Today 6 am to tomorrow 2 pmSmallmouth bass
The bite peaks at 58.
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
Right now
Smallmouth bass range 55–78°
From the
Sunrise 7:08 am
No rain expected
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Full
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Alabama regulations for these waters.
No water reading here right now. Smallmouth bass bite in 55–78° water, best near 68°.
Holds 3–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Alabama: no more than 5 smallmouth within the 10 black bass daily limit, no statewide minimum. Guntersville, Pickwick, Wheeler and Wilson are 15".
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Alabama
Season here: Feb–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on smallmouth bass
No water reading here right now. Largemouth bass bite in 55–85° water, best near 72°.
Holds 3–25 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Alabama: 10 black bass a day combined (no more than 5 smallmouth), no statewide minimum. Guntersville and Pickwick are 15" on largemouth and smallmouth; Lewis Smith protects largemouth, Alabama and spotted bass from 13 to 15".
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Alabama
Season here: Feb–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on largemouth bass
No water reading here right now. Crappie bite in 50–80° water, best near 65°.
Holds 3–20 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Alabama: 9" minimum, 30 crappie a day. Weiss is 10"; impoundments under 500 acres and the Chattahoochee reciprocal waters have no minimum.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Alabama
Season here: Feb–May, Oct–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on crappie
No water reading here right now. Channel catfish bite in 60–85° water, best near 75°.
Holds 5–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Alabama: no limit on catfish under 34"; only 1 catfish over 34" a day. The 34" rule does not apply in the Perdido, Conecuh, Blackwater, Yellow, Choctawhatchee, Chipola and Chattahoochee basins.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Alabama
Season here: Mar–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on channel catfish
No water reading here right now. Common carp bite in 52–86° water, best near 72°.
Holds 1–15 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Alabama lists carp as a commercial or non-game fish (Rule 220-2-.45). Carp are not named in the statewide creel and size table (Rule 220-2-.35), so no daily or size limit applies, and seasons for commercial fish are open year-round.
Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Alabama
Last checked 8 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Apr–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on common carp
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Outdoor Alabama (ADCNR) has the state’s fishing pages.
Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisories
A Tennessee River reservoir where Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee meet — nationally known for trophy smallmouth bass below Wilson Dam, plus largemouth, crappie, and catfish in the current breaks and ledges. A premier ledge-fishing destination.
Alabama: 15" minimum on largemouth and smallmouth, 10 black bass a day (no more than 5 smallmouth). The tailwater current below Wilson Dam grows giant smallmouth.
The closest public spots we cover, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Pickwick Lake you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Pickwick Lake is listed on this site for 5 commonly-targeted species: Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, and 1 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Pickwick Lake against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
Pickwick Lake has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. Alabama: 15" minimum on largemouth and smallmouth, 10 black bass a day (no more than 5 smallmouth). The tailwater current below Wilson Dam grows giant smallmouth.
state agency regulations apply at Pickwick Lake. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
No. Pickwick Lake is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
