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Paint Creek is a public river in Ross County, Fayette County, Madison County and Highland County, Ohio, managed by State of Ohio (public-trust water). You can fish it on an Ohio licence, but bank access is only at road crossings, parks, ODNR access sites and other public land; riparian owners control the bank on non-navigable reaches. Public access confirmed via public-trust river.
A stocked (and, on the Mad River, partly wild) Ohio trout stream — rainbow and brown trout from ODNR releases, with resident smallmouth bass and rock bass.
It runs roughly 96 miles through the Southeast Ohio region. Anglers here mostly fish for rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass, rock bass. Live flow and gauge height come from the Paint Creek near Bainbridge OH USGS station shown below. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Paint Creek and Mills Branch.
Species from Ohio DNR fish-management and public-access data.
Night fishing: No statewide night-fishing closure in Ohio. Some state-park lakes, city reservoirs and MWCD lakes have posted hours or seasonal closures, and a few beaches close at dusk — check the property rules for this water.
Boats: Most Ohio fishing rivers are waded or floated by canoe, kayak and jon boat; the Ohio, Muskingum and lower Scioto take bigger craft.
Bank & bivvy camping: Bank access is at ODNR access sites, road crossings, parks and public land; other banks are private riparian land — Ohio landowners control the bank on non-navigable reaches.
Tackle: This is a stocked Ohio trout water. No separate trout stamp is needed, but special seasons and limits apply on some reaches — check the current Ohio trout regulations.
Boat ramps: 2 mapped — Boat ramp, Boat ramp.
Camping: 3 sites mapped nearby — Paint Creek Dam Site, Paint Creek Campground, Campsite.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Loading live flow & gauge height…
Live from USGS gauge 03232470 — Paint Creek near Bainbridge OH. Full gauge data →
Anyone 16 or older needs an Ohio fishing licence — resident annual is about $25, non-resident annual about $51, and 1-day and 3-day licences are also sold. There is no separate trout stamp. Buy online or in the HuntFish OH app from the Ohio Division of Wildlife. An Ohio fishing licence covers public rivers and the whole Ohio side of the Ohio River. Bank access is only at road crossings, parks, and public land — Ohio's riparian owners control the bank on non-navigable stretches.
Every water carries species, bank & boat access, current regulations and live water conditions — and members get Swim Mapper, Catch Logger and Trip Planner. It's the only US map with a dedicated carp-water layer.
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