ALICEVILLE LAKE
Jerry Moss, District III fisheries supervisor, said the best crappie fishing in his area is on Aliceville and Gainesville lakes on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. But if forced to choose where he would fish along the Tenn-Tom, Moss picked Aliceville.

From Mile Marker 320 to the dam, Aliceville is a crappie angler’s dream. The lake’s backwater areas harbor cypress trees, standing timber and a mix of coontail, Eurasian milfoil, hydrilla and water hyacinth. Upstream of MM 320, Aliceville is riverine.

In addition to excellent habitat, Moss credits water fertility, shad numbers, and good reproduction and recruitment for the great crappie fishing.

The lake is very fertile, because its feeders flow through a large section of the Black Belt that’s rich in limestone, which increases the availability of nutrients to phytoplankton. This, in turn, increases the numbers of threadfin shad for crappie consumption. “Aliceville traditionally has large year-classes that recruit upwards each year,” Moss said. “Crappie move up in size rapidly and are ready to harvest in a couple of years.”

Vegetation holds the key to catching Aliceville’s big crappie.

“When we sample in April,” Moss reported, “we catch them next to the bank in the weeds. Crappie eggs are adhesive, so the weeds probably encourage spawning. The weeds are thick with big slabs, but once the fish have spawned, they quickly move off the bank into deeper water.”

Moss suggested fishing weed edges in Coal Fire and Broken Pumpkin creeks.

Part of Aliceville lies within Mississippi, so an Alabama fishing license only covers the lake below MM 322. For current fishing information, visit the H&B One Stop in Pickensville, or call (205) 373-6696.

BEAR CREEK LAKES
Located in Franklin and Marion counties, the Bear Creek Lakes comprise four small impoundments constructed by the Tennessee Valley Authority for flood control, recreation and water supply for northwest Alabama. They are known as Big Bear, Little Bear, Upper Bear and Cedar Creek and vary in size from 670 to 4,200 acres.

Of these, District I fisheries supervisor Keith Floyd says, the two largest lakes -- Upper Bear and Cedar Creek -- offer the best crappie fishing in his area.

“We did a creel survey on Upper Bear last spring,” Floyd reported, “and in two weeks we measured 240 crappie. The results on Cedar were also pretty good.”

Crappie fishing is always good here because fishing pressure rotates among the four lakes.

“As crappie populations decline on one reservoir,” Floyd explained, “anglers move to one of the other reservoirs. If anglers continued to fish the same lake, they would deplete the spawning population. So by the anglers fishing different lakes, the crappie are able to spawn without being molested, and the population recovers quicker.

“The four lakes are within easy driving distance -- probably a half-hour from each other -- so not everyone is fishing the same lake year after year.”

The Bear Creek Lakes are different from the other waters in this forecast. They are highland lakes with clear water, which makes artificial lures a good choice.

Cast 1/16-ounce jigs with curly-tail grubs, 1/16- or 1/8-ounce Beetle Spins, or 1/8-ounce Bill Lewis Tiny Trap lipless crankbaits toward the bank. Often, crappie press their noses against the shoreline of these reservoirs in April and are easily spooked. In this case, cast your jig onto the bank and pull it into the water. Strikes often occur as the lure enters the water.

Anglers report that points provide the best fishing spots on the lakes, especially if blown-down trees are present.

To fish the Bear Creek Lakes, anglers must purchase either a $3 daily permit or a $20 annual permit issued by the Bear Creek Development Authority. This is in addition to a state fishing license. Local tackle shops sell the permits, as does the BDA office. For more details, phone (877) 367-2232 or visit their Web site at BearCreekLakes.com.