An ablation catheter has an imager useful in connection with an ablation operation such as used in the treatment of a cardiac arrhythmia. The catheter has an ablation electrode positioned on a catheter tip, and the imager is located on a side of the catheter. Because the catheter tip is generally articulated when the lesion is formed, this position of the imager provides an image that corresponds with the position of the catheter when it is used to form a lesion. Rings for recording tissue electrograms are also positioned on the catheter tip. This arrangement allows the user to accurately place and contact the electrode and to monitor the ablation process such as by viewing bubbles and thrombi that may undesirably be formed.