How to use our fishing calendar
Planning your next fishing trip in Columbus, United States ? Today is a poor day for fishing. Our comprehensive fishing almanac combines our popular solunar tables, moon times, sunrise and sunset times, and a 7-day fishing calendar so you always know the best fishing times in your area. We analyse major and minor solunar bite times, rate each day on a five-star scale, and pair it with localized weather forecasts so you can quickly tell whether today is a good day to fish without juggling multiple tabs. Be sure to bookmark this page so you never miss a bite. view bite times...
- Check our unique Solunar Clock for precise solunar tables and the best moon phases.
- Use the forecast calendar section to sync bite times with major weather changes.
- Analyze the forecasted weather conditions, such as wind, barometric pressure and rain to plan your fishing session.
- Jump to the 7-Day Fishing Calendar for an extended fishing forecast, then explore nearby fishing spots on the interactive map.
Columbus, Ohio offers surprisingly diverse freshwater fishing, from the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers cutting through downtown to nearby reservoirs like Alum Creek, Hoover, and O’Shaughnessy. Anglers can target everything from trophy largemouth bass and walleyes to hard-fighting saugeye, smallmouth, and urban catfish within a short drive of the city. read more...
Sun and Moon Times
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Nautical Twilight begins:Sunrise:
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Sunset:Nautical Twilight ends:
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Moonrise:
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Moonset:
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Moon over:
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Moon under:
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Visibility:48%
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First Quarter Moon
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Distance to earth:385,969 kmProximity:46.3 %
Moon Phases for Columbus
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poor Day
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minor Time:12:04 am - 02:04 am
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major Time:06:16 am - 08:16 am
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minor Time:12:28 pm - 02:28 pm
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major Time:06:48 pm - 08:48 pm
Current Fishing Weather
Wind Speed and Direction
Wind Direction:
Wind Speed:
Wind Direction and Speed are one of the most important aspects for choosing a fishing spot. An offshore wind can help land-based anglers with longer casting distances, while an onshore wind will make kayak fishing safer. Often fish will also move to certain feeding areas depending on the wind direction. Check out the long term wind forecast at the charts below.
Fishing Barometer
Atmospheric Pressure:
Change since midnight:
Trend for next 6 hours:
Atmospheric or Barometric Pressure affects fish activity. The best fishing can be had on a rising barometer and also the time just before it is falling. A steady barometer in the higher ranges can also mean good fishing. A falling or low barometer reading without much change is usually not a very good time for fishing.
UV Effect on Fishing
As a rule of thumb, the higher the UV index, the deeper fish will move. Shallow water fishing is best done at times with a low UV index. When the UV is high, stick to early mornings, late evenings and shaded areas. The effect is less noticable in deeper water, but often a higher UV index can produce good results in the deep.
7 Day Fishing Weather
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 Waxing Gibbous |
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Fishing Overview Columbus
Fishing in Columbus, Ohio centers around a network of productive reservoirs and urban rivers that fish well year-round. Key waters include Alum Creek Lake to the north, Hoover Reservoir to the northeast, O’Shaughnessy and Griggs reservoirs on the Scioto River corridor, plus the mainstem Scioto and Olentangy Rivers flowing right through town. Each system fishes a bit differently, so tailoring your approach to the specific lake or river boosts success.
Seasonal patterns drive most fishing decisions around Columbus. In early spring, focus on warming shallows, creek arms, and riprap banks. Crappie and bluegill slide into protected coves in Hoover and Alum Creek; small minnows under a float or 1/32–1/16 oz tube jigs in natural shad colors catch numbers of fish. Largemouth bass stage on secondary points and the first breaklines outside coves—work slowly with suspending jerkbaits, compact jigs, or Texas-rigged creature baits.
As late spring and early summer arrive, bass in Alum Creek and O’Shaughnessy push shallow to spawn on gravel and hard-bottom banks. Sight-fishing soft plastics or swimming a jig along the bank can be productive. On Hoover, which is deeper and clearer, bass and saugeye often hold on long points and humps; vertical jigging blade baits or dragging nightcrawler harnesses along the contour lines is effective. Evening topwater around riprap, especially near bridges and marinas, produces explosive bites from both largemouth and smallmouth.
Summer in Columbus means an early-and-late pattern. Midday, fish slide deeper to ledges, channel swings, and main-lake points. On the reservoirs, work Carolina rigs, deep-diving crankbaits, or drop-shot rigs across 12–25 feet of water. For numbers of panfish, anchor or drift just off main-lake flats and suspend live bait at the depth where you mark schools on your electronics. In the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers, focus on current seams, eddies behind bridge pilings, and rock piles with small crankbaits, ned rigs, or live bait for smallmouth, rock bass, and channel cats.
Fall may be the most underrated season around Columbus. Cooling water pulls shad shallow in creeks and coves on Hoover, Alum, and Griggs, and predators follow. Cover water quickly with medium-diving crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and lipless cranks. Saugeye and walleye bite well on windblown points and along riprap after dark—casting jig-and-minnow combinations or slowly retrieving stickbaits parallel to shore is a consistent pattern. Carp and catfish continue to feed heavily: packbait, corn, or cut bait fished on the bottom near drop-offs and channel edges draws big fish.
Winter fishing is tougher but still possible on open water days. Focus on the deepest holes in the Scioto and Olentangy, working small jigs or live minnows painfully slow for saugeye, catfish, and the occasional bass. On the reservoirs, concentrate around the old river channels and main-lake basins; vertical presentations with spoons or tight-wobbling blade baits shine when fish are grouped tightly near the bottom.
Habitat and tactical tips are fairly consistent across the region. Riprap, bridge causeways, creek mouths, and points are high-percentage spots in every Columbus-area reservoir. In the rivers, target transitions: fast to slow water, deep to shallow, rock to sand. Downsizing tackle—a 6–8 lb fluorocarbon leader, smaller jigs, and subtle colors—often pays off in clearer lakes like Hoover and Alum Creek. At the same time, don’t overlook heavy gear for nighttime catfish and carp, especially in the Scioto corridor through downtown where large fish are common in surprisingly urban settings.
Interactive Fishing Map for the greater Columbus area
We found a total of 40 potential fishing spots nearby Columbus. Below you can find them organized on a map. Points, Headlands, Reefs, Islands, Channels, etc can all be productive fishing spots. As these are user submitted spots, there might be some errors in the exact location. You also need to cross check local fishing regulations. Some of the spots might be in or around marine reserves or other locations that cannot be fished. If you click on a location marker it will bring up some details and a quick link to google search, satellite maps and fishing times. Tip: Click/Tap on a new area to load more fishing spots.
Wagners Lake - 1.83152643885km , Barnum Creek - 4.02681829437km , Lake Babcock and Lake North-Columbus Dam - 4.10540581774km , Loup River - 5.1681628701km , Wilson Creek - 9.81901660996km , Bellwood Lake - 10.56935514034km , Goedeken Dam - 13.06933762617km , Clear Creek - 13.15785637528km , Detention Dam 3-A - 13.38950116297km , Lake McAllister - 13.45652044983km , Detention Dam 3-C - 13.91354641333km , Loseke Creek - 13.99935753044km , Hewitt Island - 14.62928865044km , Bellwood Dam 3-B - 14.77718196143km , Gruenewald Dam - 15.53502444723km , Taylor Creek - 15.85150979307km , Schaad Creek - 16.37997834806km , Bellwood Dam 6-G - 16.777449227km , Loseke-Frese Dam - 17.04502518051km , Detention Dam 6-E - 17.21965824501km , Detention Dam 6-F - 17.79712176565km , Bur Oak Dam - 18.58148971067km , Detention Dam 5-G - 18.59131638732km , Scow Detention Dam - 18.61984959695km , Detention Dam 5-J - 19.22451819297km , Perry Dam - 19.62788871671km , Bellwood Dam 5-K - 19.65764999712km , Messing-Scow Dam - 20.43093472311km , Tomek Island - 20.62417811581km , Detention Dam 4-K - 21.12399417434km , Detention Dam 5-H - 21.34426572519km , Detention Dam 4-L - 22.03146688142km , Birkel Dam - 23.61762049568km , Schuyler City Lake - 25.52265616006km , Looking Glass Creek - 26.19044526684km , Ternes Dam - 26.3191127543km , Brezina Dam - 27.89271340272km , Burritt Dam - 28.70831184287km , South Fork Dry Creek - 30.02626501538km , Monson Dam - 31.2464130865km
Harbours and
Marinas
Beaches
Bays
Wharfs
Points,Reefs,etc
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