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Alabama

Fishing

Fishing

You are viewing 2023's Fishing Daily Creel, Possession & Size Limits. Click to here to view information for 2022

Fishing Daily Creel, Possession & Size Limits

The following seasons for taking fish in accordance with the below stated times, places, manners and restrictions are hereby established. 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:

Species

Details

Limit

Black Bass

Includes combinations of largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, Alabama, shoal and those species formerly known as “redeye” bass, which are now known separately as Coosa, Warrior, Cahaba, Tallapoosa and Chattahoochee bass, based on their respective drainages. The Alabama bass was formerly known as spotted bass in the Mobile drainage. No more than five of the daily creel limit of 10 may be smallmouth bass. See exceptions for shoal bass in specific 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, Hatchet Creek in Coosa and Clay Counties, Weogufka Creek in Coosa County, and the Mulberry Fork River and Sipsey Fork River or any of their tributary streams in Blount, Cullman, Lawrence, Walker, Winston Counties, or the Duck River Reservoir in Cullman 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 15 inches in total length.

5

White Bass

15

Yellow Bass

15

Saltwater Striped Bass
and Hybrids or Combinations

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, the reciprocal waters of the Chattahoochee River including impoundments and 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

Yellow Perch

No Limit

Catfish (under 34 inches)

No Limit

Catfish (over 34 inches)

This size limit shall not apply to catfish harvested from the Perdido, Conecuh, Blackwater, Yellow, Choctawhatchee, Chipola, and Chattahoochee rivers basins. It shall be unlawful to transport live catfish 34 inches in length or greater beyond the boundaries of this State.

1

Bream

50

Rainbow Trout

It shall be unlawful to fish with more than two rods or 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

Alligator gar caught with commercial fishing gear must be immediately returned to the water.

1

Sturgeon

All sturgeon must be immediately returned to water with least possible harm.

Closed Season

Paddlefish or Spoonbill

All paddlefish must be immediately returned to water with least possible harm.

Closed Season

Skipjack Herring

100

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 is measured from the front of the mouth to the tip of the tail with both mouth and tail closed.
  • It shall be unlawful to fish any trotline, snag or snare line without a plastic or metal tag attached containing the owners name and either their address, fishing license number or phone number.
  • It shall be unlawful for any fisherman, other than a licensed commercial fisherman, to fish one or more trotline, snag or snare line or combination thereof containing more than 100 hooks total.

Size Limits

As provided for above, as posted in State and Federally owned and/or managed public fishing lakes and ponds, and as follows:

Chattahoochee River Tributaries - It is illegal to possess shoal bass in Little Uchee, Uchee, Osanippa, Halawakee and Wacoochee creeks.

Chattahoochee River and its Impoundments and Tributaries - Special creel limits apply in reciprocal waters as specified under regulation 220-2-.122.

Guntersville Reservoir and its Tributary of Town Creek - It is illegal to possess any largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 15 inches in total length.

Harris Reservoir - It is illegal to possess any largemouth bass between 13 inches and 16 inches in total length.

Lake Jackson at Florala - Creel limit of five black bass greater than 12 inches in total length. Only one of the five can be over 22 inches in total length.

Inland Reservoir - It is illegal to possess more than two saltwater striped bass that exceed 22 inches in total length in the daily creel limit and only one of those may exceed 30 inches in total length.

Lewis Smith Reservoir - It is illegal to possess any black bass between 13 inches and 15 inches in total length.

Lewis Smith Reservoir - It is illegal to possess more than two saltwater striped bass that exceed 22 inches in total length in the daily creel limit. It shall be unlawful to intentionally cull from the creel any saltwater striped bass from June 15th to October 15th. Culling is defined as removing and releasing a saltwater striped bass from the creel (live well, stringer, basket, bucket, cooler or other container) whether or not it is replaced with another striped bass.

Little Bear Creek Reservoir of the B.C.D.A Lakes – It is illegal to possess largemouth bass between 13 inches and 16 inches in total length.

Lake Martin - It is illegal to possess more than two saltwater striped bass that exceed 22 inches in total length in the daily creel limit. It shall be unlawful to intentionally cull from the creel any saltwater striped bass from June 15th to October 15th. Culling is defined as removing and releasing a saltwater striped bass from the creel (live well, stringer, basket, bucket, cooler or other container) whether or not it is replaced with another striped bass.

Pickwick Reservoir - It is illegal to possess any smallmouth bass or largemouth bass less than 15 inches in total length.

Thurlow Reservoir - It is illegal to possess more than two saltwater striped bass that exceed 22 inches in total length in the daily creel limit and only one of those may exceed 30 inches in total length.

Walter F. George Reservoir (Lake Eufaula) and its Tributaries - It is illegal to possess any largemouth bass less than 14 inches in total length.

Weiss Reservoir - It is illegal to possess crappie less than 10 inches in total length.

West Point Reservoir and its Tributaries - It is illegal to possess any largemouth bass less than 14 inches in total length.

Wheeler Reservoir - It is illegal to possess any smallmouth bass less than 15 inches in total length.

Wilson Reservoir and its Tributaries of Big Nance and Town Creeks - It is illegal to possess any smallmouth bass less than 15 inches in total length.

Yates Reservoir - It is illegal to possess more than two saltwater striped bass that exceed 22 inches in total length in the daily creel limit and only one of those may exceed 30 inches in total length.