Help with mcalpine lock and dam water chart.

I was wondering if anyone could help with with reading the chart and put that into perspective for fishing off the bank down at the falls. [url=http://water.weather.gov//ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=lmk&gage=mlpk2&view=1,1]Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: Louisville: Ohio River at McAlpine Lock and Dam[/url] is the current posting for today. It says its a 38ft, I was curious how I can read that to show when its the right level to fish. I went a few days ago and someone told me it was around 16ft, but they used some terms I did not understand.

Please and thank you for any help.

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Can I get a PM about reading the charts....

[QUOTE=Deven Hall;506242]I was wondering if anyone could help with with reading the chart and put that into perspective for fishing off the bank down at the falls. [URL="http://water.weather.gov//ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=lmk&gage=mlpk2&view=1,1"]Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: Louisville: Ohio River at McAlpine Lock and Dam[/URL] is the current posting for today. It says its a 38ft, I was curious how I can read that to show when its the right level to fish. I went a few days ago and someone told me it was around 16ft, but they used some terms I did not understand.

Please and thank you for any help.[/QUOTE]
38 ft is the channel depth if you want to fish at the falls on foot I personaly like it at around 11 ft, if you call 775-5056 it tells the depth, how many hydros are running and tells how many feet of dam, and what that means is if they say they are running 10 foot of dam at the upper they may have each gate open 2 feet each so 5 gates 10 foot and they will tell how many feet at the lower for the total footage, you can fish alot of different places on the bank at different levels, but if you want to go in at the upper gates under the train bridge it has to be some where around 10 to 12 feet, you will get the hang of it after a while, good luck and good fishing.

I fished there a lot one summer before; I didn't take it serious it was just something we did because we caught fish there, we would be out there in knee deep water near the drop offs. But I never new how to read the charts, I always just drove by and if it was up we didn't fish and if it was down we fished it.

But I haven't been there in years and would much rather be able to look at the charts and be able to tell if the water is down or not.

So thanks that gave me a better understanding of what I was looking at.

EDIT: Is the number 502 or 812 area code?

502-775-5056

Like the chart says, 0 is 373' above sea level.
So 38' is 38' above that or 411' above sea level.
The channel depth varies everywhere.
Most fish below the dam when the lower gage is below 20'
or there abouts.