Its very well-known for record-size smallmouth bass and catfish. There are also large populations of bluegill, crappie, catfish, and white bass. 2. Alabamas fish species are spread across 16 river systems in three major drainage groups. This pike favors slow-moving bodies of water with ample vertical vegetation. Logan Martin Lake is a 15,000-acre lake located in east-central Alabama on the Coosa River,30 miles east of Birmingham. Some of these boast year-round trout fishing opportunities, but strict possession limits must be observed. Three speciesAlabama shad, ashy darter, and boulder darterhave disappeared from their type localities, but individuals of all three still exist at other locations within their known ranges. Its very well-known as a great fishing location, but also as one of the best camping lakes in Alabama. As paddlefish are suspension feeders, they are usually found in fresh, open water. Unlike Lake Guntersville, Wheeler holds a healthy population of smallmouth bass. The southern red belly dace is a visual feeder with a remarkably varied diet. The channel cat is an economically important species. These minnows possess attractively vivid coloration in adulthood, especially during the breeding period. Other common names for this species are strawberry perch, molly, and red-eyed bream. Alabama boasts copious fishing lakes perfect for unforgettable camping. It favors habitats that are associated with dense stands of watercress, where it can safely feed and hide amongst the plants submerged shoots. wikimedia commons/AJ4TBama. Tournaments are organized on a weekly basis, catching crappie, catfish, and bass. Lay Lake is a 12,000-acre lake located 30 miles south of Birmingham in east-central Alabama. Vol. It covers 43,000 acres and is known for having the biggest crappie out of all the lakes in Alabama. Fish and Wildlife Service. The black bass may be more difficult but worth finding. Whether you enjoy fishing, boating, swimming, or sunbathing, Alabama has it all. Despite being a native species of Alabama, the chain pickerel is rarely targeted by anglers. The Gulf sturgeon is the largest fish species ever recorded in Alabama. Fishes are relatively long-lived creatures, and most require fairly specific habitat and water-quality conditions to survive and reproduce. Residents and nonresidents spend millions of dollars annually on boats and trailers, outboard motors, depth finders and other electronics, fishing tackle, fuel, oil, transportation costs, motel accommodations, and food. Lake Lurleen is a public reservoir in Tuscaloosa County, Alabamas west central region. Set apart by its lengthy bodice, it can grow to about 24 30 inches (61 76 cm) long. This sturgeons native habitats, much like those of Alabamas other endemic fish, are definitely in need of more effective conservation efforts. Distinguished by a handful of bizarre features, it looks exactly like the sort of animal youd find in a lightless environment. The ideal spot to rest while fishing is in Guntersville State Park! The fish, which was caught in Tannehill State Park, weighed a total of 9 pounds (4 kg). facebook/Lay Lake. That being said, the freshwater angling is no less impressive, thanks to the numerous lakes and rivers scattered throughout the state. In Alabama, shadow bass are called goggle-eyes due to the cartoonishly-large appearance of their eyes. Though this makes them quite tricky to raise in private ponds, experienced fish farmers in the southeastern US continue to stock them. Sauger Neely Henry Lake consists of 339 miles of coastline and 129,800 acre-feet established near the city of Gadsden on the Coosa River. When adults reach reproductive age, they begin a long spawning migration that carries them downstream into the Gulf of Mexico, around the southern tip of Florida, and north in the Atlantic Ocean to the Sargasso Sea near the island of Bermuda. One of the best fishing targets in Alabama is the elegant Lake Martin. Their highest abundance, however, is in the Mobile Delta. This diversity is a product of Alabama's climate, geologic diversity, and rich evolutionary past. Introduced into North America via the aquarium trade and the aquaculture industry, its escapees have managed to reshape the food webs of many important lake systems. Located a bit northern from our previous two entries, Neely Henry Lake was formed by the building of the Neely Henry Dam. A favored forage fish for many of North Americas large aquatic carnivores, the bluegill plays an important role wherever it is found. The lake is one of Alabama's best-kept fishing secrets. Its fragile population is increasingly threatened by polluted runoff and dredging. As a result, it is now considered critically endangered. Vermilion Darter Several of these contain water that is clean enough to drink and is thus perfect for the needs of many aquatic animals and plants. Alligator Gar Distinguishing between these is very tricky as they possess the same pigmentation and are very similar to one another in size. This lakes primary purpose is fishing. Their tolerance for moderate salinity makes them outnumber bluegills in this area. Most fish species are represented by large numbers of individuals scattered across several river systems, but a few, known as endemic species, are restricted to a single river system, stream, spring, or cave. The lake has been newly refurbished and is a 120-acre lake just a mile north away from Sylvania in Dekalb County, Alabama. The 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Toledo Bend is set to begin in a matter of hours. Alabama is home to some of the finest reef fishing on the planet, attracting thousands of anglers each year. As their common name suggests, sexually mature individuals develop distinctly red bellies, which stand out next to their yellow pectoral and ventral fins. Total species per drainage range from 21 in the Blackwater River to 95 in the Conecuh River. Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, Alabama 36527, USA. Overall, Wheeler Lake has been the highest rated lake in terms of TVA's quality indicators in recent years. , Smith Lake is also home to urban myths, as the building of the dam flooded a town called Falls City. All lakes were originally stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill (bream), redear sunfish (shellcracker), and channel catfish. Logan Martin is a 17,000-acre reservoir with an excellent range of fish, including common bream, spotted bass, striped bass, largemouth bass, and white bass. From July 1 until November 30, some lakes are only open five days a week. Wilson Lake is a 15,000-acre lake located in north-northeastern Alabama just south of Florence, Alabama on the Tennessee River. Directions. ], 11 Plants That Repel Rats & Mice 2023 [Plants Rodents Hate], 10 Best Ferns for Pots & Containers 2023 [Updated], 10 Best Small & Dwarf Trees for North Carolina 2023 [Updated], 10 Plants That Repel Cats 2023 [Plants Cats Hate], Facts & Guide to Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens), Facts & Guide to Brown Trout (Salmo trutta). The redear sunfish is a favorite game fish for local anglers in several coastal rivers. Guntersville, the county seat of Marshall County, is located along the shores of Lake Guntersville. White bass fishing is fair with Alabama rigs, crank baits or jigs in creek channels. Compared to many types of sunfish, the warmouth has a competitive edge in polluted waters due to its tolerance for low-oxygen conditions. Adults grow to just 8 10 inches (20 25 cm) on average. In spite of these impediments to their survival, some Alabama shad populations continue to spawn inland by migrating through river systems in the southeastern part of the state. Gulf sturgeon and Alabama shad are still infrequently encountered in the Alabama, Choctawhatchee, Conecuh, and Tombigbee rivers, Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, and Mobile Bay. Smallmouth bass are usually bioindicators of clean lake systems due to their poor tolerance for pollution. It is 11,200 acres wide with almost 340 miles of shoreline. As a predator, it feeds by lying motionless in productive shorelines, only darting forward to catch unsuspecting prey. To make visual identification even more tricky, the differences have to do with the relative lengths of the head and spleen. One of the best fishing targets in Alabama is the elegant Lake Martin. About 33.5 trillion gallons of fresh water flow into and out of Alabamas rivers every year. Changes in fish diversity and in community structure often reflect changes in their environment. Lake Mitchell is a 5,900-acre lake located 10 miles east of Clanton in central Alabama on the Coosa River. Physically Disabled Hunting and Fishing Trail, https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=467475161060988&ev=PageView&noscript=1. Rich with white crappie, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, as well as blue catfish and channel catfish, this lake is surrounded by parks and enthusiasts often fish from the shore. Weiss Lake is 564 feet above sea level when it is at its maximum summer pool. Gulf Sturgeon In Alabama, this fish has been caught in several rivers associated with the Mobile Basin. Largemouth bass are most abundant from April to May, when water temperatures go up to about 17 20C (63 68F) and they are able to spawn. Wilson Lake Near Florence is located in Colbert County in Alabama. Coastal River Systems: Alabama sections of seven coastal river systems located on either side of the Mobile basin are inhabited by 139 fish species. Its hard, pharyngeal teeth allow it to break tough exoskeletons, giving it a competitive edge in macroinvertebrate-rich lakebeds. Aside from being home to some of the best striped bass fishing in Alabama, Smith Lake is also home to urban myths, as the building of the dam flooded a town called Falls City. Public visitors are allowed to visit the refuge, but fishing, of course, is forbidden. Even though the lake isnt as developed as some other fishing spots on this list, it still has camping, hunting, and fishing grounds available. Weiss Lake is a 30,000-acre lake located in northeast Alabama on the Alabama and Georgia border on the Coosa River. This exotic fish is one of the most troublesome invasive species on the planet. Some of the most ecologically important regions, such as the Appalachian Ridge and the Piedmont Upland, contain valuable rivers. Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Contact | About, List of Common Freshwater Fish Species in Alabama [Updated], 5) Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), 6) Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), 7) Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus), 9) Grass pickerel (Esox americanus vermiculatus), 16) Spring pygmy sunfish (Elassoma alabamae), 17) Alabama cavefish (Speoplatyrhinus poulsoni), 18) American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), 19) Southern red belly dace (Chrosomus erythrogaster), 20) Watercress darter (Etheostoma nuchale), 21) Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi), 24) Alabama sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus suttkusi), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, expanded its range throughout the continent from within Alabamas wetlands, easily weigh more than 50 pounds (23 kg) each, advised against eating wild specimens of this species, one of the smaller members of the pike family, in the tributaries of the Tennessee River, Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge, What Can I Put in My Pond Besides Fish? Included in this number are two marine speciesthe Atlantic needlefish and the striped mulletthat migrate into the river at various times of the year and two extinct species. Its one of the best fishing lakes in West Alabama, and its been managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers since the 1980s. Though it isnt technically a shark, it does have a largely cartilaginous skeleton and a smooth, grey-colored exterior. Still underrated by many fishermen, Coffeeville is one of the, Largemouth and spotted bass, bluegill, white bass, and catfish, Bass, sunfish, sauger, catfish, and crappie, All types of bass, crappie, flathead, and channel catfish, White crappie, striped bass, and hybrid striped bass, Largemouth bass, white and black crappie, channel, flathead, and blue catfish. In fact, the world record bluegill came from a small private lake in central Alabama way back in the early 1950s. Areopening date will be announced at a later time. Found in a wide range of water bodies, including swamps, backwaters, and reservoirs, this species likely expanded its range throughout the continent from within Alabamas wetlands and those of its neighboring states. If you live in Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, St. Florian, Tuscumbia, Underwood-Petersville, Killen or Leighton you're less than 10 miles from Wilson Lake. Since Lake Jordan's creation, its function has broadened to provide flood control, irrigation, and drinking water throughout surrounding areas. Lay Lake is a 12,000-acre reservoir fed by the tailwaters of the Logan Martin Dam. [10 Reasons 2023], Wheeler Lake gets about 200,000 fishing visitors on a yearly basis, making it one of the, Nevertheless, as a fishing spot, Pickwick Lake is a, Its very well-known as a great fishing location, but also as one of the, It is definitely one of the best fishing lakes in, Why Are Great Lakes Cruises So Expensive? Fairly easy to catch, particularly when they are feeding, crappies are often caught in vegetated areas. Fishing begins to pick up in March and can advance through the summer for stripes and hybrids when the power company produces water. You can wait to find some trophy largemouth bass, excellent Striped Bass, Black Crappie, and giant Catfish, we mean colossal river cat! The state of Alabama offers a variety of fishing including lakes, ponds, streams and rivers. Areopening date will be announced at a later time. Eufaula Lake, formally known as the Walter F. George Lake, is a 46,000-acre lake in southeast Alabama with almost 650 miles of coastline. Services are organized at the lake, so you can rent a boat to take you fishing. The waters here remain cool and clear throughout the year, keeping the stocked trout comfortable. When these young eels reach adult size, the process is repeated. Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries 64 North Union St. Montgomery, AL 36130 334-242-3465. Vol. State Record: 52 lbs 12 oz Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin. Auburn, Ala.: Auburn University Agricultural Experimental Station, 1968. The Alabama State record for freshwater drum of 41 pounds, 8 ounces was caught on Wilson Lake June 24, 1949 by Wilson Brock of Birmingham. Lake Martin can be complex to fish in; the water transparency is high and makes fishing difficult. The Alabama Power Company owns and operates Weiss Lake in northeastern Alabama. The largest specimens are able to measure as much as 31 inches (79 cm) long! In creating the original "Great Seal of the State of Alabama," Gov. It can be found in silty streams, rivers, reservoirs, and swamps with a mild current. Let us know what is your preferred one among all these lakes. When this cylindrical-bodied fish enters larger river complexes, it is preyed on by many tertiary consumers. In Alabama, they mostly occur within the Mobile Basin, though some individuals may also be found in connecting streams and below dams. Its landscape is dotted with canyons, beaches, cave systems, and wetlands that are full of both rare and endangered life. The state record dwarfs that . www.facebook.com . It allows 490 miles of beautiful shoreline and has some fantastic fishing places. Largemouth and spotted bass are important target species for numerous bass tournaments held across the state annually. Popular among many local recreational anglers, it is distinguished from its bluegill cousins by its coloration. The anglers are still scrambling around on this expansive 185,000-acre fishery, trying to piece things together as practice winds down. These migration routes were blocked, however, when high-lift hydroelectric dams and navigation locks and dams were constructed on lower sections of the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers. Channel catfish are stocked in every lake during the fall. Its populations help control the growth and spread of macroinvertebrates and, in turn, serve as a vital food source for secondary and tertiary consumers. See: Alabama List of U.S. National Forests. Redear sunfish are more populous in the lower half of Alabama, where they may often be found in slightly saline waters. The qualifications for this List of Alabama lakes is that the lake contains sports fish, is open to the public and is managed by Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources or other state or federal agencies. The most common species of interest are the crappie, largemouth, white and smallmouth bass, flathead and channel catfish, and sunfish. Fortunately, this fantastic food fish is naturally found in several of Alabamas large river systems. Catadromous fishes spend most of their life in fresh water and migrate to salt water to spawn. Frequently referred to as a shark due to the structure of its dorsal fin, this strange-looking fish is best known for its paddle-shaped snout. Bankhead Lake is a 9,000-acre lake in the northeast section of the state, 20 miles west of Birmingham. Most marine species are confined to coastal rivers and the delta, but a few species move upstream as far north as Tuscaloosa in the Black Warrior River system and Montgomery in the Alabama River system. Black crappies are known for being prolific breeders with a tendency to overpopulate small bodies of water. Several Tennessee River tributaries, including Shoal Creek, Elk River, and Paint Rock River, offer excellent fishing opportunities for wading and canoe anglers to catch smallmouth, largemouth, spotted, and rock bass in a flowing stream environment. It is considered one of the most abundant gamefish species in the area, and the chances of catching impressively large individuals are quite high with the right gear. Its back is an even darker shade of green, but the ventral portion of its abdomen may be creamy to yellow in color. No matter what kind of fishing you favor, Alabama has it. , managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. In Alabamas waters, mature blue cats can easily weigh more than 50 pounds (23 kg) each. The best time to fish for them is in fall, when they are most likely to feed in the shallows. If you are able to spot one, you should count yourself incredibly lucky! Smallmouth populations are delicate at Lake Wheeler. As a fishing lake, its very popular and it hosts great numbers of largemouth and spotted bass, bluegill, white bass, striped bass, and catfish. "Natural structures in the lakes deteriorate over time," Clelland said. The current cost is $14.05. But you can find a nice mixture of Blue catfish, Channel catfish, Largemouth bass, bluegill in the lake as well. Recreational anglers catch alligator gar, black and white crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, and largemouth and spotted bass in the rivers and their backwater areas during the spring and summer months and striped bass and white bass-striped bass hybrids during the winter months. With its tiny mouth, it feeds on practically all types of organic matter in the water column. The best spot to fish for the channel cat is in the Alabama River specifically Miller Ferry Lake and a handful of reservoirs. The chain pickerel is the largest type of pike found in the state of Alabama. Each lake is intensively managed to provide quality fishing on a sustained basis. Very close to Lafayette, Alabama, its very well developed for such a small lake. If this is your first fishing experience in the state and dont know which spot to pick, choose one of the 15, With a great population of largemouth bass, as well as spotted bass, its the, best lake for bass-fishing in Central Alabama, This reserve, not so far away from Jordan Lake, has 39,000 acres of water and a 750-mile-long shoreline, making it one of the, 10 Richest People in Alabama: 2023 Net-Worth & Salary. Boating, fishing and swimming are the most popular activities enjoyed on the lake. It is definitely one of the best fishing lakes in South Alabama. Five, 6, and even 7 lb fish are reeled in every year here. Found in northeastern Alabama, Weiss Lake is about 30,200 acres-wide, with almost 450 miles of shoreline. The local variation in prey types and wide range of bottom habitats enable its high spawning success rates. Visit AA-Boats-Boating.com to find information about fishing boats in Alabama and other boating information. It is excellent for grassy, stumpy, and shallow water swamp fishing. Often referred to as just Smith Lake, this 21,000-acre lake is found in the north of Alabama, with one of the largest dams in eastern USA creating the reservoir. The state record for rainbow trout was fished in 2006. Over 23 public lakes are managed by The Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. Guntersville. Alabamas numerous freshwater rivers, reservoirs, streams, springs, and lakes are home to more than 450 fish species in 29 familiesthe most found in any other state or province in North America. It is a man-made 44,000-acre reservoir formed by constructing the Martin Dam on the Tallapoosa River. In addition to its rich nongame fish fauna, the Tennessee River is one of the finest fishing areas in the United States for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and sauger. Logan Martin Lake is located in east-central Alabama, which was built by Alabama Power Company in 1965. The American eel, the only catadromous species found in Alabama waters, completes the longest spawning run of any fish species found in Alabama. Watercress Darter Rivers and the Mobile Delta - Information about fishing . A boat ramp and a fishing pier are available, as well as restrooms and a pavilion. The southeastern state of Alabama is home to a rich array of natural resources. Though it favors slow-moving water and gentle substrates, it may occasionally venture into rivers. Fishing license sales and a portion of the federal excise taxes collected on the sale of fishing-related equipment are returned to Alabama in the form of Sport Fish Restoration Funds; the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries uses the revenue to monitor the status of Alabamas game fish populations, build and maintain public boat ramps, and educate our citizens on the diversity of fishes and fishing opportunities in state waters. Apart from fish, they are able to consume many types of amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals. Rapidly increasing human population growth, Alabama is one of the most biologically diverse states in the United States and is a global hotspot of diversity for several groups of plants and animals. Compared to the Atlantic sturgeon, which is also a subspecies of A. oxyrinchus, the Gulf sturgeon is set apart by just a couple of minor morphological differences. Practically all of Alabamas river systems, especially those associated with planted streams, contain warmouth populations. 1 Guntersville Lake. They begin moving downstream toward the coast in August and September. Areopening date will be announced at a later time. Nevertheless, as a fishing spot, Pickwick Lake is a record-holding lake in Alabama! Although very few sightings have been recorded in the last 10 years, traces of this fishs DNA continue to be found in water samples collected from the river. Additional information and rules for each lake is available from the lake manager, the Alabama Fisheries Section at (334) 242-3471, or the PFL Biologist, Jonathan Brown. Geological Survey of Alabama Monograph 15. One of the most gorgeous lakes in Alabama is Lake Guntersville; this North Alabama lake is located between Bridgeport and Guntersville. William Bill Dannelly Reservoir AKA Millers Ferry Reservoir is the 35,000-acre body of water behind the Millers Ferry Lock & Dam, on the Alabama River in Central Alabama. Lake Eufaula, AKA Walter F George Lake, is a 45,000-acre lake located in the southeast corner of the state, on the AL/GA border. The Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, manages 23 public lakes in 20 counties throughout the state. He, Freshwater is one of Alabama's greatest assets. Wilson Lake comprises an area from Wheeler Dam to Wilson Dam and was built by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Neely Henry Lake is an 11,000-acre lake located on the Coosa River in the northeast of the state directly south of Gadsden. It is the largest of all black bass species as its adults are able to weigh as much as 25 pounds (11 kg) in productive waters. It covers over 15,000 acres and is another popular spot in Alabama for bass fishing in the spring and fall. Alabama Wildlife. As they rely on visual cues to feed, their success rate as predators is best in high-visibility waters. Smith Lake AKA Lewis Smith Lake is a 21,000-acre lake located in north-central Alabama on the Black Warrior River, about an hour north of Birmingham. Areopening date will be announced at a later time. Wilson Lake is the reservoir created by Wilson Dam and located in the city of Florence. The larvae of this species are carried by ocean currents for several months, during which time they undergo one or two major changes in physical appearance. Five of 15 endemic species documented in the system have disappeared, but populations of 11 speciesincluding the Alabama cavefish, spring pygmy sunfish, and a number of dartersstill inhabit the system. Freshwater fish can thrive in Alabamas wetlands due to a unique combination of factors. Weiss Lake, Chattooga Bridge Boat Ramp. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) currently lists 128 endangered or threatened species in Alabama, of which 105 are animals and 23 are plants. The Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division manages 23 Public Fishing Lakes (PFLs) in 20 counties throughout the State. The Cost Guys is dedicated to getting you a better deal. Cedar Creek Reservoir is a 4,000-acre lake in the northeast corner of the state, 1 mile north of Belgreen. Little River Marina and Lodge. Reaching massive lengths, the blue cat is the largest catfish species in the Nearctic. Its highlight may be the . Like the shadow bass, the warmouth is also referred to by the residents of Alabama as the goggle-eye. Alabama is revered as one of the most popular spots to fish for bass in the country. At the dam, anglers can enjoy the fishing platform that is located where a variety of fish species like to congregate. This reserve, not so far away from Jordan Lake, has 39,000 acres of water and a 750-mile-long shoreline, making it one of the largest lakes in Alabama. Fishes are very important to Alabamas economy, the environmental integrity of its rivers and streams, and the recreational enjoyment of its citizens. Another remarkably rare fish, the Alabama cavefish is found in just one cave system in the state the Key Cave National Wildlife Refuge. It is named after Lurleen Wallace, Alabamas first female governor. A reopening date will be announced at a later time. 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