SUMMER ON ALABAMA’S TENNESSEE RIVER LAKES
Guntersville, Wheeler, Wilson and Pickwick Lake
By Reed Montgomery
Guntersville Lake
Alabama’s largest, man made impoundment Guntersville Lake, situated near the town of Guntersville in north Alabama, fishes BIG during the hot days of Summer! Loaded with milfoil and hydrilla aquatic weeds, a Big Bass Factory!
As with most Alabama lakes during the summer season, Guntersville lake is a very recreational lake, especially on weekends or Holidays like the Fourth of July! The mid-to -lower lake region can get very crowded!
Escaping the hordes of water skiers, seadoos (or jet skis), pontoon parties or other anglers, means either getting on the water early, fishing late in the day, or like many anglers resorting to night fishing.
During any of these time frames you are less likely to experience very crowded conditions like during the midday period. Or, there is another way to avoid the summertime crowds. Head far up the lake to Guntersville lake’s headwaters!
As with most Alabama reservoirs, the upper portion of the lake — from North Sauty Creek all the way to Nick jack dam in Guntersville lake’s headwaters — is more of a river –type terrain. This is where the lake narrows down, which in turn increases the current, during the summer months.
Which always attracts big, largemouth bass that are constantly feeding and hanging around the upper lake’s wood cover, rock cover and a variety of aquatic weeds this huge impoundment has to offer, as the mercury soars this summer season.
All to be discovered by the astute summertime angler, while fishing in somewhat solitude, along Guntersville lake’s shady and deep, old original river channel banks, along deep ledges and drop-offs!
Like said, ” Where Big, Summertime Bass Do Exist!”
So, all throughout July, August and September you can choose to fish, where others don’t. (For more on Fishing Alabama’s Guntersville Lake, both during the day and at night this summer season, see the featured Guntersville Lake Summertime article on the home page of www.fishingalabama.com
Wheeler Lake
Wheeler Lake, Alabama’s second largest, man made reservoir, situated near the northern Alabama towns of Athens and Decatur, has a variety of fishing situations! Including big largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass and striped bass!
Similar in its shape, length, size and configuration Wheeler lake has features much like upper reservoir Guntersville Lake, with a more river-type terrain — from the lake’s headwaters starting at Guntersville lake dam, for over 50 miles of a narrow, winding original Tennessee River Channel heading south.
As the lake begins to widen at its midday point, the Interstate 65 / Highway 31 crossing at the now famed “Decatur Flats” all the way to the lower lake’s Elk River and several incoming feeder creeks, such as First and Second creeks and Spring creek, summertime bass anglers have a variety of aquatic weeds, wood cover and rocky banks to explore this summer season.
To avoid the summertime crowds, get on the water early, or fish during late evening hours, or you may choose to fish at night. But you must know the water, if fishing after the sun goes down! Never leave anything to chance!
Places like the Elk River may be easily navigable during the daytime hours. But without knowledge of the River (or a good spot light), its hard to see a big floating tree or a half way submerged log…often when its too late, after dark.
Wheeler Lake has smallmouth bass that hang around deep rock bluffs, long tapering main lake points and they can be found up in the Elk River and nearby feeder creeks.
Largemouth bass are found lake wide around weeds, wood and rock cover. Spotted bass and some big, striped bass are more in open water situations and they are schooling bass, that may be seen schooling during the summer months feeding on hapless baitfish in open water places like along flats and around rip-rap lined causeways and bridges.
Wilson Lake
Wilson Lake, is a rather small Tennessee River lake, only 18 miles in length, but holder of many freshwater fish records. Like the previous world record smallmouth bass, one exceeding ten pounds!
Finding water — away from the maddening summertime crowd — on a lake less than 18 miles in length (with only four major feeder creeks), calls for the same tactics as when fishing during the daylight hours on other very crowded Alabama lakes…like getting there early!
Fishing below massive, Wheeler Lake dam in Wilson Lake’s headwaters and launching your boat at the nearby Wilson Lake public boat launch, calls for arriving early.
There is only one lone little pier, that every angler has to/or should, share.
Launch your boat, tie up and then head out, letting the next angler use it. Simple. Right? Don’t tie up there for 30 minutes, preventing others from using its short term use. Which is provided for free! By the way, as of the Fourth of July, it gets light at 4:45 a.m. Central time! Arrive early!
Fishing late in the day will see the hordes of daytime water skiers, jet skis, pontoon parties, etc. usually off the water, gone about an hour or two before sun goes down.
Leaving the lake all to the late evening angler and a very peaceful setting sun. Calm water. Late evening big bass on the prowl, and you, the angler that pursues them.
Or you can choose to fish for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass under the stars at night. Well lighted areas are everywhere! Bass and baitfish gather in these places attracted to the lights and the bugs falling in the water. Places to find big bass on the prowl at night!
Around rip-rap rock lined causeways. Both around the upper Wheeler lake dam and the lower lake Wilson Lake dam, all have miles of rock-lined banks, all well lighted at night. Piers, boat houses and around marinas are all well lighted as well and when the sun goes down big bass often gather in numbers to feed on the bug-eating bream, crappie and baitfish.
Pickwick Lake
Pickwick Lake, like upper reservoir Wilson Lake, is world renowned for its “world record sized” smallmouth bass. It is a lake over 50 miles in length that harbors “ten pound plus” largemouth bass as well. During the summer season bass anglers find both bass species, in both shallow and deep water situations!
Those little brown bass, so many Alabama anglers know so well (and those out-of-state anglers that often travel hundreds of miles to Alabama to fish for;) what’s better known as “smallmouth bass” all know they can be fooled into biting a number of fake offerings all during the hot summer months of July, August and September. Both during the day and at night!
But little known to some anglers is the largemouth bass population that is to be discovered all throughout Pickwick Lake. Both while bass fishing along the main lake and up in the many feeder creeks that supply fresh water to the lake.
You can be fishing a topwater lure in the lake’s headwaters below Wilson Lake dam on any summer morning at dawn and expect to fool a five pound smallmouth bass or a five pound largemouth bass…or both! Even at the night, expect the same results!
On the other extreme, some anglers are fishing deep water with big, heavy one ounce football head jig combos and Texas rigged ten inch worms fished along deep 20-40 foot old river channel drop-offs…fooling 4-5 pound smallmouth bass and largemouth bass bunched up in the same likely looking locations. All summer long!
So until it cools in the Fall (and even then!) these, “Pickwick Lake Bass of Summer” can be found lake wide, in any depth! Caught on a variety of lures, whether anglers are fishing for bass during the day or at night, this summer season!
Or, you can always call on Reeds Guide Service …first!
“ For Fishing any Tennessee River Impoundment or any River System found throughout all of Alabama. For Over 40 Years.”
Year round guide service, for bass fishing only.
Thanks and Good Fishin’ this Summer Season!
(See my website www.fishingalabama.com for more seasonal fishing tips, Alabama lake reports and bass fishing articles on these lakes and other Alabama lakes)
Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service
Birmingham, Alabama (205) 663-1504
Website www.fishingalabama.com
