Sports Facility Guide: Tournament Fishing
| Bankhead Reservoir | ||
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MAIN: 205-436-4366 | ||
| ACRES | FISH TYPE | MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN |
| 9945 | Spotted bass | 30 |
| Additional Information: | ||
| If trophy spotted bass is your fishing fantasy, this lake on the Warrior River is a must. This lake has been one of the hottest spotted bass fisheries in the South in recent years. A recent bass tournament on the lake took five spotted bass weighing 26.57 pounds to win. Wildlife and freshwater fisheries monitored bass fishing tournaments on 30 Alabama lakes recently, and no other lake produced 73 5-pound-or-larger bass in just 27 tournaments in that study. The lake, located southwest of Birmingham has Howton's Camp as its primary launch site. | ||
| Lake Guntersville | ||
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MAIN: 256-582-6060 | ||
| ACRES | FISH TYPE | MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN |
| 69000 | Largemouth bass | 75 |
| Additional Information: | ||
| The Washington Times called this 69,000-acre Tennessee River lake the best bass lake in America. The mountain lake produces stringers of bass like no other lake in the U.S. The bass fishing world is still reeling from the five-fish-totaling 34-pounds, 12-ounces caught by a tournament angler in 2002. In addition to one 7-pound bass and two 6-pounders, that stringer included a 14-pound, 2-ounce largemouth. It was the largest 5-fish stringer in state history and the largest bass ever caught in Alabama. In addition, a tournament two weeks later resulted in the top 20 anglers all presenting stringers with at least a 4-pound-per-fish average. Major launches include Guntersville State Park, Mac's Landing and the City of Guntersville public launch. | ||
| Lake Logan Martin | ||
| Lakeside Landing
MAIN: 205-338-6393 | ||
| ACRES | FISH TYPE | MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN |
| 15263 | Largemouth bass, Spotted Bass / Crappie | 40 |
| Additional Information: | ||
| The host lake of the 1992, 1993 and 1997 BASS Master Classics and FLW Tour Championships in 2004 and 2006, this lake offers some of the best bass fishing found in the U.S. It was here that anglers set BASS Masters Classic records for heaviest total weight, most bass caught, most limits caught, and largest winning weight. The former Alabama state record bass weighting 14 pounds, 2 ounces was caught here. The lake is also noted for its numerous 7-pound-plus spotted bass. Lake Logan Martin is also Alabama's top location for crappie. The lake has a number of excellent launch sites with Pell City Park in Pell City and Lakeside Landing in Cropwell being the most popular. Lakeside Landing also offers camping. | ||
| Lake Neely Henry | ||
| Riverside Bait and Tackle
MAIN: 256-543-3472 | ||
| ACRES | FISH TYPE | MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN |
| 11200 | Largemouth and spotted bass | 45 |
| Additional Information: | ||
| The lake has played host to notable events including the Wrangler/B.A.S.S. national championship, the Bass N'Gal women's world championship, and the BASS Masters Alabama Invitational. It was during the B.A.S.S. amateur national championship that anglers set the B.A.S.S. all-time record of 635 bass weighing 1,412 pounds - eclipsing the previous record by more than 800 pounds. The lake has an incredible population of both largemouth and spotted bass. A combination of standing timber, flooded flats, ledges and hundreds of piers and boat docks guarantee that an angler can fish the habitats he finds most productive. Gadsden City Docks is headquarters for the lake and offers three launches and ample parking. | ||
| Lay Lake | ||
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MAIN: 205-669-1515 | ||
| ACRES | FISH TYPE | MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN |
| 12000 | Largemouth and Spotted bass | 35 |
| Additional Information: | ||
| The host lake for the 1996 and 2002 BASS Masters Classics, this haven for largemouth and spotted bass is one of the most popular sites for Alabama fishermen. The lake boasts standing timber, stump-filled pockets and miles of grass beds - enabling anglers a multitude of fishing techniques. Floating worms, floating lizards and scum frogs tossed in the grass result in explosive strikes that are not for the faint of heart. It was from this grass that the lake-record 13-pound, 2-ounce largemouth was reeled in. The lake, with 245 miles of shoreline, has numerous guides available to put visitors onto the big one. Paradise Point is the most-popular launch site on the lake. | ||
| Smith Lake | ||
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MAIN: 256-734-0698 | ||
| ACRES | FISH TYPE | MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN |
| 21000 | Striped and Spotted bass | 60 |
| Additional Information: | ||
| This mountain lake is heavily stocked with striped bass and the current lake record is 45 pounds. In fact, 20-pound fish no longer even raise eyebrows with locals. The deep, cool water found in Smith Lake is the perfect habitat for the rapid-growing striped bass. When the summer heat becomes unbearable, stripe fishing becomes a nighttime endeavor. Smith Lake also has a healthy population of spotted bass, producing eight world-record spotted bass through the years. Located an hour north of Birmingham off I-65. A number of spotted bass fishing guides are available. Speegle's Marina and Smith Lake Park, both in Crane Hill, are the lake's most popular launches. | ||
| Smith Lake Tailrace | ||
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MAIN: 256-287-0050
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| ACRES | FISH TYPE | MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN |
| 21000 | Rainbow trout | 60 |
| Additional Information: | ||
| The Smith Lake Dam tailrace is the top rated spot in Alabama for fly fishing for feisty rainbow trout. The icy-cold waters below the dam are stocked annually with hundreds of thousands of rainbows, and catches of up to 2 pounds are common. The tailrace record is 5-pound-plus. It was here that the world-record 23-pound hybrid striped bass was caught. The Smith Lake Dam tailrace is located north of Birmingham off I-65. A full service fly fishing store, complete with fishing guides and the hottest flies, is located less than half a mile from the prime fishing areas. | ||