North Alabama has 2 of top 25 bass lakes in SE

A pair of north Alabama lakes have been included in the Bassmaster list of the 25 best bass lakes in the Southeast for 2023.

Lake Guntersville is in the five spot and Pickwick Lake in northwest Alabama is 15th. Another lake in Alabama, Lake Eufaula, is number nine.

“This recognition from Bassmaster puts a spotlight on Alabama’s exceptional bass fishing,” said Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR). “Over the past few years we have improved boating and fishing access throughout the state to better accommodate both tournaments and anyone who has an interest in Alabama’s abundant fishing opportunities.

“We encourage you to visit the lakes highlighted on the Bassmaster list and explore the many other waterways that make Alabama an angler’s paradise.”

On the Tennessee River between Guntersville and Bridgeport, Lake Guntersville is Alabama’s largest lake at 69,100 acres. It stretches 75 miles from Nickajack Dam to Guntersville Dam and several public boat ramps dot the lake’s perimeter including Town Creek Fishing Center near Lake Guntersville State Park.

Additional outdoor recreation opportunities such as camping, hiking, hunting and eagle watching are popular in the area. Lake Guntersville is well-known as a bass fishing hotspot and is a regular stop on tournament schedules.

Pickwick Lake spans 50 miles on the Tennessee River from Pickwick Landing Dam in Tennessee to Wilson Dam in Florence.

This 41,515-acre reservoir consistently ranks as one of Alabama’s top bass fishing lakes. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are the most sought after species by anglers at the lake; however, Pickwick can produce good-size spotted bass as well. Smallmouth bass caught from the lake have also been certified as records by the International Game Fish Association.

Each of the lakes are stops on the Alabama Bass Trail, which features 13 of Alabama’s premiere bass fishing lakes.

For more information about these and other fishing opportunities in Alabama, visit the fishing section of www.outdooralabama.com. To purchase an Alabama recreational fishing license online, visit www.myoutdooralabama.com.

To view the Bassmaster list of the 25 best bass lakes in the Southeast, visit www.bassmaster.com/best-bass-lakes/slideshow/best-bass-lakes-2023-southeastern/.