Lake Eufaula

Fish and Fishing in Lake Eufaula (Walter F. George Reservoir) "Bass Fishing Capital of the World"

Lakepoint State Park Resort re-opened August 3, 2009, with a $12,000,000 renovation.

Most anglers south of the Mason-Dixon Line think of Lake Eufaula when they hear the phrase “Bass Fishing Capital of the World.”   Even though the largemouth bass population at Eufaula Reservoir has had its ups and downs since the hey days of the 1960s and 1970s, this lake is still considered one of the true gems of the south. Walter F. George Dam was completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1962, forming the 45,181-acre impoundment on the fertile Chattahoochee River. The reservoir extends from the Walter F. George Dam at Ft. Gaines, Georgia, northward to Phenix City, Alabama.  Since this lake is shared by Georgia and Alabama, these states agreed that either a Georgia or an Alabama fishing license could be used when fishing Lake Eufaula.

2009 Status Report
Crappie anglers should be geared up for good fishing at Lake Eufaula this year. Fall sampling by fisheries biologists with Alabama’s Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries found high numbers of 9 to 10 inch crappie (mostly 3 and 4 year old fish), along with a few slabs in the pound to pound and a half range.

Anglers should be able to catch plenty of crappie fishing thick woody cover along the edge of back water creek channels. Minnows will need to be carefully fished “right in amongst the hang-ups”, as my uncle used to say, since the crappie tend to suspend tight in thick cover. Usually the fish will be at least 10 to 20 feet deep in the fall and winter months, but it pays to constantly try different depths and different brush-piles (the fresher the better).

By February most crappie anglers at Eufaula prefer the “controlled drift” method. Trolling motors and depth finders are used to stay along the edge of submerged creek ledges, ditches, or underwater humps. Anglers slowly troll minnows, jigs, or combinations at varying depths. After a few crappie are caught, a pattern can be formed as to the bait, depth, and area that the crappie are in the mood for at the moment.

By late February or early March, crappie at Eufaula often “stage” at the mouths of creeks such as Cowikee, White Oak, and Thomas Mill. As the water warms in the spring the crappie and the anglers usually move further into the creeks until the full blown spawn drives the fish right against woody debris or weed lines along the creek bank and the back edge of coves. Once again, fresh trees in the water often hold the most fish.

Two secrets to consistently catching spawning crappie in the spring are to keep moving from brush-pile to brush-pile until you find fish, and be very, very quiet.

Most anglers reported that 2009 was a good year for catching bass, especially in the spring and early summer. The lake level stayed near full pool throughout most of the year, and largemouth bass could usually be caught along the edge of the weeds, especially early in the morning. As fall creeps into winter, most bass anglers shift to fishing deeper structure and the submerged creek or river channel edges. Often trolling crankbaits such as rattle-traps or shad raps along drop offs and creek channels can be very effective for either largemouth bass, spotted bass or hybrid striped bass.

One favorite spot for anglers to troll for an assortment of fish is the area around Old Creek Town. This area has lots of humps and ditches between the river channel and the shore. Other favorite trolling sites include Hummingbird Point, the Causeway area, and along the dam fore-bay. These are also good sites to watch for fish in the “jumps”, when hybrids and stripers explode to the surface during feeding frenzies on schools of shad. This action is usually late in the afternoon, but it pays to watch out for splashing or diving birds any time of the day.

Largemouth bass have to be at least 14 inches long to harvest at Eufaula, but spots do not have a minimum size limit. The spotted bass at Eufaula are mainly the Kentucky spotted bass that seldom grow larger than 3 pounds, but they still slam into crankbaits and put up a great fight just like the Alabama bass native to the Mobile Basin. The best time for anglers to catch a trophy largemouth bass at Eufaula is usually in February or early March. While big crankbaits, pig and jigs, and all types of soft plastic baits will produce big bass, an 8-inch golden shiner swimming within reach is a meal that few big bass can resist. Spring 2009 sampling indicated an excellent bass population at that time (see the Eufaula Spring 2009 Status Report).

The catfish are abundant in Lake Eufaula. While the fishing pressure for catfish slows down in the fall and winter, a lot of blues and channels can be caught by fishing trotlines baited with cut bait or stink bait. When the water starts to warm in the spring, jugs with 2 to 3 foot long droppers fished in coves are very effective, but anglers have to be careful to keep up with their jugs to prevent littering. Jugs fished at night should be encircled with reflective tape so they will not be lost in the dark.

The major city beside the reservoir is Eufaula, Alabama, located along U.S. Highway 431. Eufaula contains a variety of restaurants, hotels, and shopping centers. The city also boasts a wealth of historic attractions and festivals that can be accessed by contacting the Eufaula Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-524-7529, or on-line at www.eufaula-barbourchamber.com. Many beautiful homes and developments are found along the reservoir from the Eufaula area south to the dam, but it is nature’s beauty that captures the imagination in the northern section of the lake.

The undeveloped northern section of Lake Eufaula falls within the 11,160 acre Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), headquartered on Highway 165 approximately 10 miles north of Eufaula. The Eufaula NWR provides visitors with excellent opportunities for hiking, hunting, fishing, or observing wildlife. The Eufaula Refuge Manager can be contacted at (334) 687 - 4065.

The Eufaula NWR is bordered on the south by Lakepoint State Park. This picturesque 1,220 acre park offers year round hotel, cabin, and camping accommodations, an 18-hole golf course, 2 boat access sites, a fully stocked marina, and many more attractions. The Lakepoint Hotel and Conference Center has recently completed multi-million dollar renovations that will certainly make this one of the top destinations in Alabama.

It is easy to see why Lakepoint State Park hosts fishing tournaments nearly every weekend. The park also has catch-and-release facilities available for tournament organizations to reserve. Lakepoint State Park headquarters is located off Highway 431 seven miles north of Eufaula, and can be contacted by calling (334) 687 – 8011.

Anyone with questions or comments about the fish population at Lake Eufaula can contact District Fisheries Supervisor Ken Weathers (Ken.Weathers@dcnr.alabama.gov) or District Fisheries Biologist Rob Andress (Rob.Andress@dcnr.alabama.gov) at the Enterprise District Fisheries Office, phone number (334)347-9467.

Links (disclaimer):

Fishing license information may be found at: www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/freshwater/license/. Instant licensing is available via the Internet (2% fee), via the telephone by calling 1-888-848-6887 ($3.95 fee), or at 900 vendors and probate offices in Alabama. All youth age 15 and younger fish for free.

Possession and creel limits for Alabama public waters are listed at: www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/freshwater/regulations/;
The US Corps of Engineers has a map of fish attractors.  ESPN has an interactive map of Lake Eufaula.

Bass fishing quality at Lake Eufaula is assessed from bass club tournament results at www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/freshwater/where/reservoirs/quality/.
If you are a member of a bass club, please consider being a part of our Bass Angler Information Team. We use information from clubs to help better manage your lakes for fishing.

State fish management information and Alabama reservoir location, size and elevation are listed at: www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/freshwater/where/reservoirs/

Find official information on Lakepoint State Park at www.alapark.com/LakePointResort/.
Eufaula's Lakepoint State Park is part of the Alabama Bass Trail.

Information concerning the U.S. Corps of Engineers is listed at: www.sam.usace.army.mil/op/rec/wfg/.
The State of Georgia provides information on Walter F. George Lake (Lake Eufaula). They list a link to "Walter F. George" Lake.
Get information about the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge at: eufaula.fws.gov/.

The Alabama Department of Public Health has issued a fish consumption advisory for the Cowikee Creek embayment of Lake Eufaula due to mercury. Information on the consumption advisories may be found at the Alabama Department of Public Health Web site, www.adph.org. Consumption advisory information is found in "A-Z Contents" under "Fish Consumption Advisories."

It shall be unlawful to intentionally stock or release any fish, mussel, snail, crayfish or their embryos including bait fish into the public waters of Alabama under the jurisdiction of the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries as provided in Rule 220-2-.42 except those waters from which it came without the written permission of a designated employee of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources authorized by the Director of the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries to issue such permit. The provisions of this rule shall not apply to the incidental release of bait into the water during the normal process of fishing.

The Fisheries Section's District VI biologists can answer specific questions about Lake Eufaula by sending mail to ken.weathers@dcnr.alabama.gov or calling 334-347-9467.

Prepared by: Fisheries Section, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This site is presented for information only the Fisheries Section cannot be responsible for the quality of information or services offered through linked sites, disclaimer. To have your site included, send your URL, email address, or telephone number to the Fisheries Web Master, Doug.Darr@DCNR.Alabama.gov. The Fisheries Section reserves the right to select sites based on relevant and appropriate content, of interest to our viewers. If you discover errors in the content or links of this page, please contact Doug Darr. Thank you.