Fishing in Alabama
Alabama has a rich history and diversity of freshwater and saltwater sport fishing opportunities within its extensive rivers systems, farm ponds and the inshore and offshore saltwater of the Gulf of Mexico., The Bass Angler's Sportsman Society, the leading promoter of competitive bass fishing was founded by Ray Scott in 1967 in Montgomery, Alabama. Alabama hosts numerous local, regional and national fishing tournaments every year.
Alabama supports 11 million angler fishing days with expenditures of three-quarters of a billion dollars, so join in the fun!
Alabama hosts 47 reservoirs larger than that cover, 23 Alabama State Public Fishing Lakes, and of perennial rivers, streams and the Mobile Delta as well as over of shoreline along the Gulf Coast that provide fresh and saltwater fishing opportunity.
Freshwater fishing
The Official Freshwater Fish of Alabama is the Largemouth Bass. In general, Alabama freshwater fishing is a warmwater fishery, although stocked trout are available in several locations. The most targeted species are largemouth and smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, brim, stripe as well as catfish. There are limited fisheries for shoal bass, walleye and sauger. Big rivers and reservoirs dominate the freshwater fishing landscape in Alabama but there is also an abundance of small streams, creeks and ponds available. The Tennessee Valley Authority, US Army Corps of Engineers, Alabama Power, and the Alabama Department of Natural Resources all maintain and promote freshwater fishing access on the waters they oversee.State Freshwater Records
Below is a table of state freshwater fishing records.| Species | Weight | Date | Location |
| Bass, Largemouth | 16 lb 8 oz | 11/3/1987 | Mtn. View Lake, Shelby Co |
| Bass, Redeye | 3 lb 2 oz | 3/8/2000 | Choccolocco Creek |
| Bass, Rock | 1 lb 6 oz | 5/6/1995 | Paint Rock River |
| Bass, Shoal | 6 lb 11 oz | 2/25/1996 | Halawakee Creek |
| Bass, Smallmouth | 10 lb 8 oz | 10/8/1950 | Wheeler Dam tailwater |
| Bass, Spotted | 8 lb 15 oz | 3/18/1978 | Lewis Smith |
| Bass, Striped | 55 lb | 1955 | Tallapoosa River |
| Bass, Striped Hybrid | 25 lb 15 oz | 9/13/1996 | Sipsey Fork |
| Bass, White | 4 lb 9 oz | 2/14/1987 | Warrior River |
| Bass, Yellow | 2 lb 8 oz | 4/12/2000 | Guntersville Reservoir, Jackson Co. |
| Bowfin | 7/31/2005 | Lake Tuscaloosa | |
| Buffalo | 57 lb | 4/13/1990 | Guntersville Reservoir |
| Bullhead | 3 lb 13 oz | 4/8/1984 | Private Pond, Montgomery. Co. |
| Carp, Common | 35 lb | 4/19/1980 | Bear Creek, Colbert County |
| Carp, Grass | 73 lb | 4/10/2012 | Guntersville Reservoir |
| Catfish, Blue (b) | 120 lb 4 oz | 3/9/2012 | Holt Reservoir |
| Catfish, Channel | 40 lb | 6/17/1967 | Inland Lake |
| Catfish, Flathead | 80 lb | 6/22/1986 | Alabama River, Selma |
| Catfish, White | 10 lb 5 oz | 4/3/1981 | Chambers Co. Public Lake |
| Crappie, Black (tie) | 4 lb 5 oz | 6/2/1997 | private pond in Jefferson Co. |
| Crappie, White | 4 lb 9 oz | 5/8/2000 | Lake Martin, Tallapoosa Co. |
| Drum, Freshwater (b) | 41 lb 8 oz | 7/24/1949 | Wilson Reservoir |
| Eel, American | 5 lb 8 oz | 5/11/1989 | Lake Shechi, Chilton Co. |
| Gar, Alligator | 151 lb 5 oz | 8/13/2004 | Tensaw River |
| Gar, Longnose | 32 lb 14oz | 4/18/1985 | Jordan Reservoir |
| Gar, Spotted | 8 lb 12 oz | 8/26/1987 | Cotaco Creek |
| Herring, Skipjack | 3 lb 4 oz | 5/2/2012 | Mulberry Fork |
| Muskellunge | 19 lb 8 oz | 12/31/1972 | Wilson Dam tailwater |
| Paddlefish | 52 lb 12 oz | 3/18/1982 | Wilson Dam tailwater |
| Perch, Yellow | 1 lb 15 oz | 2/26/2000 | Wheeler Reservoir, Limestone Co. |
| Pickerel, Chain | 6 lb 6 oz | 6/24/1976 | Dyas Creek, Baldwin County |
| Pickerel, Redfin | 0 lb 11 oz | 8/24/2010 | Armstrong Creek, Wash. Co. |
| Redhorse, Silver | 14 lb 14 oz | 4/24/1995 | Wilson Dam tailwater |
| Sauger | 5 lb 2 oz | 3/5/1972 | Wilson Dam tailwater |
| Sunfish, Bluegill (a) | 4 lb 12 oz | 4/9/1950 | Ketona Lake, Birmingham |
| Sunfish, Green | 1 lb 9 oz | 8/10/2005 | McLamore Pond, Walker County |
| Sunfish, Longear | 8 oz | 5/12/1990 | Yellow River |
| Sunfish, Redbreast | 1 lb 4 oz | 6/12/2010 | Choctawhatchee River |
| Sunfish, Redear | 4 lb 4 oz | 5/5/1962 | Chattahoochee State Park |
| Trout, Rainbow | 9 lb 1 oz | 4/22/2006 | Mud Creek, Tannehill State Park |
| Walleye | 10 lb 14 oz | 6/24/1980 | Weiss Reservoir |
| Warmouth | 1 lb 12 oz | 4/25/1986 | Farm Pond |
| World Record, Rod And Reel Previous World Record, Rod and Reel Previous World Record, Any Method | - | - | - |
Saltwater fishing
Alabama has excellent access to the offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico from Mobile and Perdio Bays. Inshore and estuarial fishing opportunities are extensive in both upper and lower Mobile Bay, but extend from Grand Bay in the Mississippi Sound on the West to the western shores of Peridio Bay near Orange Beach, Alabama.The Official Saltwater Fish of Alabama is the Tarpon.