Alabama State Public Fishing Lakes Open for Fishing Feb. 1

Posted: Feb 01, 2014 by

Commonly known as state lakes or county lakes, these waters are noted for their amenities and their quality fishing for bream, largemouth bass, channel catfish, and crappie (in some lakes). 

Whether you desire to enjoy world-class bass and bream fishing, or if you just want to enjoy a beautiful relaxing afternoon in the country, try an Alabama Public Fishing Lake as a fishing destination.

Large bass are one of the quality aspects of fishing an Alabama State Lake.The Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, manages 23 public lakes in 20 counties throughout the State.  These lakes range in size from 13 to 184 acres for a total of 1,912 surface acres.  Since the program was initiated in the late 1940s, its purpose has remained unchanged: provide quality fishing at an affordable price in areas of Alabama that lack sufficient natural waters to meet the needs of the public.All lakes were originally stocked with largemouth bass,bluegill (bream), redear sunfish (shellcracker), and channel catfish.   White crappie and black crappie have become established in many lakes.   Channel catfish are stocked in every lake during the fall.  Hybrid striped bass and rainbow trout are stocked annually in designated lakes.Each lake is intensively managed to provide quality fishing on a sustained basis.  The days of the week that the lakes are open and the hours the lakes are open are subject to change.  Call the lake manager for the most current information.   Normally the lakes open six or seven days a week from February 1 through June 30.  July 1 until about December 1, lakes normally open five or six days each week.  From about December 1 until January 31, many lakes are closed or may only be open during the weekend.  Information and schedules may change without notice, so please call the lake manager for the current schedule. The rules of what may be kept are posted at each lake; before fishing, check to see what types and sizes of fish may be kept.

Share the joy of fishing with your children at a safe and clean location.  These lakes yield some of the highest quality public fishing available.

Barbour County Lake is a 75-acre lake located 6 miles north of Clayton off County Road 49.  Phone No. (334) 775-1054.  Call the Lake Manager for the most current operating times and days.

 

Bibb County Lake is a 100-acre lake located 5 miles north of Centreville off Alabama Highway 5.  Phone No. (205) 938-2318.  Call the Lake Manager for the most current operating times and days.

Chambers County Lake is a 183-acre lake located 5 miles southeast of Lafayette on Chambers County Road 83.  Chambers County Lake has a courtesy pier by the boat ramp.  Phone No. (334) 864-8145.  Call the Lake Manager for the most current operating times and days.

Clay County Lake is a group of 3 lakes of 13-, 23-, and 38-acre lakes located 1 mile west of Delta on Alabama Highway 47.  Phone No. (256) 488-0038.  Call the Lake Manager for the most current operating times and days.

Coffee County Lake – is an 80-acre lake is located 4 miles northwest of Elba off Coffee County Road 54.  Phone No. (334) 897-6833.  Call the Lake Manager for the most current operating times and days.

Crenshaw County Lake is a 53-acre lake located 5 miles south of Luverne off US Highway 331.  Phone No (334) 360-0974.  Call the Lake Manager for the most current operating times and days.

Dale County Lake or Ed Lisenby Lake is a 92-acre lake located 1 mile north of Roy Parker Road (Dale County Road 36) in Ozark.  Phone No. (334) 774-0588.  Open 6 days a week; closed on Wednesday. Call the Lake Manager for the most current operating times and days.

Dallas County Lake is a 100-acre lake located 11 miles south of Selma off Alabama Highway 41.  Phone No. (334) 874-8804.  Closed pending the hiring of a manager.

DeKalb County Lake is a 120-acre lake located 1 mile north of Sylvania off County Road 47. Phone No. (256) 657-1300.  Call the Lake Manager for the most current operating times and days.

Escambia County Lake or Leon Brooks Hines Lake is a 184-acre lake located in the Conecuh National Forest 23 miles east of Brewton off Co. 11. The coordinates of Escambia County Lake are N31 01.513 and W086 49.914. Escambia County Lake has a courtesy pier by the boat ramp. Phone No. (251) 809-0068.

Fayette County Lake is a 60-acre lake located 6 miles southeast of Fayette off County Road 26.  Phone No. (205) 932-6548.  Call the Lake Manager for the most current operating times and days.

Geneva County Lakes consists of two lakes, 33- and 32-acres in size, located 20 miles southwest of Enterprise off County Road 63.  Phone No. (334) 360-5906. Call the Lake Manager for the most current operating times and days.

 

Lamar County Lake is a 68-acre lake located 8 miles west of Vernon on Alabama Highway 18, then 5 miles north off County Road 21. Phone No. (205) 695-8283.  Call the Lake Manager for the most current operating times and days.

Lee County Lake is a 130-acre lake located 6 miles southeast of Opelika.  Take Alabama Highway 169 south from I-85 then 1 mile west on Lee County Road 146.  Lee County Lake is the only Alabama State Public Fishing Lake with fishermen cabins and has a courtesy pier by the boat ramp.  Phone No. (334) 750-0546.  Call the office for the most current operating times and days.

 

 

Leon Brooks Hines Lake-see Escambia County Lake-

Madison County Lake is 105-acre lake located 11 miles east of Huntsville.  Additional facilities: trout fishing from Thanksgiving-March.   Phone No. (256) 776-4905.  Call the Lake Manager for the most current operating times and days.

Marion County Lake is a 37-acre lake located 6 miles north of Guin off US Highway 43.  Phone No.  (205) 921-7856.  Call the Lake Manager for the most current operating times and days.

Monroe County Lake is a 94-acre lake located 5 miles west of Beatrice off County Road 50.  (From Monroeville take Alabama Highway 21 north to Beatrice, then left on Alabama Highway 265 for 1/4 mile, then left on Robins Street (County Road 50) for 2-1/2 miles to the lake.)  The coordinates of Monroe County Lake are N31 41.915 and W087 15.698. Some self-contained camping sites are available beginning Memorial Day; call for required reservations.  Phone No. (251) 789-2104.  Call the Lake Manager for the most current operating times and days.

Pike County Lake is a 45-acre lake is located 5 miles south of Troy off County Road 39. The lake isclosed until spring of 2015.  Phone No. (334) 242-3471.

Walker County Lake is a 163-acre lake located 3 miles southeast of Jasper off old US Highway 78.  Walker County Lake has a courtesy pier by the boat ramp.  Phone No. (205) 221-1801.  Call the Lake Manager for the most current operating times and days.

Washington County Lake or J. Emmett Wood Lake is an 84-acre lake located 2 miles west of Millry off County Road 34.  The coordinates of Washington County Lake are N31 37.212 and W088 20.901.  Phone No. (251) 846-2512. Primative and RV camping is available and may be reserved through the manager.  Washington County Lake is closed pending the hiring of a new lake manager.

Facilities: All lakes have public restrooms.  Concessions are available at all of the lakes except Pike, including a wide variety of fishing tackle, live and artificial baits, and other fishing supplies, as well as drinks and refreshments.   Covered fishing piers that are wheelchair accessible provide quality fishing at all of the lakes.  The fishing piers make it easy to reach deeper water without using a boat.  Boats and usually electric motors and batteries are also available for rent.  Boat rentals are $3.  Motors, batteries, paddles and life jackets have an additional charge.  Boaters are required to have a fishing permit, life jacket and paddle.  Launching ramps are available for anglers with their own boats ($2 fee).  All boaters must have a fishing permit.

Fish: The lakes are stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish (shellcracker), and channel catfish. More channel catfish are stocked each winter. Crappie are also present in some lakes, andrainbow trout are stocked into Madison County Lake during the winter.  Some lakes may have hybrid bass (white bass/striped bass).

Fishing:  Bass fishing is good year-round, with the biggest usually caught from February through April when they are near the bank.  Bluegill and redear sunfish are be caught by bank and boat anglers all year, but especially from late spring through summer and again in the fall.  Catfish are caught year-round, but the summer months are best.  Catfish are stocked each fall.  For lakes with crappie, fishing is best from late February through March.  The rules of what may be kept are posted at each lake; before fishing, check to see what types and sizes of fish may be kept.

Cost:  In addition to a valid Alabama fishing license (16 through 64 for Alabama residents and 16 and older for non-residents):
Daily Fishing Permit
(required for age 12 and older)		 $ 3.00 except Pike County Lake
Boat Rental $ 5.00
Boat Launch $ 3.00
Regulations (complete regulations are available in the current regulation book and the “Alabama Game, Fish, and Wildlife Law Book“):(1) Any person 12 years old or older must have a valid fishing permit in possession to fish.  No child younger than 12 years old can legally be left unaccompanied by an adult.

(2) The daily creel, possession and size limits for game fish are posted at each lake.

(3) Fishing is limited to daylight hours or as specified by the lake manager.

(4) Swimming and wading are not allowed.

(5) Fish taken from the lake must be carried to the lake manager, who will count and weigh them.

(6) No method other than hook and line with natural or artificial bait maybe used to take fish from a State Lake.  Taking, or attempting to take, fish by any other means including but not limited to: snagging, snatching, trot lines, set hooks, limb lines, jug fishing, spear, or bow and arrow is not allowed.

(7) Anyone launching a boat at a State Lake must have a valid launch permit and fishing permit.

(8) State fishing license requirements are in effect.

(9) A person fishing shall upon demand exhibit his catch, fishing permit, and fishing license to any Conservation Officer, concessionaire, or other agent or employee of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for inspection.

(10) No species of fish shall be stocked in the state-owned public fishing lakes.   Live minnows used for bait shall be limited to goldfish minnows (Indiana minnows); golden shiners (shiners) and fathead minnows (toughies or tuffies) and no minnow, either dead or alive, shall be released from a minnow bucket or other method.  (Also see State Regulation.)

Additional information and rules about the lakes is available from the lake manager, the Alabama Fisheries Section at (334) 242-3471, or Matthew Marshall.

The Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries intensively manages the above 23 lakes totaling 1,912 acres.  The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources controls 38 lakes totaling 4,496 acres.  The Lands Division allows fishing at one lake at the Wehle Nature Center in Bullock County and intensively stocks the 5 acre lake with catfish.  The Parks Division also offers fishing.

Alabama State Parks Division has facilities on four large reservoirs and also manages 14 lakes totaling 2,579 acres.  Joe Wheeler State Park is on Wheeler Reservoir.  Guntersville State Park is on Guntersville Reservoir.  Wind Creek State Park is on Lake Martin.  Lakepoint State Park is on Lake Eufaula (W. F. George Reservoir).  State-owned fishing lakes are included within the borders of the following state parks:  Cheaha (12 acres), DeSoto (6 acres), Gulf (900 acres), Lakepoint (12 acres), Bucks Pocket (20 acres), Chewacla (26 acres), Claude Kelley (25 acres), Florala (40 acres), Frank Jackson (1,002 acres), Lake Lurleen (250 acres), Meaher Park (10 acres) on Mobile Bay, Oak Mountain (148 acres), and Paul Grist (100 acres).

Additional “state-owned” lakes include Lake LU at the University of West Alabama in Livingston.

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