Flounder are just one of the many species of saltwater fish that move into the Fowl River seasonally. Photo courtesy of Capt. Mike Thompson.

Motorists driving south on Dauphin Island Parkway cross several bridges en route to their island destination. The first large bridge they cross after turning off Laurendine Road is the Fowl River Bridge. This recently completed structure arches high above the Fowl River, allowing a view of both Mobile Bay and stream.

That view of the bay to the east distracts most drivers from paying attention to the view of the Fowl as it winds westward, bordered with luxury homes. The owners of these homes enjoy not only the beauty of the river, but also seclusion on a great waterway for angling.

The tucked-away geography makes the Fowl River the ideal place to fish when other area waters become stained or muddied. So few homes are along the Fowl that run-off is not too drastic, and the natural filtering by marsh grasses keeps the river quite clean in all but flood-type conditions.

During the months of November, December and January, the waters of Mobile Bay become muddy and less saline due to annual seasonal rainfall. This muddy water pushes saltwater fish up into the brackish confines of the Fowl River. Along with the fish, there are also lots of shrimp and minnows taking advantage of the salinity and sanctuary that the Fowl provides.

In addition to the river’s natural cover, the many boathouses and piers offer bait places to hide, and predators site to ambush unsuspecting bait.

Local Inhabitants
Even though the Fowl River receives the most fishing pressure in the fall and winter months when saltwater fish seek sanctuary, the river has a decent population of freshwater fish that stay there year ’round. According to Ben Ricks, District 5 fisheries biologist for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the river holds good numbers of freshwater fish.

“The bass population seems to be in pretty good shape,” he described. “We get no complaints from anglers about availability. In fact, bass fishing in the Fowl River has been a very well-guarded secret for years.

“If you are looking for bass, you should concentrate your efforts along shallow banks,” Ricks continued. “The deeper parts of the river will hold salty water that the bass don’t seem to prefer.”

Largemouths are not the only freshwater fish that anglers can target. Bream numbers are also in good shape in the backwaters of the river.

“We hear about good numbers of bream back in the small feeder creeks of the Fowl. If you can find them, seed shrimp work well on the bream,” the biologist explained.

Buddy Puckett is the owner/operator of Memories Fish Camp. The quaint fishing operation is located on Fowl River Road. Many of his customers target bream during the cooler months.

“Even though the bream fishing can be spotty after the river cools down, people willing to hunt for the fish can be rewarded with some of the biggest bream of the year. Using a trolling motor, you can work the banks casting small Beetle Spins. The fish won’t be concentrated, but they will be of good quality,” Puckett said.

Anglers targeting bream are often surprised in cooler months by nice crappie, too.