The creel and possession limits for fish in all public waters of this state, except as otherwise provided for certain State and Federally owned and/or managed fishing lakes and ponds, shall be as follows:
Fishing Daily Creel & Possession Limits
|
Species |
Details |
Limit |
|
Largemouth, Smallmouth, |
No more than five of the bass daily creel of 10 may be smallmouth bass. See exceptions for shoal bass in Little Uchee and Osanippa Creeks, tributaries of the Chattahoochee River. |
10 |
|
Walleye |
It shall be illegal to take or attempt to take walleye by any method from Sweetwater Lake located in the Talladega National Forest, Cleburne County, from White Plains Lake (also known as Whitesides Mill Lake), Calhoun County and from Shoal Creek upstream of White Plains Lake, Calhoun and Cleburne Counties. It shall also be illegal to take or attempt to take walleye by any method from Lake Mitchell on the Coosa River between Mitchell Dam and Lay Dam or from its tributary streams; Walnut Creek in Chilton County and Hatchet and Weogufka Creeks in Coosa County. Any walleye taken in these lakes or streams shall immediately be released back into the waters from which they were taken with least possible harm. |
2 |
|
Sauger |
It is illegal to possess any Sauger less than 14 inches in total length. |
10 |
|
White Bass |
— |
15 |
|
Yellow Bass |
— |
15 |
|
Saltwater Striped Bass |
No more than five of the 15 may exceed 22 inches in total length. See exceptions for Lewis Smith, Inland, Yates, and Thurlow reservoirs and Lake Martin. |
15 |
|
Crappie |
It is illegal to possess any Crappie less than nine inches in total length taken from Alabama public waters, including Aliceville Reservoir and Pickwick Reservoir. Waters exempt from the nine-inch Crappie limit include impoundments less than 500 surface acres, and the reciprocal waters of the Chattahoochee River and Impoundments and their tributaries, Bear Creek Reservoir (Big Bear Lake of the B.C.D.A. Lakes), Lake Jackson at Florala and Weiss Reservoir. See exception for Weiss Reservoir. |
30 |
|
Catfish |
It is illegal to possess more than one (1) catfish over 34 inches in total length taken from Alabama public waters. No blue or flathead catfish over 34 inches in total length may be transported live beyond the boundaries of this state unless permitted in writing by the Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This size limit shall not apply for harvest of blue catfish and flathead catfish from river basins where blue catfish and flathead catfish are not native. These river basins include the Perdido, Conecuh, Blackwater, Yellow, Choctawhatchee, Chipola, and Chattahoochee Rivers. |
<< See details |
|
Bream |
— |
50 |
|
Rainbow Trout |
It shall be unlawful to cull from the creel any trout caught from the Sipsey Fork from Lewis Smith Dam downstream to the confluence with the Mulberry Fork. Culling is defined as removing and releasing a trout from the creel (live well, stringer, basket, bucket, cooler or other container) whether or not it is replaced with another trout. |
5 |
|
Alligator Gar |
— |
1 |
|
Turtles |
Includes Common Snapping, Painted, Eastern Chicken, River Cooter, Florida Cooter, Pond Slider, Eastern Mud, Loggerhead Musk, Stinkpot and all species of Softshells. Taking of turtles is limited to personal use only. Commercial use prohibited. |
2 |
Important notes
- The creel and possession limits provided for above shall not apply to fish held live for release by the sponsor or its designated agent after a bona fide fishing tournament provided they are released unharmed to the public waters from which they were taken as soon as reasonably possible on the same day they were taken. This does not obligate the sponsor or its designated agent to release dead or dying fish.
- Total length of fish measured from the front of the mouth to the tip of the tail with both mouth and tail closed.
- It is a violation of Alabama law for any person to transport more than one day’s creel limit of any species of fish beyond the boundaries of this state. It is a violation of Alabama law for any person to fillet freshwater fish while on public waters except when fish are being prepared for immediate cooking and consumption, provided however, that fish may be drawn or gutted with heads left attached.
- It shall be unlawful for any angler to fish with more than three rods and reels, or poles, or any combination thereof on Weiss Reservoir or Neely Henry lakes at any time.
- There is no closed season on any freshwater game fish.
Regulations in red are new this year.
Purple text indicates an important note.
Conservation Partner Advertisements: The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources allows appropriate advertising in its annual regulation guides in print and online, in order to defray or eliminate expenses to the state, and support enhanced communications with Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Constituents. Through a unique partnership with J.F.Griffin Publishing, LLC & eRegulations.com, ‘Conservation Partners’ have been established that pay for advertising in support of the regulations both in print and online. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources neither endorses products or services listed or claims made; nor accepts any liability arising from the use of products or services listed. Advertisers interested in the Conservation Partners program should contact J.F.Griffin/eRegulations.com directly at 413-884-1001,
This is not the full law. Consult the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for further details. All persons are reminded that the statutes, code and regulations are the legal authorities.
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