Avid anglers know that Alabama is notorious for its fishing reputation. People who are taking fishing a serious business realize this is the place to reel in big ones.
You can snag these big ones in any body of water, but you can catch them almost every time in the state’s biggest lake!
With 69 100 acres of land, Guntersville Lake is notable for its enormous bass. The Tennessee River Valley Authority made Guntersville Lake through the structure of the Guntersville Dam. When the Dam was developed, it transformed the town of Guntersville into an island bordered town situated close to Huntsville, Alabama, about an hour’s drive. The state has to offer interesting facts and eventful history, but it is fitting to delve into the large bass Lake Guntersville is best known for.
A little under 30 years passed, an angler caught a huge 14 pound 8-ounce Largemouth Bass from these waters, making the bass community excited. The record for the lake is still up till today. However, that doesn’t mean a portion of anglers hasn’t tried on breaking it. As of late as February of 2019, Tyler Mahaffey gave it a run for its cash. He pulled up eagerly to the boat ramp with a 13 pound 7-ounce catch!
Because of its solid and diverse fishery, various fishing competitions are set up on the lake. There is a competition consistently, from local clubs to national competitions. The lake has a comprehensive buoy system that all boaters should acquaint themselves with. The main waterway channel is labeled with red, green, and lighted buoys. Optional and creek channels are marked with a series of green cans and red nuns. These keep the main channel, where submerged hazards do not block the route.
Species You Can Reel In
Lake Guntersville is consistently ranked by national publications and anglers as a bucket list lake. Few of the best bass fishing on Lake Guntersville can be found in the creeks, like North and South Sauty, Siebold Creek, Brown’s Creek, and Town Creek. With various bridges around the lake, working pipe areas can likewise be beneficial. There are additionally many grass flats with little edges that produce bass for a large portion of the year.
While eight and 9-pound bass are not out of the ordinary for experts and amateurs alike, different other fish, including bream, crappie, and catfish, can also be caught in Guntersville’s water.
Size limit for bass:
For Guntersville Lake Largemouth Bass or Smallmouths, they should be at least 15 inches long with no size limit. In any case, you will consistently need to confirm with the fish and wildlife department for the most current information.
Types of Species:
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Spotted Bass
White Bass
Sauger
Walleye
Striped Bass
Bluegill
Redear Sunfish (Shellcrackers)
Black Crappie
White Crappie
Best Season to Reel In
The fishing season is year-round. You can get fish in huge numbers during the streaking daylight season of the year. However, for the trophy Largemouth Bass February, March and April are the best and ideal opportunities to throw a line.
Spring:
Spring is the best time for bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, and crappie
Summer:
This is a good time for largemouth bass and striped bass.
Fall:
Fall is a great time for bass, redear sunfish, and bluegill.
Winter:
Winter months are good for bass.
Tips for finding and catching fish
1. Largemouth will be discovered holding in slack water zones adjoining the current, trusting that search will pass. Work these areas with crankbaits, spinnerbaits, or topwater.
2. The bountiful cover situated all through the lake offers largemouth with the primary environment. Search for areas of hydrilla, milfoil, grass, and submerged stump fields.
3. Find drop-offs and deep holes during the heat of summer and work them with diving crankbaits, jigging spoons, or artificial lures like plastic worms. Shad and craw-colored baits work best.
4. Accessible all through Guntersville Lake, two significant areas hold catfish. Catfish will be found in the tailrace zone of Nickajack Dam and the deepwater simply above Guntersville Dam.
5. From February through April, crappie is discovered lurking in the backwater areas of streams. They will be found holding in submerged stumps and using the given cover for spawning.
6. As the water warms in mid-May, crappie moves off their beds and be discovered holding in more deepwater all through summer and fall. Make use of your Marine Gadgets like a depth finder or fish locater to find schools of fish and present a minnow, nightcrawler, or cricket floated under a slip bobber at the exact depth.
Best Fishing Spots to Cast Your Fly
On each Lake Guntersville fishing trip you take, fish in new places that you’ve never fished. If you go to similar spots where you’ve always gotten bass and fish almost the same baits that you’ve brought bass on in those spots, you’ve most likely worked effectively of teaching the bass on what baits not to take.
Here in this lake, you will discover perfect fishing spots, ledges, reefs, rocks, and shipwrecks that are just around Lake Guntersville.
Sauty Bridge
This fishing spot is known to contain ledges or rocks that attract fish. There a couple of riprap on both sides of this bridge.
Gunters Reef
Gunters Reef is an artificial or natural reef that attracts fish that can be discovered here. This structure holds largemouth bass.
Cotaco Creek Ramp
This fishing spot has a boat ramp, landing, or access spot for fishing.
Fishing Lake Guntersville Licenses and Regulations
All residents in Alabama will require a freshwater fishing permit to fish in the public lakes. For additional information on the requirements, where to purchase an Alabama fishing permit, and who is excluded, kindly check the Alabama Fishing page for more details.
- Largemouth Bass on Guntersville Reservoir should be at least 15 inches long. If your bass meets the length requirement, you are permitted to keep a limit of a combined 10 Black Bass each day per person, and close to 5 of those might be Smallmouth Bass.
- Those fishing for an assortment of fish, and hoping to get Crappie, should ensure the fish is 9 inches or more to save for your dinner plate.
Lake Guntersville is home to quality fishing, and that is not accidental. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has set exact guidelines so current and future anglers can appreciate a similar encounter. Looking for prize bass is fun, and anglers should invest heavily in their job in the preservation endeavors. Put forth a valiant effort to leave it better than you discovered it, and if you have any inquiries, your Guntersville Lake bass fishing guide can lead you the correct way.
