Fishing in Scioto County, Ohio
Seat: Portsmouth. Fish management by ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office).
- 3lake pages
- 9launches
- 2river pages
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What Scioto County holds for anglers
Portsmouth serves as county seat for Scioto County, home to 74,008 people in 2020. Water takes up 6.2 square miles beside 610 square miles of land. ODNR lists the county under ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office). Its Ohio River bank holds 7 launches; limits follow the Ohio River Western Unit (Ohio/Kentucky).
Still water with its own page: 3 lakes, 69 acres, Turkey Creek Lake first by size. 2 of the lake pages carry an ODNR horsepower rule, 2 of them electric motors only. ODNR mapped 9 attractor sites across 2 county lakes. Count 9 public launches in all: 6 concrete and 308 trailer spaces among the lots that list them.
Census 2020 population and 2023 Gazetteer areas; ODNR Division of Wildlife lake outlines, horsepower and attractor layers, ODNR launch list; retrieved October 2026.
The Scioto County fishing map
ODNR launch and fishing-access points, ODNR lake outlines (representative points) and ODNR stream access points. Checked October 2026.
Lake pages across Scioto County
| Lake | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Fish on record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey Creek Lake | 50 | 1 | electric motors only | steelhead, channel catfish, largemouth bass |
| Roosevelt Lake | 15 | 1 | electric motors only | channel catfish, steelhead |
| Pond Lick Lake | 4 | 0 |
From Portsmouth, these lake pages outside Scioto County are the shortest drives.
| Lake | From Portsmouth | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Fish on record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson Lake | 22 miles northeast | 252 | 2 | 10 HP limit | channel catfish, tiger muskellunge, largemouth bass |
| Lake White | 25 miles north | 333 | 3 | unlimited horsepower | spotted bass, saugeye, channel catfish |
| Timbre Ridge Lake | 31 miles east | 98 | 1 | electric motors only | steelhead, channel catfish |
| Adams Lake | 31 miles west | 35 | 1 | electric motors only | steelhead, channel catfish, bluegill |
| Caldwell Lake | 33 miles north | 10 | 1 | electric motors only | channel catfish, steelhead, largemouth bass |
| Tycoon Lake | 34 miles east | 183 | 1 | electric motors only | channel catfish, largemouth bass, walleye |
ODNR Division of Wildlife lake outlines (acres), horsepower restrictions, fish hot-spot maps and stocking records; retrieved October 2026.
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- Scioto River2 launchs, 40 ODNR access points, USGS gauge
- Scioto Brush Creek7 ODNR access points
Scioto County river stages and flows
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Twin Creek At Mcgaw Oh | 0 cfs, 0.82 ft gage height | Nov 11 5:15 pm |
| Ohio River At Portsmouth, Oh | 16.34 ft gage height | Nov 11 5:00 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 11, 2026 5:32 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
ODNR stream access points (Watercraft paddling layer), ODNR steelhead program and walleye-run maps, USGS gauges; retrieved October 2026.
Scioto County launches, piers and banks
- Shawnee State Park – Roosevelt LakeRoosevelt Lake, concrete ramp, 1 lane, no launch fee, electric motors only
- Shawnee State Park – Turkey Creek LakeTurkey Creek Lake, concrete ramp, 2 lanes, 56 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, electric motors only
- Burkes Point on Ohio RiverOhio River, concrete ramp, 2 lanes, 50 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Ginat Run Public Ramp on Ohio RiverOhio River, concrete ramp, 3 lanes, 26 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Holiday Point Marina on Ohio RiverOhio River, boat ramp, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Offnere St. Ramp/Doyle's Landing Boat Ramp on Ohio RiverOhio River, concrete ramp, 2 lanes, 25 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Portsmouth Court Street Landing on Ohio RiverOhio River, boat ramp, 13 trailer spaces, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Shawnee Boat Club on Ohio RiverOhio River, boat ramp, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Shawnee State Park Marina on Ohio RiverOhio River, concrete ramp, 6 lanes, 138 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
ODNR Parks and Watercraft launch facilities, ODNR Division of Wildlife fishing access points and ODNR Office of Coastal Management Lake Erie access; retrieved October 2026.
Scioto County on the Ohio River
The Ohio River Western Unit (Ohio/Kentucky) table below covers this stretch of the river.
| Species | Where | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass | OHIO REGULATIONS: boat anglers in Ohio waters, shoreline anglers on the Ohio shoreline, all anglers in Ohio embayments and tributaries within the West | 6 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches | Open year-round |
| Black & White Crappie | UNIFIED OHIO AND KENTUCKY REGULATIONS: on or within a quarter mile of the Ohio River on its embayments and tributaries to the first riffle or dam in t | 30 (singly or in combination) | Open year-round |
| Muskellunge | UNIFIED OHIO AND KENTUCKY REGULATIONS: on or within a quarter mile of the Ohio River on its embayments and tributaries to the first riffle or dam in t | 2; minimum 30 inches | Open year-round |
| Striped, Hybrid-Striped, & White Bass | UNIFIED OHIO AND KENTUCKY REGULATIONS: on or within a quarter mile of the Ohio River on its embayments and tributaries to the first riffle or dam in t | 30 (no more than 4 over 15 inches) | Open year-round |
| Walleye, Sauger, & Saugeye | UNIFIED OHIO AND KENTUCKY REGULATIONS: on or within a quarter mile of the Ohio River on its embayments and tributaries to the first riffle or dam in t | 6 (singly or in combination); minimum 14 inches | Open year-round |
- Burkes Point on Ohio Riverconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 50 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Ginat Run Public Ramp on Ohio Riverconcrete ramp, 3 lanes, 26 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Holiday Point Marina on Ohio Riverboat ramp, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Offnere St. Ramp/Doyle's Landing Boat Ramp on Ohio Riverconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 25 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Portsmouth Court Street Landing on Ohio Riverboat ramp, 13 trailer spaces, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Shawnee Boat Club on Ohio Riverboat ramp, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Shawnee State Park Marina on Ohio Riverconcrete ramp, 6 lanes, 138 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
ODNR Ohio River launch list; Limits as printed in the 2026-27 Ohio Fishing Regulations (ODNR Division of Wildlife Publication 5085, effective March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027) and the ODNR Lake Erie walleye and yellow perch daily limits sheet (May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027); retrieved October 26, 2026.
What ODNR stocked in Scioto County, and the records
From 1970 through 2022, ODNR logged 99 stockings across 2 lakes here, led by 168,037 rainbow trout, 38,094 golden trout, 25,021 channel catfish, 22,746 largemouth bass.
Rainbow trout drops in Scioto County, 2026
| Date | Water | Size |
|---|---|---|
| April 25, 2026 | Turkey Creek Lake | 10-13 inches |
What ODNR stocked last in Scioto County
| Year | Water | Species | Number and size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Roosevelt Lake | Rainbow Trout | 1,030 catchable |
| 2022 | Turkey Creek Lake | Rainbow Trout | 2,668 catchable |
| 2021 | Roosevelt Lake | Rainbow Trout | 203 catchable |
| 2021 | Roosevelt Lake | Rainbow Trout | 581 catchable |
| 2021 | Turkey Creek Lake | Channel Catfish | 1,240 yearling |
| 2021 | Turkey Creek Lake | Rainbow Trout | 2,478 catchable |
| 2020 | Roosevelt Lake | Rainbow Trout | 817 catchable |
| 2020 | Turkey Creek Lake | Rainbow Trout | 2,721 catchable |
| 2019 | Turkey Creek Lake | Channel Catfish | 1,228 yearling |
| 2019 | Turkey Creek Lake | Rainbow Trout | 402 catchable |
ODNR Division of Wildlife Ohio Fish Stocking Records (public copy of the DataOhio dataset, current as of May 31, 2022; numbers by water, year, species and life stage); ODNR Rainbow Trout Stocking Dates page, spring 2026 releases (trout 10 to 13 inches); Outdoor Writers of Ohio record fish list. Retrieved October 2026.
Statewide and site limits in Scioto County
Statewide inland limits cover Scioto County, with the site-specific entries listed after them.
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Blue & Flathead Catfish (under 35 inches) | No daily limit | Open year-round |
| Blue & Flathead Catfish (35 inches or larger) | 1 of each (statewide); minimum 35 inches | Open year-round |
| Channel Catfish (under 28 inches) | No daily limit | Open year-round |
| Channel Catfish (28 inches or larger) | 1 (statewide); minimum 28 inches | Open year-round |
| Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass | 5 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches | Open year-round |
| Muskellunge | 1 | Open year-round |
| Striped, Hybrid-Striped, & White Bass | 30 (singly or in combination); minimum No more than 4 over 15 inches | Open year-round |
| Trout | 5 (singly or in combination) | Open year-round |
| Walleye, Sauger, & Saugeye | 6 (singly or in combination) | Open year-round |
| Yellow Perch | 30 | Open year-round |
Limits as printed in the 2026-27 Ohio Fishing Regulations (ODNR Division of Wildlife Publication 5085, effective March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027) and the ODNR Lake Erie walleye and yellow perch daily limits sheet (May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027); retrieved October 26, 2026. Site-specific rules as printed in the 2026-27 Ohio Fishing Regulations (ODNR Division of Wildlife Publication 5085, effective March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027) (booklet PDF), page numbers in the booklet.
Bait counters and charter captains of Scioto County
Scioto County stores that serve anglers
- Holiday Point Marinamarina, Franklin Furnace
Yellow Pages and chain store listings, charter and guide listings (county of business); retrieved October 2026.
In the orbit of Scioto County
Towns and villages with pages in Scioto County
- Portsmouthpop. 18,252
- Wheelersburgpop. 6,531
- West Portsmouthpop. 2,928
- New Bostonpop. 2,297
Neighboring Ohio counties to Scioto County
- Pike County18 miles north
- Jackson County25 miles northeast
- Adams County26 miles west
- Lawrence County30 miles southeast
Piscifun spinning and baitcasting gear for Scioto County
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Fish pictures for a trip to Scioto County
Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Services, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
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Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
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Photo: Mike Heine, CC BY 4.0
Hunting in Scioto County
Public hunting land, seasons and processors for Scioto County are on State Hunting Spots, our sister site.
Sorting out a fishing day in Scioto County
How many ODNR-listed launches dot Scioto County?
9 public launches in all, 6 concrete.
What Scioto County lake covers the most acres?
Turkey Creek Lake, 50 acres by its ODNR outline.
Which Scioto County lakes are electric only?
Check the motor column: 2 lakes have a rule, 2 electric only.
Is there a Buckeye bait counter in Scioto County?
Holiday Point Marina heads 1 listings.
Do charters run out of Scioto County?
No guide or charter lists a business here; the statewide guides page has the rest.
Which place is the Scioto County seat?
The seat is Portsmouth.
Which Ohio license covers a day on Scioto County water?
A Buckeye fishing license runs $25.00 for residents, $76.96 for visitors from other states and $10.00 for residents 65 or older, starting at age 16. Ohio River anglers fishing from the Ohio shore or Ohio embayments use the Ohio license; the booklet prints the reciprocity terms.
What counties sit next to Scioto County?
Neighbors by distance: Pike County, Jackson County and Adams County.
Which Wildlife District is Scioto County in?
Fisheries work goes to ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office).
Hitch up for a Scioto County lake day
Check the site rules before keeping fish.