Ohio waterways

Bludogpirate

Recruit
Joined
Jan 24, 2017
Messages
1
Hello!
Super stocked to be getting on the water this year with my wife and the dogs. I'm sure she will want to do a lot of lake time, but the Tom Sawyer in me wants to get on the river. I'm looking for some advice from previous people's experience or a publication that helped them to scope out suitable and pleasurable waterways for pontoon adventures in or near Ohio.
Thanks in advance
 

ahicks

Captain
Joined
Sep 16, 2013
Messages
3,957
Same passion here. Absolutely LOVE exploring via pontoon! In the 40 years or so we've been messing around, have been many, many places from Northern Mi./Great Lakes to the Gulf Of Mexico.

Any more we use a plain old Garmin GPS on "map" to keep track of where we're at. Sometimes it's a big help when you enter a larger area where the outlet is not so obvious, especially down here in FL. It's actually pretty good about showing waterways, even if they aren't that big. Saves a lot of potential wandering around, figuring out which of the 2-3 routes you've just run up on is the right one - or possibly not finding the route at all. Perfect for a little confidence in new water.

Google Maps and Mapquest are often referenced prior to venturing as well.

Sorry I don't have anything specific for your area.
 

alldodge

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
40,581
Boated in the Ohio river for many years. Been from Cincy to just above Paducah and all the locks between them. Always love boating the river.

Not knowing your experience level I just go with everything. The issue with a pontoon anywhere more so then a V-hull (IMO) and more important in the river is the wake from other boats. Been on a toon operated by someone not real familiar with what can happen and a large wake and we almost went overboard. The wake from a barge can roll for more then a mile.

Wake from a large cruiser (and there are some real large ones on the river) can send you a 4 footer headed your way. Always be ready to so down and cross it dead on. Not long ago there was a family which some drowned during their annual toon outing. Note this guy did this once a year with his family for years. This was caused by the current being up a bit and they got to close to a parked empty barge. The toon was caught by the front of the barge and the current pulled in under the barge.

Know how to read the day makers, and "Red Right Returning". Keep red to your right when returning from the sea. So keep Red markers and buoys to your right going up river, and to your left going down river. Keep the Green markers and buoys (also Block ones) to your left going up and right going down.

Stay clear of locks and dams unless your going to go thru the lock and then stay in channel. Watch for things floating down river, stumps, trees, drums, live stock, etc

Get a marine radio and learn what channels are used for what
 

jetboater

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 13, 2004
Messages
119
A good book about boating the Ohio is "The Ohio River --Voyaging on today's rIver--a boating guide" by Captain Rick Rhodes.

Its a large paperback with a great section at the beginning on river boating "basics" and then it tells about each section from Pittsburgh to Cairo.

I found a copy on Amazon---

https://www.amazon.com/Ohio-River-Am...ds=Rick+rhodes
 

wrvond

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
597
Where you are in Ohio will greatly influence where you boat. There are large stretches of river with no facilities at all, making those areas unattractive.
One good resource is the ODNR:
Another is Active Captain:
Finally, download and print the Ohio River Navigation Charts published by the Army Corps of Engineers. They contain a wealth of information.
https://activecaptain.com/index.php
 
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