Guntersville Lake Impounded 1939
North Alabama
Lake level: Down 1 foot
TENNESSEE RIVER IMPOUNDMENT’S
GUNTERSVILLE LAKE
Spring Fishing Lake Guntersville
Search for the biggest body of water in Alabama and your travels will cease near the town of Guntersville, Alabama. With 69,100 surface acres of water, this 82 mile long lake, has a total of 24,450 square miles of drainage. Guntersville Lake is also loaded with aquatic weeds such as milfoil and hydrilla, which account for such a tremendous bass fishery. Many largemouth bass exceeding 10 pounds are caught each spring. This is Alabama’s biggest reservoir. Both in size and quality of fishing.
Guntersville Lake in March
Its no secret that bass live out their lives in Guntersville Lake in or near aquatic vegetation. Along with other varieties of weeds and moss, the shallow watergrowing milfoil is still slightly dormant during March, but only just below the water’s surface. New, green growth in this stringy, aquatic vegetation creates a hideout for bass and baitfish. When this milfoil is 12 feet beneath the water’s surface, bass can look up for an easy meal.
Lures such as rattletraps, hard bodied jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, frogs, rats, floating worms, lizards and soft plastic jerkbaits, are all devastating on these bass in March. As many as 50 bass, per angler, are caught per day…when conditions are right.
March is also the time to search out isolated spots featuring warm water. Riprap on this lake, heats up several degrees by the midday to late evening period. The lower lake dam, bridges, causeways, culverts and boulderstrewn banks, all display these man made rocks lakewide. Riprap rocks are distributed, along wind blown banks or current laden banks to aid in preventing bank erosion. They are as attractive to the bass (as the sun heats the rocks) as they are to the angler.
Hydrilla, a long, leafystringy, type of underwater weed, generally grows in deeper water. It can be found as deep as 515 feet, much deeper than other, noted shallow growing aquatic weeds, on Guntersville Lake. In March, new weed growth, attracts bass to suspended in, around and over this oxygenrich environment. Lures such as jigs with pork or crayfish trailers, Texasrigged and Carolinarigged worms, lizards and crayfish imitations are all good. Vary your line size and lure weights on the jig and on Texas rigged plastics, for fishing at different depths, and experiment with leader lengths on the Carolina rig.
Guntersville Lake in April
The upper lake has the warmest water in early April, especially when stained or very muddy. As lake levels return to full pool, bass will move very shallow when attempting to bed. Some bass can be seen with their backs practically sticking out of the water. That’s when they are bedding, in the newly growing thin strands of grass, or maturing green, milfoil.
In some cases, bass will bed in deeper water, often as deep as 5 feet. This usually takes place in much clearer water. Beds can be seen far from shore, usually prepared among offshore milfoil and hydrilla weeds, around stumps, or where riprap rocks end on a sandy bottom. Cover, within this weedy cover, such as stumps, rocks, brush, laying logs, blowndown trees (and a change in the variety of weeds), can draw in the bigger female bass, that often dominate any irregular spawning cover, during April.
This is also the time for roaming schools of BIG, female bass, usually accompanied by many smaller, male bass. Both males and females can bunch up, gathering around wood or rock cover, or a sudden bottom change. Although April shows most bass in very skinny water, many bass can still be found in deeper water, nearby. Unmolested bass, by the dozens, can be found grouped up on underwater stumprows, sunken brushpiles, trees, ledges, points, dropoffs, ditches, rock piles, humps and other bottom irregularities, awaiting a chance to move shallow, to bed.
Usually, this takes place, where the bank beating angler is sitting. By simply backing off, and fishing further away from the lakes shoreline, you could discover the motherlode. Fishing with topwaters, mid to deep diving crankbaits, rattletraps and rattlin’ spots, spinnerbaits, floating and suspending jerkbaits, worms, lizards, crayfish imitations and other plastics, is the ticket to getting bit. Away from the bank (or out from the shallow spawning flats), can often aid an angler in discovering schools of really big bass in April. Most anglers pass up these deep water hangouts in April, for much more attractivelooking, shallow water cover, situated along the lakes shoreline.
Guntersville Lake in May
When these bass come off the beds, you can experience some of the most exciting topwater fishing of the year. When May arrives, all the conditions are just right, for some Big Bass action. The lake is at full pool, weeds are in full bloom and most bass have already bed, in a postspawn pattern. Regardless, the majority of both male and female bass are shallow and fishing with weedless lures in 15 feet of water, will always generate quality strikes on Guntersville.
The frog and rat craze many years back, got started on Guntersville Lake. Since then (60′s and 70′s), anglers have discovered many ways to fish plastic imitations of these small creatures…that bass just love. Several models exist today to choose from. Two of my favorites, that have been around for years, are the “Scum Frog” and the “Bassin’ Rat”.
Reason being is, the weedless qualities of these lures. With Eagle Claw’s lazersharp hooks, that lay snug up against the soft, rubber body of these enticing offerings, you eliminate the frustration of lure hangups. Missed fish, problems associated with other lures that roll over, land upside down or have exposed hooks, become obsolete. Utilizing long cast’s, fishing with heavy, Trilene Big Game line in 2025 pound test category, sharp hooks, stout equipment and nerves of steel, are all needed, when attempting to fool these topwater, exploding, largemouth bass of Guntersville Lake.
Other lures for May, while fishing in and around the many varieties of weeds on Guntersville lake, are endless. Without going into detail, I suggest trying these well known types and models. Buzzbaits (trailer hooks included for short strikes) also try floating worms, lizards and soft jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, weedless spoons, rattlin’ lipless model lures, soft jerkbaits, hard jerkbaits, Spro’s shallow running crankbait 25, popR’s, crazy shads, the Spittin’Image, Zara Super Spooks and Baby Torpedoes.
Also in May don’t forget to fish the riprap all around the lake. Also try the many piers, marinas and boathouses, mainlake and creek points, submerged humps, exposed islands and the midtoback ends of major feeder creeks. Remember to practice catch and release this Spring, “The future of fishing”, depends on you. More on fishing the milfoil and hydrilla aquatic weeds, during Spring, in the Wheeler Lake tips.
Give a Guntersville lake gift to one of your loved ones that loves to fish, this Christmas season. Certificates available online. Or any occasion such as Birthdays and Fathers Day. Or just book a trip to sample Guntersville lakes waters this winter and spring with Reeds Guide Service.
“Guntersville Lake’s oldest professional guide service fishing and guiding on this lake for over 40 years.” Several professional guides and boats available year round for multiple parties and corporate guided trips.
Fish Guntersville Lake this spring season and learn a few techniques and fishing factors of your own, that will aid you in fooling that “bass of lifetime” into hitting your lure. Or call on Reeds Guide Service…first! “Guntersville Lake’s most well known, oldest, professional Guide Service, guiding on Guntersville Lake for over 30 years.” Remember, a guided fishing trip with Reeds Guide Service makes a great gift for Birthday’s, Father’s Day, Christmas (certificates available) or any occasion, for those loved ones that love to fish. Several professional guides and quality bass boats available year round, for multiple parties and corporate guided trips.
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Good Fishin’
