DEMOPOLIS & ALICEVILLE
Jay Haffner, the fisheries biologist for District III in west Alabama, thinks lakes Demopolis and Aliceville are the best in his region. In fact, he goes even further: "I'd say that these two lakes are two of the best in the state."

Haffner pointed to flood waters that inundate both impoundments as reasons for their prolific crappie fisheries. Aliceville Lake and Lake Demopolis flood almost every fall and winter, and the massive influx of water causes them to spill over their banks and into the rich hardwood bottoms along the Tenn-Tom Waterway. Those newly created shallows help to stimulate crappie production and growth.

"Traditionally, the best crappie lakes are ones that flood during the winter months," Haffner reaffirmed. "These lakes historically produce a tremendous number of crappie."

Even when they are at normal levels, both Aliceville and Demopolis have an abundance of backwater regions that hold numerous creek and river channels. There's also plenty of good cover like fallen trees, stumps and grass. Because these lakes in the west-central section of the state have smaller populations living near them, angling pressure is lighter as well.

You'll find some of the best crappie fishing from Boligee south to Demopolis on the Tombigbee River. Many of the little pockets, creeks and sloughs coming off the main river contain loads of crappie. Demopolis also has some large bays, numerous backwaters, oxbows and dead-river areas that hold crappie.

OTHER OPTIONS
Well, there you have it, all the glamour spots for crappie fishing throughout the state. But don't assume that these are the only places for papermouth action in the coming year. Places like the Mobile Delta, Lake Purdy just outside of Birmingham, Pickwick Lake in the northwestern corner of the state, and Guntersville Lake on the Tennessee River are all great options. Each gives up number of the fish and some real slabs as well. In fact, lakes, rivers and streams in Alabama that don't host good populations of crappie are the rarities. Any place you can locate an eddy hole, a deep pool, a tree that has fallen into the water or a stump just under the water, you can expect to find crappie and plenty of them.

Some really fine crappie action can even be found in some of the state's smaller ponds in the State Fishing Lake System. A bonus of targeting these waters is that, like all waters of less than 500 acres in Bama, they are exempt from the 9-inch minimum-size limit for crappie, unless posted otherwise. And as most anglers know, fried 8-inch crappie taste just as good as their larger cousins!

This spring, get a bucket of minnows or a packet of crappie jigs, pick your favorite lake and join the action. The Cotton State has plenty of good waters and papermouths just waiting on you.