "inflatable weir" and it's basically a big rubber dam that can come and go. They use it to make a pool for the intake to the upground reservoir, but they don't always have a pool.

There was (is?) a lowhead below Prospect. It has the unusual design where it has notches to allow the water over. Not sure but I think they could put boards in there to raise the pool level. I don't know who built it, or when, or why.


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

They took that dam out about 6 years ago. That dam had a ton of silt built up behind it. The North end of Oshay now collects all of the silt from the watershed, some areas are very shallow now north of Home Road.


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## Brahmabull71 (Jul 30, 2014)

It’s been a very different system since they removed the Prospect low head. 

I will add that I think it’s a three fold issue.
1. It has been a dry late summer / early fall.
2. Because of the first issue, they are diverting water to Columbus from the Upground Reservoir / Scioto.
3. Construction has played a factor for the work need done.

Just my theory. It hurts my heart though as it is my favorite fall crappie / saugeye haunt.


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## scioto_alex (Dec 30, 2015)

It has been drier down here than farther up in the watershed this season. Many times rain has passed central Ohio to the north. The upper parts of the Scioto watershed got some rain and runoff, but not here.

It seems like almost all of the rain stayed up in MN - WI - MI probably because the jet stream was up there.

Last May I dug a side yard drain intended to handle a rain event of 2 or maybe 3 inches, and we've never received more than one inch of rain in a day since then.


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## ski (May 13, 2004)

A couple more pics from last week. One of the ramp and the other two taken north of Home Rd.


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## scioto_alex (Dec 30, 2015)

My friend in Bellpoint says this is the lowest they have ever seen it in 34 years of living there at the junction of Mill Creek.


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## ristorap (Mar 6, 2013)

Now is the time to take pictures of it being low.


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