Central Ohio
Mad River
Live Conditions
Mad River — Mad River near Urbana OH
7-Day Flow
→ Stable
24-Hr Pressure
28.81 inHg · → High/stable
Local Weather
Tough conditions — fish deep
Today
🌦️Drizzle
81° / 65°
Tomorrow
🌦️Drizzle
84° / 70°
Tue
☁️Overcast
89° / 71°
Wed
☁️Overcast
89° / 72°
Cold front incoming — go deep with nymphs, surface activity likely slow.
Weather by Open-Meteo · No API key · Updated every 30 min
What should I fish today?
⚡ AIAI-powered recommendation using today's live flow, temperature, and hatch data.
2
Time of Day
Using: 169 CFS · BWOs returning
What should I pack?
Rod, flies, tippet, and safety gear specific to today's Mad River conditions.
🪰 Hatch Calendar
Mad River · September · Early Fall
Showing typical dates — water temperature data unavailable for live hatch predictions.
Select month
BWOs returning (size 18-20). Tricos continuing. Cool nights, active fish.
River Map
About Mad River
The Mad River is Ohio's most celebrated inland trout stream — a spring-fed freestone river that originates from cold limestone springs near Zanesfield in Logan County. Unlike virtually every other central Ohio river, the Mad's groundwater-fed source keeps it cold enough for wild brown trout year-round despite sitting in the agricultural flatlands. Ohio DNR stocks 10,000–15,000 brown trout fingerlings annually; holdover fish regularly reach 14–16 inches, with occasional larger specimens. The West Liberty gauge captures the prime fishing stretch from Zanesfield downstream through Logan County. Flows are remarkably stable (typical spring-fed baseline around 20–60 CFS) — rain events can push it to 100–150 CFS temporarily but it drops fast. Year-round trout season; no special C&R regulations as of 2026 regs. Best hatches: Sulphurs, Cahills, caddis (March–November).
Regulations
Ohio fishing license required (resident $25/year). Year-round trout season; no special catch-and-release regulations on the Mad River as of 2026–27 regs. 2026–27 regulation cycle effective March 1, 2026. Verify at wildohio.gov.
Learn More
Guides to help you fish Mad River with more confidence.
Ohio Trout & Steelhead Fishing Regulations Guide
Ohio fishing license ($25/year resident, no separate steelhead permit required), the no-closed-season for steelhead in Lake Erie tributaries, the…
Trout Species of Ohio
Ohio's coldwater fishery is dominated by Steelhead (the lake-run rainbow form, stocked into Lake Erie and running up Steelhead Alley tributaries from…
How Barometric Pressure Affects Fishing (And How to Use It)
That gorgeous bluebird day after a cold front? Worst fishing of the year. Here's the data behind why pressure changes matter more than the weather…