Discover 6 of Alabama’s Top Fishing Spots

Quick Take

• One of these Alabama lakes sits just miles from a major city, and it might be the most surprisingly stocked reservoir on the list. Bankhead's Birmingham location →
• Not all of Alabama's best fishing spots stay within state lines. One reservoir draws anglers from two different states for a specific reason. Aliceville's border-crossing appeal →
• The biggest lake isn't always the best bet. Knowing where to fish on each reservoir changes everything. Fish habitat on Guntersville →

Anglers from all over the Southeast make their way to Alabama for its tournament fishing opportunities and major sport fish. While lakes and rivers are always a safe bet, some of the best fishing in the state is found in artificial reservoirs. Alabama waters are filled with largemouth bass, crappie, sunfish, bream, catfish, bluegill, and more. Read on to discover some of the best places to cast your line in Alabama.

1. Lake Guntersville

• Surface Acres: 69,100
• River Basin: Tennessee River
• Nearby Town: Guntersville

Lake Guntersville is Alabama’s largest lake, stretching 75 miles from Nickajack Dam in Tennessee to Guntersville Dam in northeast Alabama. The Lake Guntersville State Park’s Town Creek Fishing Center offers boat rentals, bait, and fuel. There are also boat launches located throughout the area. The park offers amenities such as camping and other lodging options, dining, hiking trails, and more. The lake offers major professional and regional fishing tournaments throughout the year. Most anglers on Lake Guntersville are after largemouth bass. However, bluegill, bream, redear sunfish, longear sunfish, catfish, sauger, and crappie are all popular catches.

2. Wheeler Lake

• Surface Acres: 67,070 acres (up to 68,300 acres depending on pool levels)
• River Basin: Tennessee River
• Nearby Town: Rogersville

Wheeler Lake is Alabama’s second-largest lake, running 60 miles from Guntersville Dam to Wheeler Dam. Joe Wheeler State Park offers camping and lodging, dining, hiking trails, day use areas, and many other amenities. There are five boat ramps, several with security lights for nighttime launches. There are several professional fishing tournaments held on Wheeler Lake throughout the year. Anglers often fish for white bass, hybrid striped bass, and saltwater striped bass. Crappie are a popular catch in the spring, while bream are a favorite of bank fishermen.

3. Warrior Reservoir

• Surface Acres: 8,580
• River Basin: Warrior River
• Nearby Town: Eutaw

Warrior Reservoir, also known as Warrior Lake, is an excellent fishing spot. Primitive camping, hunting, and boating are available, and there are eight public access areas with bank and boat access. Warrior Reservoir is best known for crappie, largemouth bass, hybrid striped bass, catfish, drum, and bream. The upstream tailrace at Oliver Dam is a popular area with relatively high catch rates. The best fishing areas for sport species are the backwaters and sloughs.

4. Aliceville Reservoir (Pickensville Lake)

• Surface Acres: 8,300
• River Basin: Tombigbee River
• Nearby Town: Aliceville

Aliceville Reservoir is 12 miles northwest of the city of Aliceville. Anglers from Alabama and Mississippi both enjoy this fishing spot, since parts of the reservoir are located in each state. There are two public access areas with boat and bank access and one user-fee boating access area in Aliceville Reservoir. If you want to stay the night, there are primitive and modern campgrounds available. There are also day-use facilities located around the lake. The reservoir has a particularly good tailwater fishery for catfish, bass, crappie, and drum, while bluegill and redear sunfish are plentiful in backwater coves.

5. Bankhead Reservoir

• Surface Acres: 9,200
• River Basin: Warrior River
• Nearby Town: Hueytown

At 9,200 acres, the Bankhead Reservoir is the second-largest lake located on the Warrior River. The reservoir is only 15 miles west of Birmingham and 30 miles northeast of Tuscaloosa. There are several marinas and fish camps offering boat docking, launching ramps, and fueling. The reservoir also has five public facility use areas and 14 user fee areas. The Bankhead Reservoir headwaters offer prime fishing for hybrid striped bass, catfish, rainbow trout, largemouth bass, spotted bass, and sunfish.

6. Lay Lake

• Surface Acres: 12,000
• River Basin: Coosa River
• Nearby Town: Columbiana

With nearly 290 miles of shoreline, Lay Lake is a popular destination for fishing tournaments and boating. There are seven public access areas for bank and boat access. Camping and other amenities can also be found nearby. Lay Lake is best known for its spotted bass and largemouth bass fishing. Largemouth bass are typically found in creeks and sloughs, while spotted bass are more abundant in the riverine parts of the lake. Crappie, bream, striped bass, and catfish are also found here. The Logan Martin tailwater is especially popular with local anglers.