Optical potentials are found which reproduce the elastic scattering and fusion predictions of coupled reaction channels calculations for ¹⁶O+²⁰⁸Pb at energies close to the Coulomb barrier. An exact fit to the fusion spin distribution can only be obtained if the effective fusion potential is l-dependent. The radial distribution of fusion is calculated as it would appear in the one-channel model. There is a contribution to fusion at radii beyond the Coulomb barrier which is interpreted as coupling to non-elastic direct reaction channels before fusion occurs.