Fishing in Washington County, Ohio
Seat: Marietta. Fish management by ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office).
- 1lake pages
- 11launches
- 3river pages
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A quick tour of Washington County fishing
The seat of Washington County is Marietta; 59,771 residents lived in the county at the 2020 Census. Of its area, 632 square miles are land and 8 are water, per the Census Gazetteer. Fisheries work here is handled by ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office). River traffic launches from 7 launches on the Ohio here, which the booklet assigns to the Ohio River Eastern Unit (Ohio/West Virginia).
Between them, the 1 lake with pages hold 135 acres; Veto Lake is the biggest. Motor limits cover 1 lake in the county; 0 permit electric motors alone. 11 public launches serve the county, including 10 with concrete lanes and room for 447 trailers.
Census 2020 population and 2023 Gazetteer areas; ODNR Division of Wildlife lake outlines, horsepower and attractor layers, ODNR launch list; retrieved October 2026.
Launches, lakes and rivers of Washington County, plotted
ODNR launch and fishing-access points, ODNR lake outlines (representative points) and ODNR stream access points. Checked October 2026.
ODNR-mapped lakes of Washington County, biggest first
| Lake | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Fish on record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veto Lake | 135 | 1 | 10 HP limit | channel catfish, saugeye, northern pike |
Washington County has few lake pages of its own, so the closest ones beyond the line are added, measured from Marietta.
| Lake | From Marietta | Acres | Launches | Motor rule | Fish on record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf Run Lake | 26 miles north | 208 | 1 | 10 HP limit | catfish, crappie, largemouth bass |
| Pond MB-42 | 27 miles northwest | 27 | 1 | 6 HP limit | |
| Dow Lake | 32 miles west | 161 | 1 | 10 HP limit | catfish, crappie, largemouth bass |
| Monroe Lake | 32 miles northeast | 39 | 1 | 10 HP limit | steelhead, channel catfish, largemouth bass |
| Burr Oak Lake | 32 miles west | 668 | 4 | unlimited horsepower, no wake | catfish, crappie, largemouth bass |
| Seneca Lake | 34 miles north | 3,587 | 4 | 399 HP, Unlimited | catfish, crappie, largemouth bass |
ODNR Division of Wildlife lake outlines (acres), horsepower restrictions, fish hot-spot maps and stocking records; retrieved October 2026.
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- Muskingum River19 launchs, 39 ODNR access points, USGS gauge
- Little Muskingum River7 ODNR access points, USGS gauge
- Duck Creek4 ODNR access points, USGS gauge
Gauge data for rivers in Washington County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Muskingum River At Beverly Oh | 2,650 cfs, 15.37 ft gage height | Nov 11 5:45 pm |
| Duck Creek Below Whipple Oh | 53 cfs, 1.58 ft gage height | Nov 11 5:30 pm |
| Little Muskingum River At Bloomfield Oh | 36 cfs, 2.75 ft gage height | Nov 11 5:45 pm |
| West Fork Duck Creek At Macksburg Oh | 14 cfs, 7.54 ft gage height | Nov 11 5:30 pm |
| Ohio River At Marietta, Oh | 15.96 ft gage height | Nov 11 6:00 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 11, 2026 6:33 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.
Getting a boat or a bait bucket onto Washington County water
- Beverly Ramp on Muskingum RiverMuskingum River, concrete ramp, 1 lane, 24 trailer spaces, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Indian Acres Boat Ramp on Muskingum RiverMuskingum River, concrete ramp, 3 lanes, 135 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Luke Chute Lock and Dam launch on Muskingum RiverMuskingum River, concrete ramp, 2 lanes, 18 trailer spaces, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Veto Lake Wildlife AreaVeto Lake, concrete ramp, 1 lane, 13 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, 10 HP limit
- Belpre Public Ramp on Ohio RiverOhio River, concrete ramp, 3 lanes, 72 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Frontier Boat Ramp on Ohio RiverOhio River, concrete ramp, 2 lanes, 70 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Leith Run Recreation Area – Wayne National Forest on Ohio RiverOhio River, concrete ramp, 2 lanes, 50 trailer spaces, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Marietta City Docks on Ohio RiverOhio River, boat ramp, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- New Matamoras Village Ramp on Ohio RiverOhio River, concrete ramp, 1 lane, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Newport Ferry Ramp on Ohio RiverOhio River, concrete ramp, 1 lane, 25 trailer spaces, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- The Landings Family Campground on Ohio RiverOhio River, concrete ramp, 1 lane, 40 trailer spaces, 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.
The Ohio River off Washington County
Limits below are the Ohio River Eastern Unit (Ohio/West Virginia) rows, which Ohio shares with its neighbor across the river.
| Species | Where | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black & White Crappie | OHIO REGULATIONS: shore anglers on the Ohio shoreline and all anglers in Ohio embayments and tributaries within the Eastern Unit | 30 (singly or in combination) | Open year-round |
| Walleye, Sauger, & Saugeye | OHIO REGULATIONS: shore anglers on the Ohio shoreline and all anglers in Ohio embayments and tributaries within the Eastern Unit | 6 (singly or in combination) | Open year-round |
| Largemouth, Smallmouth, & Spotted Bass | UNIFIED OHIO AND WEST VIRGINIA REGULATIONS: on or within a quarter mile of the Ohio River on its embayments and tributaries to the first riffle or dam | 6 (singly or in combination); minimum 12 inches | Open year-round |
| Muskellunge | UNIFIED OHIO AND WEST VIRGINIA REGULATIONS: on or within a quarter mile of the Ohio River on its embayments and tributaries to the first riffle or dam | 2; minimum 30 inches | Open year-round |
| Striped, Hybrid-Striped, & White Bass | UNIFIED OHIO AND WEST VIRGINIA REGULATIONS: on or within a quarter mile of the Ohio River on its embayments and tributaries to the first riffle or dam | 30 (no more than 4 over 15 inches) | Open year-round |
- Belpre Public Ramp on Ohio Riverconcrete ramp, 3 lanes, 72 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Frontier Boat Ramp on Ohio Riverconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 70 trailer spaces, courtesy dock, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Leith Run Recreation Area – Wayne National Forest on Ohio Riverconcrete ramp, 2 lanes, 50 trailer spaces, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Marietta City Docks on Ohio Riverboat ramp, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- New Matamoras Village Ramp on Ohio Riverconcrete ramp, 1 lane, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- Newport Ferry Ramp on Ohio Riverconcrete ramp, 1 lane, 25 trailer spaces, no launch fee, unlimited horsepower
- The Landings Family Campground on Ohio Riverconcrete ramp, 1 lane, 40 trailer spaces, 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.
Trout drops, stockings and records for Washington County
ODNR stocking records list 46 releases in 1 county lakes from 1970 to 2020; the largest totals are 165,675 saugeye, 147,234 channel catfish, 44,000 redear sunfish, 29,900 largemouth bass.
Washington County stocking, newest records
| Year | Water | Species | Number and size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Veto Lake | Channel Catfish | 374 yearling |
| 2020 | Veto Lake | Channel Catfish | 3,203 yearling |
| 2016 | Veto Lake | Channel Catfish | 3,575 yearling |
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.
Keeper rules across Washington County
Inland lakes and streams in Washington County follow the statewide rows below unless the booklet prints a site-specific entry.
| 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.
Competitive fishing across Washington County
Organizer pages list 1 event launching in the county; 0 are still ahead.
| Date | Event | Water | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 25, 2026 | Ohio River Challenge Tour Southern Series, Belpre (2026) | Ohio River | Ohio River Challenge Tour |
Organizer schedule and results pages (ODNR publishes no tournament calendar), checked October 2026.
Shops and captains serving Washington County
Washington County bait counters
- Backwater Baitsbait and tackle shop, Newport
- Basswood Bait & Bowsbait and tackle shop, Vincent
- Catfish Paradisebait and tackle shop, Marietta
- Constitution Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Marietta
- Hornbeck's Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Belpre
- Harmar Docksidemarina, Marietta
- The Marietta Harbormarina, Marietta
Yellow Pages and chain store listings, charter and guide listings (county of business); retrieved October 2026.
Surrounding Washington County
Villages and cities of Washington County, by size
- Mariettapop. 13,385
- Belprepop. 6,728
- Devolapop. 2,639
- Beverlypop. 1,233
Ohio counties closest to Washington County
- Noble County22 miles north
- Morgan County23 miles northwest
- Monroe County29 miles northeast
- Athens County31 miles west
What to grab from Piscifun before Washington County
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Lakes, rivers and shore close to Washington County, pictured
Photo: Shroomydan, Public domain
Photo: Tim Kiser ( w:Malepheasant ), CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Jon Gudorf Photography, CC BY-SA 2.0
Hunting in Washington County
Public hunting land, seasons and processors for Washington County are on State Hunting Spots, our sister site.
Common questions on fishing inside Washington County
Which Washington County launches handle a trailered rig?
The list holds 11 public launches; 10 have concrete lanes.
Which lake in Washington County is the largest?
Veto Lake, 135 acres by its ODNR outline.
Can I run a big outboard on Washington County lakes?
ODNR lists a limit for 1 county lakes; 0 allow electric motors only.
Can I buy minnows and crawlers inside Washington County?
Try Backwater Baits, one of 7.
Which captains or guides call Washington County home?
Guides are listed under other counties.
In what town do Washington County commissioners meet?
The courthouse stands in Marietta.
Is one Ohio license enough for Washington County?
Ohio asks every angler 16 or older for a license: $25.00 a year for a resident, $76.96 for a nonresident, $10.00 for a resident 65 and up. On the Ohio River the Ohio license is good from the Ohio bank and in Ohio embayments, with reciprocity rules across the main channel.
Which counties border Washington County?
Noble County, Morgan County and Monroe County lie closest.
Which ODNR district biologists cover Washington County?
That is ODNR Wildlife District Four (Athens office).
When is the next weigh-in on Washington County water?
1 event on file from organizer pages, none still ahead.
Line up a day on Washington County water
Launch pages show lanes, parking and fees.