What’s a good and safe streamflow for fishing at a particular site?
A given streamflow (for example, 215 cubic feet per second (cfs)) means different things at different sites. On a river that drains a large area, 215 cfs may be a trickle. On a small stream, it may be a flood. If you are trying to figure out when the river is wadeable, you might look at our measurement page for the gaged site of interest. You will see the gage heights corresponding to wading measurements we have made (as indicated in the “meas. type column”). Obviously, at a given gage height, it may be possible to safely wade in some locations and not in others so be careful, wear a personal flotation device, and take other precautions. As for what’s a good flow for when the fish bite, we’re too busy tending to our gages to have time to find out! However, there are many other places to check. Following are just a few we know of (Note: mention of web sites does not constitute an endorsement by me or the USGS): Ohio Dept.
