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Mad River

Mad River near Urbana

USGS gauge 03267000
Flow & gauge height
Shaded band = the river's normal range for the date; the line is actual flow
Fishability assessment
Awaiting live reading

Computing assessment…

Location
40.1076, -83.7991
Species activity
Likely-active fish for Mad River right now — typical central-Ohio seasonal patterns.
  • Active
    Brown trout
    Prime season.
    Spin: Tiny inline spinners & small spoons on light line — sneak up on them.
  • Active
    Smallmouth bass
    Prime season.
    Spin: Ned rigs, tubes, small crankbaits & inline spinners along rocky banks.
  • Active
    Rock bass
    Prime season.
    Spin: Tiny tubes, curly-tail grubs & small inline spinners by cover.
  • Slow
    Rainbow trout
    In season.
    Spin: Inline spinners, small spoons & tiny crankbaits.
On the menu right now
  • Peak
    Sulphurs
    The marquee early-summer dry-fly hatch — evenings are prime.
    Spin: Fish the last hour of light with small minnow plugs.
    For: Brown trout, Rainbow trout
  • Peak
    Caddis (seasonal mix)
    Several species in rotation — green early spring, tan/olive through summer, autumn sedge late.
    Spin: Small spinners swung across-and-down like an emerging pupa.
    For: Brown trout, Rainbow trout
  • Peak
    Brown Drakes
    Brief and sparse — first two weeks of June, evenings; big bugs, big fish.
    Spin: Big evening profile: small jointed minnow plugs.
    For: Brown trout
  • Active
    Midges
    The winter mainstay — tiny but always on the water.
    Spin: 1/64 oz micro-jigs under a small float, dead-slow.
    For: Brown trout, Rainbow trout
  • Active
    Terrestrials (hoppers, ants, beetles)
    Summer bank food — best on breezy afternoons under grassy edges.
    Spin: Small topwater plugs twitched along grassy banks.
    For: Brown trout, Rainbow trout

Timing compiled from regional guide & hatch-chart sources — local conditions shift it by a week or two either way.

Ohio's premier coldwater trout stream. Browns are ODNR-stocked (put-grow-take, ~11,500/yr) with limited natural reproduction — this is a fragile, spring-fed fishery, so keep trout wet and handle them gently.

General guidance from seasonal & water-temp patterns — not a guarantee. Always check current Ohio fishing regulations and limits.