The Tennessee River System / Wheeler Lake
Impounded 1936
Written By Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service
Website www.fishingalabama.com
B’ham, Alabama Phone (205) 663-1504
This is Alabama’s second largest reservoir, but only by a scant 800 acres of surface water. Compared to Guntersville Lake (Alabama’s largest man made reservoir), Wheeler’s massive 68,300 surface acres is very similar, but only in size.
These reservoirs are still two totally different lakes, even though both impoundments are located on the Tennessee River System in North Alabama.
With bass fishing especially good during the Fall cool down period (and even as early Winter arrives), some trophy-sized smallmouth bass and big largemouth bass are taken. Wheeler Lake’s often very astute bass anglers during this three month period, can have a mixed bag of bass!
Lower Lake
The lower portion of Alabama’s Wheeler lake is a anglers paradise for both of these bass species, especially during cooler weather and low wintertime lake levels.
During the latter portion of Fall and even all throughout the Winter season (on lower Wheeler lake), is when these bass relate more to wood cover, rock cover, bottom irregularities or a sudden bottom change.
Deeper spots of 10-40 feet deep found on this lower lake, feature places that have an immediate retreat to deeper water from shallow water and this is what some cool weather bass prefer in the Fall and Winter seasons. Some bass that is.
There are always some bass deep and some bass shallow, year round.
Never rule out some very “unexpected” shallow-feeding bass on Wheeler Lake. They can suddenly appear in any of these lower lakes spots.
These nomadic bass of Wheeler can be found to be in some very, huge schools as they bunch up and travel fast, feeding and ravaging the shallows in search of prey.
Found (especially during warming trends), along shallow main lake flats and major feeder creek flats, around islands, and with an incoming Elk River, there are literally hundreds of places to explore this Fall and Winter season.
At any time you may be the lucky one to suddenly happen upon one of these huge traveling schools of bass. But enjoy it. For they may not be there when you return.
Several major feeder creeks on the massive Tennessee River’s Lower portion of Wheeler Lake, have many features in common. Some creeks consists of rock bluffs and several small wood-lined cuts and rocky pockets. Lots of these creeks have bridges in the mouths or mid section.
Wheeler lakes lower main-lake flats and some mighty impressive feeder creeks found near the lakes lower, Wheeler lake dam, you will find Second Creek and First Creek a good place or two to start.
As you enter these small feeder creeks the cover is evident. Rip-rap around the bridge area in Second Creek always has smallmouth bass and largemouth bass lingering around the man made rocks found lining the banks, during the Fall season and all throughout the Winter as well.
Until Spring arrives and the lake is returned to full pool.
Excellent fishing for both of these bass species can be found in First Creek (which is actually the second creek coming from the dam) and all along the same side of the lower lake near the dam, is good fishing as well featuring loads of rock bluffs and dozens of rocky type banks.
A little map study will also reveal two road beds in Second Creek. An underwater highway still in use, as bass migrate along this high spot and forage towards shallow water this Fall and Winter.
The Elk River on Wheeler Lake’s lower end, winds far back through the hills of Northern Alabama. This scenic feeder river features scattered trees and log jams, resident-built piers, brush piles, stumps, boat houses and small feeder creeks (like Anderson Creek). Including excellent, wintertime trophy smallmouth bass habitat, like rock bluffs and long, tapering gravel points. For these brown bass to relate to.
Lake drawdown for winter pool shows bass and baitfish really “bunch up” as they are forced to relocate to a much smaller Lake this Fall and Winter seasons. The lake is returned to full pool in the April/Spring.
Some big schools of bass, will feed along the river flats, attacking the wandering schools of baitfish taken from their weedy homes they occupied this past summer season.
This traditionally takes place from late September on into late December. This is when the lake level stabilizes, after a few weeks of draw down, showing the bass fishing at its best, before Winter sets in.
* Note - Wheeler lake can be 3-5 feet below normal full pool lake levels when drawn down for winter pool. Use extreme caution when navigating.
Across the lake, from the mouth of the Elk River is Spring Creek. Here you will find aquatic grass, but only in late September. As October and November bring lake draw down, anywhere from 3-5 feet, this greenery will soon be left high and dry.
There is very little stain or color in the water to be found in Spring Creek. So shad look-a-like lures usually work fine during the times you do choose to fish this creek’s rather clear water clarity.
But anytime, when fishing clear water in this creek (or anywhere on Wheeler lake), always experiment with those “off the wall” brighter lure colors and always include a few crayfish colors with those added colors of red, orange, green, blue, pumpkinseed, black or brown.
For Wheeler lake’s cool weather and wintertime smallmouth bass and largemouth bass (and even a few spotted bass) all dine heavily on both of these types of prey. Including feeding constantly on threadfin shad, gizzard shad, bream, crappie, minnows and other types of prey.
Mid-to-Upper Lake
Up the lake you will find several feeder creeks to explore this Fall and Winter seasons. If you can pull yourself away from the lower lake’s excellent cool weather bass fishing.
Mallard Creek and Fox Creek are two major feeder creeks that hold big bass, year round. Fall and early Winter shows both of these creeks excellent places for targeting smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Look for bass to relate to the weed edges as lake levels drop. Then locate these bass on nearby wood and rock cover.
Hydrilla weeds, like seen on the famed “Decatur Flats” just south of the mid lake Interstate-65 bridge crossing, can grow a little bit deeper, than the thicker, more matted-type of shallow water, milfoil weeds.
During lake drawdown hydrilla weeds will often appear as dark spots or an irregular weedy circle, that can be seen with a good pair of polarized sunglasses. Viewed just beneath the waters surface, usually visible in water depths from 1-3 feet, that is if the water clarity is right.
From the I-65 Interstate bridge crossing at mid lake, to Wheeler lakes headwaters (situated right below Guntersville Lake dam), you will find over 40 miles of a river-type area as the lake narrows down, heading upstream. Often stained water clarity can be seen here from heavy Fall and Winter rains.
Drop-offs, old river channel ledges, rock bluffs, lay down trees and stump rows, and the mouths of feeder creeks are all good places to start your search for these bass in Wheeler Lake’s upper portion.
As you look for these nomadic bass, during the latter part of Fall and all throughout the Winter season. As waters cool on Alabama’s second largest man-made impoundment, Wheeler Lake. Remember the warming trends!
Or you can always call on Reeds Guide Service…first!
” Wheeler lakes oldest, professional — bass fishing only -– year round guide service, guiding on all Alabama lakes for over 40 years ”
Phone: (205) 663-1504 Website: www.fishingalabama.com
Thanks and Good Fishin’!
Reed Montgomery / Owner of Reeds Guide Service
Birmingham, Alabama
Website www.fishingalabama.com
