Guide To Great Fishing In Alabama
All about fishing in the Yellowhammer State
The state of Alabama offers a variety of fishing including lakes, ponds, streams and rivers. There are plenty of bass, crappie, walleye, catfish and sunfish. Here, you can fish for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, shoal bass, redeye bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, white catfish, black crappie, white crappie, walleye, rainbow trout, bluegill, green sunfish, longear sunfish, redbreast sunfish, redear sunfish, rock bass, warmouth, white bass, yellow bass, yellow perch, stripers, alligator gar, bowfin, chain pickerel, longnose gar, muskie, paddlefish, sauger and spotted gar in local lakes, rivers, ponds and/or streams.
Major Alabama Lakes & Species

Lake & Fish Chart
This chart shows the major angling destinations in Alabama, cross referencing these waters with the major species to be found in each of the lakes or impoundments. Many of these lakes offer fishing boats for rent.
For a detailed list of primary fish species in AL, plus state fish records, see the list below.
Fishing lake sizes and locations in the state.
Aliceville Lake is a 8,300-acre lake on the AL/MS border, 50 miles west of Tuscaloosa.
Bankhead Lake is a 9,000-acre lake in the northeast section of the state, 20 miles west of Birmingham.
Bear Creek Reservoir is a 1,500-acre lake in the northeast corner of AL, nearby Atwood.
Big Creek Lake is a 3,600-acre lake in the southeast corner of the state, 15 miles west of Mobile.
Cedar Creek Reservoir is a 4,000-acre lake in the northeast corner of the state, 1 mile north of Belgreen.
Gainesville Lake is a 6,400-acre lake on the AL/MS border northeast of Gainsville.
Jordan Lake is a 6,800-acre impoundment located 25 miles north of Montgomery in central Alabama on the Coosa River.
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.
Lake Guntersville is a 68,000-acre lake located on the Tennessee River in the northeast corner of Alabama.
Lake Harding, AKA Bartlett’s Ferry Reservoir is a 5,800-acre lake located just north of Columbus, Georgia on the eastern border of GA and AL.
Lake Martin is a 40,000-acre lake located directly south of Alexander City in Central Alabama on the Talapoosa River.
Lake Mitchell is a 5,900-acre lake located 10 miles east of Clanton in central Alabama on the Coosa River.
Lake Oliver is a 2,100-acre lake on the AL/GA border at Phenix City.
Lake Tuscaloosa is a 5,900-acre reservoir located 5 miles north of Tuscaloosa in west-central Alabama on the Black Warrior River.
Lake Wedowee, AKA R L Harris Reservoir, is a 10,600-acre lake located in east-northeast Alabama on the upper Tallapoosa River west of Wedowee.
Lay Lake is a 12,000-acre lake located 30 miles south of Birmingham in east-central Alabama.
Logan Martin Lake is a 15,000-acre lake located in east-central Alabama on the Coosa River,30 miles east of Birmingham.
Neely Henry Lake is an 11,000-acre lake located on the Coosa River in the northeast of the state directly south of Gadsden.
Pickwick Lake is a 43,000-acre reservoir located in the extreme northwest corner Alabama on the Tennessee River.
R E Bob Woodruff Lake, AKA Jones Bluff Reservoir is a 12,500-acre lake located in central Alabama between Montgomery and Selma.
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.
Weiss Lake is a 30,000-acre lake located in northeast Alabama on the Alabama and Georgia border on the Coosa River.
West Point Lake is a 26,000-acre lake located on the Chattahoochee River, along the GA - AL border at the vertical mid-point of the state.
Wheeler Lake is a 67,000-acre reservoir located in north-central Alabama at Decatur, AL on the Tennessee River.
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.
Wilson Lake is a 15,000-acre lake located in north-northeastern Alabama just south of Florence, Alabama on the Tennessee River.
Yates Lake is a 2,000-acre lake located in east-central Alabama on the Tallapoosa River about 30 minutes northeast of Montgomery.
Fish Species & State Records in Alabama
Bass
Largemouth bass
World record: 22 lbs 4 oz
State Record: 16 lbs 8 oz
Smallmouth bass
World record: 11 lbs 15 oz
State Record: 10 lbs 8 oz
Spotted bass
World record: 9 lbs 8 oz
State Record: 8 lbs 15 oz
Shoal bass
World record: 7 lbs 8 oz
State Record: 6 lbs 11 oz
Redeye bass
World record: 8 lbs 12 oz
State Record: 3 lbs 2 oz
Catfish
Channel catfish
World record: 58 lbs 0 oz
State Record: 40 lbs 0 oz
Flathead catfish
World record: 123 lbs 9 oz
State Record: 80 lbs 0 oz
Blue catfish
World record: 143 lbs 0 oz
State Record: 120 lbs 4 oz
White catfish
World record: 22 lbs 0 oz
State Record: 10 lbs 5 oz
Crappie
Black crappie
World record: 6 lbs 0 oz
State Record: 4 lbs 5 oz
White crappie
World record: 5 lbs 3 oz
State Record: 4 lbs 9 oz
Walleye & Sauger
Walleye
World record: 25 lbs 0 oz
State Record: 10 lbs 14 oz
Sauger
World record: 17 lbs 7 oz
State Record: 5 lbs 2 oz
Trout
Rainbow trout
World record: 42 lbs 2 oz
State Record: 9 lbs 1 oz
Panfish
Bluegill
World record: 4 lbs 12 oz
State Record: 4 lbs 12 oz
Green sunfish
World record: 2.2 lbs
State Record: 1 lbs 9 oz
Longear sunfish
World record: 1.75 lbs
State Record: 0 lbs 8 oz
Redbreast sunfish
World record: 2 lbs 0 oz
State Record: 1 lbs 4 oz
Redear sunfish
World record: 5.4 lbs
State Record: 4 lbs 4 oz
Rock bass
World record: 3.0 lbs
State Record: 1 lbs 6 oz
Warmouth
World record: 2.4 lbs
State Record: 1 lbs 12 oz
White Bass
World record: 6.8 lbs
State Record: 4 lbs 9 oz
Yellow bass
World record: 2 lbs 15 oz
State Record: 2 lbs 8 oz
Yellow perch
World record: 4 lbs 3 oz
State Record: 2 lbs 2 oz
Striped bass
Stripers
Inland world record: 64 lbs 8 oz
State Record: 69 lbs 9 oz
Hybrid Striper (Wiper)
World record: 27 lbs 5 oz
State Record: 25 lbs 15 oz
Other species
Alligator gar
World record: 279 lbs
State Record: 151 lbs 9 oz
Bowfin
World record: 21 lbs 8 oz
State Record: 18 lbs 6 oz
Chain pickerel
World record: 9 lbs 6 oz
State Record: 6 lbs 6 oz
Longnose gar
World record: 50 lbs 5 oz
State Record: 32 lbs 14 oz
Muskie (Muskellunge)
World record: 69 lbs 9 oz
State Record: 19 lbs 8 oz
Paddlefish
World record: 144 lbs
State Record: 52 lbs 12 oz
NOW PROTECTED IN AL
Spotted gar
World record: 9 lbs 12 oz
State Record: 8 lbs 12 oz
Click the images and links above for species details.

For fishing regulations and information about fishing in Alabama, visit the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website. Click here for an Alabama Fishing Licence.
Visit AA-Boats-Boating.com to find information about fishing boats in Alabama and other boating information.
Alabama Fishing Guides
We are looking for information on local guides who offer services within Alabama. You can find a listing of AL fishing guides here. If you are a fishing guide in Alabama or know of a good resource, please send us information for consideration.

Fish for big bass
Excellent largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, shoal and redeye bass fishing opportunities are available to anglers in many lakes and ponds in Alabama.
Fishing in all states
ALABAMA

