The Best Fishing Spots in Alabama
Alabama offers diverse recreational fishing across rivers, lakes and the Gulf Coast, with excellent freshwater angling on big reservoirs like Lake Guntersville and the Tennessee River and productive saltwater trips in Mobile Bay and the Gulf. Anglers commonly target trophy largemouth bass, abundant crappie and panfish such as bluegill and bream, plus strong populations of channel catfish and flathead catfish and popular hybrid striped bass in reservoirs. Along the coast and in estuaries you can fish for redfish, spotted seatrout, flounder and seasonal king mackerel, with good options for inshore, nearshore and pier fishing, while kayak and bank anglers find plentiful access on creeks and public ramps.
Top Cities For Fishing
Lake Fishing
Wheeler Lake
Logan Martin Lake
Mitchell Lake
Walter F. George Reservoir
River Fishing
Sea Fishing
Chickasaw
(6 km to coast)
Daphne
(2 km to coast)
Fairhope
(2 km to coast)
Foley
(10 km to coast)
Grand Bay
(9 km to coast)
Gulf Shores
(0 km to coast)
Mobile
(1 km to coast)
Orange Beach
(0 km to coast)
Prichard
(5 km to coast)
Saraland
(12 km to coast)
Satsuma
(15 km to coast)
Spanish Fort
(4 km to coast)
Theodore
(9 km to coast)
Tillmans Corner
(10 km to coast)
Top Saltwater Fishing Spots
Bon Secour Bay
Fed by the Bon Secour River and adjacent to Mobile Bay , Bon Secour Bay holds speckled trout, redfish, and spring sheepshead around oyster reefs, channels, and docks; popping corks with live shrimp, jerk shads, and slow-rolled swimbaits excel, with nearby Weeks Bay also a productive option.
Dauphin Island
Dauphin Island offers surf, pier, and nearshore boat fishing for pompano, speckled trout, redfish, and seasonal Spanish mackerel, with cuts and bars on the Gulf side and bay-side grass flats producing; work popping corks, spoons, and sand-flea rigs, and explore nearby Mobile Bay reefs and the Dauphin Island bridges.
Little Lagoon
Protected and accessible, Little Lagoon is a favorite for speckled trout, redfish, and flounder, especially near the pass and along grass edges; kayakers and waders do well with topwaters at first light and soft plastics on jigheads, while the nearby Gulf Shores beach offers complementary surf action.
Mobile Bay
Expansive Mobile Bay offers year-round inshore action for speckled trout, redfish, flounder, and spring sheepshead around bridges, reefs, and channels, with productive reaches near Dauphin Island , Fort Morgan , and the eastern shore piers; top tactics include live shrimp under popping corks, soft plastics on jigheads, and trolling for summer Spanish mackerel along the outer bay.
Perdido Bay
Straddling the Alabama–Florida line, Perdido Bay provides reliable action for redfish, speckled trout, and flounder around marsh drains, bridges, and oyster bars, with productive access near Perdido Pass and tributaries like the Perdido River ; soft plastics, topwaters at dawn, and live shrimp are staples.
Perdido Pass
The jetties and channel of Perdido Pass concentrate redfish, sheepshead, flounder, and seasonal Spanish mackerel, with strong tidal flow creating ambush points; fish live shrimp, jigs, and spoons along rocks and eddies, and look for schooling activity spilling into Gulf of Mexico and Perdido Bay .
Top Freshwater Fishing Spots
Coosa River
The Coosa River and its impoundments produce famous Coosa-spotted bass, plus solid largemouth and seasonal stripers; work eddies, current points, and dock lines with spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, and finesse jigs, with productive stretches near Wetumpka and between Neely Henry Lake and Logan Martin Lake .
Lake Guntersville
Alabama’s flagship bass fishery, Lake Guntersville is famed for hydrilla and milfoil mats that hold trophy largemouth bass, with peak action in spring prespawn and fall; anglers also find quality crappie, blue catfish, and seasonal striped bass runs near Guntersville Dam and Nickajack Dam , with frog, swimbait, and lipless crank patterns producing from shallow grass to river-channel edges.
Lay Lake
Lay Lake consistently produces tournament-level largemouth and spotted bass with strong spring shoreline action on flipping and swim jigs, plus summer current bites below Lay Dam and along main-river grass; night fishing around docks and lights can be excellent for crappie.
Lewis Smith Lake
Deep, clear Lewis Smith Lake is famous for big spotted bass plus open-water striped bass and solid crappie; target timbered points, creek mouths, and herring-driven bait schools with finesse swimbaits, shaky heads, and flutter spoons, while night fishing with lights produces slabs around docks and bridges.
Logan Martin Lake
A Coosa River impoundment, Logan Martin Lake is known for aggressive spotted bass, with current-driven points, docks, and seawalls producing on spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, and shaky heads; schooling activity is common in summer, and the lower lake and Neely Henry Dam tailwater areas offer consistent action.
Lake Martin
Crystal-clear Lake Martin is a premier multi-species reservoir known for strong spotted bass and summer striped bass bites on main-lake points and humps, plus solid crappie around docks and brush; finesse plastics, topwaters at dawn, and downlined live bait excel, with steady action around Wind Creek and the river arms near Horseshoe Bend .
Tallapoosa River
Flowing into Lake Martin , the Tallapoosa River offers scenic fishing for spotted bass, redeye bass, and striped bass near dam tailraces; anglers target shoals, bends, and deep pools with topwaters, small swimbaits, and soft plastics, with late spring and early fall bringing excellent activity.
Weiss Lake
Dubbed the “Crappie Capital,” Weiss Lake is loaded with shallow flats, channels, and stump fields ideal for crappie spider-rigging in spring and longline trolling in fall; the lake also holds quality largemouth and spotted bass around docks, grass, and river ledges near Centre and Cedar Bluff .
Wheeler Lake
On the Tennessee River, Wheeler Lake produces heavyweight smallmouth and largemouth bass, big blue catfish, and seasonal striped bass; current seams, ledges, and shell beds near Wheeler Dam and Guntersville Dam are prime, with swimbaits, jerkbaits, and jigs key in spring and crankbaits and spoons shining on summer ledges.
Wilson Lake
Between Wheeler Dam and Wilson Dam , Wilson Lake is a powerhouse for trophy smallmouth, hard-fighting striped bass, and big catfish, with tailrace current seams and bluff banks key; swimbaits, jerkbaits, and live bait excel in moving water, while spring topwater bites can be spectacular.
Pickwick Lake
Renowned for trophy smallmouth bass and powerful striped bass, Pickwick Lake also offers excellent catfish and crappie; anglers target tailraces below Wilson Dam , current breaks, and bluff walls with swimbaits, hair jigs, and Alabama rigs, while summer ledge fishing with deep cranks and spoons can be outstanding.