Lake Guntersville - Home To Huge and Plentiful Bass!

Location and Size

Lake Guntersville is Alabama’s largest reservoir. The 69,100 acre Tennessee River impoundment is in Marshall and Jackson counties in Alabama, as well as Marion County in Tennessee. It is bordered upstream by Hales Bar and downstream by Wheeler Lake. The lake begins at Guntersville Dam eleven miles northeast of Guntersville and stretches 82.1 miles to Hales Bar Dam. A total of 24,450 square miles drain into the lake.

Lake Guntersville, beginning at the Nickajack Dam on the Alabama/Tennessee state line, is what is called a lowland lake. Except for the submerged main river channel, it is shallow and infested with stump beds and milfoil grass. It has a surface area of nearly 70,000 acres and has numerous large feeder creeks and vast expanses of backwater flats. Largemouth Bass are plentiful and Kentucky Spotted Bass are occasionally found on the rock bluffs near the lower end.

Construction of Lake Guntersville Dam began Dec. 4, 1935 and was completed Jan. 27, 1939. Lake Guntersville Lock and Dam is 3,979 feet wide and constructed of 295,700 cubic yards of concrete and 4,600 tons of reinforcing steel. It has eighteen 40x40 foot flood gates. A total of 1,800 men worked during this WPA project. Three men lost their lives during the building process. The dam has four hydraulic turbines and four generators.

Facilities and Accessibility

Guntersville Lake lies between I-65 and I-59, both running generally North and South, in the northeast corner of Alabama. Scottsboro, on Highway 72, is the ideal place from which to cover the entire lake, particularly the upper portion. The city of Guntersville, on the South end of the lake, is accessible by many main roads, the primary of which is Highway 431.

Numerous ramps are available along the entire lake, with the majority being on the East side. In the lower end of the lake, the best launch areas are Brown's Creek and the Lake Guntersville State Park. Goose Pond recreation area, slightly below Scottsboro on Highway 79, is the ideal launch for the Northern portion.

Numerous motels and campgrounds are available in and around both Scottsboro and the city of Guntersville.

Layout

Lake Guntersville can be divided into two distinct sections. The Northern portion is basically river terrain, but with some excellent feeder creeks. This upper stretch of Guntersville Lake has a noticeable current and bass tend to concentrate on the tree blowdowns and concentrations of stumps which are found along the steep shorelines. Bass will gather in these locations to feed, particularly when the current is strongest. While these upper river bass are usually smaller than their down stream relatives, the constant current has made them stronger and provided them with a great deal of stamina. Favorite lures for these locations are shallow and medium depth crankbaits and plastic worms. In the early Spring, white or chartreuse spinner baits are very effective. During the cold Winter months, the jig and pig is deadly fished deep off the slope of the channel drop.

Beginning slightly above Scottsboro and extending nearly to the lower dam, Guntersville takes on the characteristics of a lake.

Great expanses of backwater flats extend on either side of the river channel, also with a number of large feeder creeks. There are three distinct areas to fish in this lower half of Guntersville Lake: the milfoil beds and ledges in the back of the creeks and behind the river channel; the edges of the creek channels; and, the edge of the old river channel itself.

Honeycomb Creek is the closest to the dam, while Brown’s Creek, the widest water on the lower end, is above it. Spring Creek is a major water supplier, as is Town Creek. South Sauty Creek also is a wide creek with good water flow.

Some of the best Alabama bass fishing can be found in the thickly matted grass along the main channel which hides many huge stumps. These are the places that so many giant Lake Guntersville bass are taken. Some locals like to concentrate on hard structure and spend a lot of time on the edges of the creek channels and the few rock bluffs in the lower end of Guntersville. Of the limited population of Kentucky bass in the lake, most are taken while fishing these deeper water locations.

Lures to Use

WINTER: 1/4 to 1/2 ounce black jigs, with a pork trailer are popular baits. Dark colored 6" plastic worms are also good. Shad and Silver/Black crankbaits can also be productive as well as white and chartreuse spinnerbaits.

SPRING: Spinnerbaits are in their prime during this period, particularly for shallow largemouths in the grass beds. Buzzbaits and other top water lures will produce well. Shallow or lipless crankbaits are excellent worked shallow, just over the top of the emerging milfoil beds. As the bass start to come off the beds, black and purple plastic worms are hot.

SUMMER: Crankbaits and plastic worms will catch largemouth bass along the edges of the river and creek channels. Buzzbaits, particularly in the 1/4 ounce size, are excellent along the grassline of the main river channel. The local anglers prefer white or chartreuse.

FALL: Plastic worms and spinnerbaits seem to be the best Fall lures. Once the weather starts to get cold, try a black jig and pig off the creek ledges for a big lunker.

Fishing Patterns

SPRING: Largemouth Bass will be gathering on the drops, just off the spawning flats in the backwaters and feeder creek areas. Once spawning commences, they will be in the milfoil grass and stump bed areas. Never bypass any stump without tossing a worm or spinnerbait at it. A spinnerbait and a shallow crankbait will be deadly fished across the top of the submerged grass beds.

SUMMER: Concentrate on the edge of the main river channel. The fish will be there. Look for them at the ten to fifteen foot levels, with some up in the grassline early and late. The next best places are the deep ledges of the old creek channels.

FALL: This is without a doubt the best time to fish Guntersville. Largemouths will be active in the grass flats near deep water drops. Tie on a spinnerbait or rig a plastic worm and get ready! Deep water nearby is very important. Fish slowly and carefully.

WINTER: It can get awfully cold in North Alabama this time of year, but a trophy bass can make it all worthwhile. Go to the steep river and creek channel edges and start with a 1/2 ounce jig and pig. Plastic worms also work well. Fish slowly.

If you love fishing weeds, grass, moss, milfoil, or hydrilla you will love Guntersville Lake. The Aquatic vegetation in Guntersville Lake has turned this TVA reservoir into what may be the nation’s top bass fishing lake. For trophy largemouths in the 10+ pound range, Lake Guntersville cannot be beat!

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