Lake Guntersville

Fish and Fishing on Lake Guntersville

Lake Guntersville is located in north Alabama between Bridgeport and Guntersville. Alabama's largest lake contains 69,100 acres and stretches 75 miles from Nickajack Dam to Guntersville Dam. Free boat ramps and private marinas dot the lake's perimeter. Fishing, boating, camping, hunting and eagle watching are popular sports in the area. Eagle watching centers on Guntersville State Park and the dam during the winter, though some bald eagles stay all year. Guntersville Lake fish habitat includes milfoil and hydilla weed beds from which big bass explode on topwater baits.

Though most noted nationally for large bass, Lake Guntersville is home to quality angling for a variety of fish. Historically, about two-thirds of the anglers on Guntersville target largemouth bass, although bream (bluegill, redear sunfish, and longear sunfish), crappie, sauger and catfish attract their fair share of anglers.

In 2009, Huntsville will host the Wal-Mart FLW Tour opening stop at Lake Guntersville February 12-17.  The Thursday-through-Sunday format will be fished on Lake Guntersville, drawing 200 professionals and 200 co-anglers in pursuit of a $1 million purse.

A 15-inch minimum length limit for black bass was implemented on 1 October 1993, to restrict harvest of small, fast growing bass. This minimum length limit has been changed to apply only to largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Sample data from 2004 revealed that the regulation has performed well over the past 11 years. Our samples not only revealed more largemouth bass greater than 15 inches than previous samples, but fish were more robust. Condition of largemouth bass between 12 and 24 inches has consistently improved each sample since 2001, and is higher than it has ever been since the Fisheries Section began sampling this reservoir. A summary of bass club tournament data on Guntersville is available.

Bream fishing is excellent throughout the lake, especially during late spring and early summer. Crappie fishing is best during the spring and fall, but night fishing in the summer around bridge pilings can be productive.

Sauger and a few walleye run upstream during the winter and early spring, and anglers catch sauger within the reservoir at bridge crossings and below Guntersville Dam. Catfish angling can bring big surprises; several blue catfish over 80 pounds have been taken from Lake Guntersville.

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/

Bass fishing quality at Guntersville Reservoir is assessed here.  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.

Talk with anglers that fish Lake Guntersville Lake at www.al.com/forums/fishing/.
Find fishing reports under "Resources" at www.al.com/outdoors/
Bass fishing reports for Lake Guntersville may be available at: www.wmi.org/bassfish/reports/alabama/
Guide Troy Jens has a page by season on how to fish Guntersville bass www.anglingalabama.com/seasonal.htm

State fish management information and Alabama reservoir location, size and elevation are listed at: www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/freshwater/where/reservoirs/. 
ESPN has fishing maps at http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/news/story?page=oimsfishing/index

Information from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is provided at lakeinfo.tva.gov/ and at www.tva.gov/sites/guntersville.htm and navigation maps at www.lrn.usace.army.mil/opn/TNRiver/ or through TVA, https://maps.tva.com/, or email mapstore@tva.gov, call 1-800-MAPS-TVA, fax 1-423-751-6216, or write 1101 Market St., Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801.

Lake Guntersville State Park is recently renovated: lodge, restaurant, motel, cabins, chalets, campgrounds, golf course, beach, hiking trails, etc. See a video of the Guntersville State Park. Read what the Huntsville Times says about Guntersville State Park at www.al.com/parks/parks.html. Buck's Pocket State Park (camping) and Cathedral Caverns State Park are nearby.

Contact the following fishing guides:
Tee Kitchens teekitchens@netzero.net 256-859-1465 www.alabamaoutdoors.net/tee.html (two bedroom trailers and a cabin available also.)
Capt. Chris Jackson bigGskeeter@hotmail.com toll-free 1-877-386-7001 or cell 205-706-2425www.finsngrinsfishing.com/
Troy Jens anglingalabama@charter.net 256-683-7934 www.anglingalabama.com/
Doug Campbell, Waterfront Tackle, 256-582-6060
C & B North Alabama Guide Service at www.angelfire.com/al2/fishingguideservice/ - Charlie Slaton at 256-593-7249 or 256-572-6217 and Bobby Bright at 256-593-7830 or 256-738-4293
Ron's Guide Service, ronsguideala@yahoo.com, 256-298-1088

Regional information may be found at the north Alabama regional tourism site, www.northalabama.org, call (800) 648-5381, or e-mail www.info@northalabama.org. For resorts, lodges, cabins, RV parks, marinas, and camping accommodations, look in the "Outdoor" Section. For motels and bed and breakfast inns, look in "Places to Stay."

Marina information:
Alred Marina: gas, ramp, transient docking, restrooms, full service yard, marine supplies. (256) 582-4400.
Covenant Cove Lodge and Marina: gas, ramp, transient docking, restrooms/shower, full service yard, marine supplies, restaurant, beach, swimming area: www.covenantcove.com 1-256-582-1384
Guntersville Marina: gas, transient docking, restrooms: (256) 582-8529.
Goose Pond Colony Marina: gas, ramps, transient docking, restrooms, marine supplies, snacks, campground, lodging, golf: www.goosepond.org/marina.htm (800) 269-2884 or (256) 259-3027.
Jackson County Park and Marina 1-256-574-4719.

Guntersville State Park is a favorite place to stay in cabins, chalets, motel or camping accommodations. (The lodge is undergoing renovation until the summer of 2006). Woody's Lodge has cabins off Hwy 79 on the northwest part of the lake near Scottsboro, www.woodyslodge.com/. Crow Creek Cottage is near Stevenson; call 1-888-344-573. Golf and Fish Inn Hole is on the other side of Lake Guntersville near Scottsboro, www.fishinnhole.com
Goose Pond Colony has camping and resort facilities near Scottsboro, www.goosepond.org/.
Covenant Cove Lodge and Marina is in the City of Guntersville, www.covenantcove.com.
Along AL Hwy 79 on the east side of Lake Guntersville are Cabin and Two Bedroom Trailers Rentals by Tee Kitchens at 1-256-859-1465 and a house that sleeps 3-4.
The Riverhouse cabin is on the southwest part of the lake, near the town of Guntersville, www.vacationrentalnet.com/USA/Vacation-Rentals/Alabama/Lake-Guntersville/17/
Cabin rental, 4BR and 2BA, in the South Sauty area by Jim Porter at 1-256-878-9200.
Contact Diamond Woodworth about a lake hous rental on Lake Guntersville.
Also see Thornton Properties.
Scottsboro has Traveler's Place Inn and Suites which has electricity available to charge your batteries, 1-256-574-1010 or email travelers_place@yahoo.com.

Rent Boats:
Lake Guntersville Rent-A-Boat (3374 Hwy. 69 West in Guntersville) at 1-256-582-2038.
Town Creek Fish Center at Gunterville State Park

Local tourism, chambers of commerce, restaurant and accommodations are found at:
Jackson County and Scottsboro: www.sjcchamber.org/ and www.websun.com/sjcol/index.html.
Marshall County and the town of Guntersville: www.lakeguntersville.org/ and www.marshallcountycvb.com Bed and breakfast inns include: www.bbonline.com/al/lakeguntersville/ (south), www.bbonline.com/al/ivycreek/ (northwest), and www.bbonline.com/al/gorhamsbluff/index.html (northeast).
Alabama Restaurant Association: www.alabamarestaurants.com
Alabama Travel Council: www.alabamatravel.org

For camping, try Guntersville State Park at www.alapark.com/parks/park.cfm?parkid=5 and Mountain Lakes Resort at www.mountainlakesresort.net/home.htm

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 II Supervisor can answer specific questions about Guntersville Reservoir at Dan.Catchings@dcnr.alabama.gov.

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.