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
Electrofishing samples in mid-March of 2009 indicated a healthy largemouth bass population at Lake Eufaula. The bass were in shallow water spawning at that time, and they were fairly abundant along the patches of alligatorweed and other shoreline vegetation. The size distribution looked very good, with bass collected ranging from 4 inch fingerlings to 7 pound lunkers.  Three hundred and sixty largemouth bass were weighed and measured, and over 18% were 3 pounds or larger. In the area near the waterfowl pumping station at Wylaunee Branch, one bass exceeding 10 pounds was observed. Bass looked very healthy, with few signs of sores or diseases.

Most anglers were reporting catching bass along the shoreline vegetation using a variety of soft baits such as brush hogs, super flukes, and plastic worms. A few reported catching bass on spinner baits burned through the weeds. Through out the spring and summer bass fishing should be good early in the morning or late in the afternoon along the edge of shoreline vegetation such as alligatorweed or waterwillow and along the submerged vegetation such as Hydrilla or coontail. As the water warms in the summer, however, most anglers find that sinking or deep diving crankbaits and plastic worms fished 10 to 20 foot deep are effective as the fish suspend along points and channel edges in cooler, deeper water. Spotted bass are also fairly abundant, especially along the Causeway and the deep bluffs near the Causeway. While largemouth bass have to be at least 14 inches long to be legally harvested, there are no size limits on spotted bass; and anglers can keep up to 10 black bass/person/day.

It also appears that 2009 will be a good year for crappie anglers on Lake Eufaula if the weather will cooperate. Fall sampling for crappie in 2008 found an abundant population of 8 to 10 inch crappie, with a fair number of bigger crappie available.

Most anglers are now reporting that the crappie are getting a little bigger, but the real slabs are still hard to come by. Anglers were starting to catch a lot of crappie in March before the heavy rains and colder temperatures slowed the action down. Two of the most popular methods are slowly trolling right along the edges of creek channels fishing many jigs or minnows at varying depths, or fishing over submerged structure or under bridges at night with lights over the water to attract baitfish.

During the spring spawning, one of the most productive methods is to quietly fish along the edges of creeks and coves with minnows. Constantly move along the bank with a trolling motor until a crappie is caught or a submerged brush-top is located, then fish the good spots thoroughly. When the fishing slows down, move on to find another good place, but go back after a few hours to the places where fish were caught. Crappie like to concentrate in certain areas for their spawning rituals, and anglers often load the ice chest when they find these hotspots. Just remember the limit is 30 crappie per angler per day. In Lake Eufaula the peak of the crappie spawn usually last from mid-March until mid-April, but sometimes anglers can still catch shallow crappie into May. Once the water temperature exceeds the mid 70s it is time to fish deep brushpiles or get out the lights at night; see video on night crappie fishing.

Warmer water temperature means it is time to catch bream. Eufaula anglers typically have good luck catching shellcrackers starting in mid-April and bluegill and other sunfish starting in mid-May. Last summer was the best year ever for bream fishing at Lake Eufaula according to most bream anglers, and 2009 is shaping up to be just as good. Crickets or redworms fished 2 to 4 feet beneath a small float along the edge of weeds in the back of coves is the preferred method by most Eufaula bream enthusiast.

The catfish are very abundant at Lake Eufaula. While anglers still enjoy catching a lot of catfish on rods and reels, jug fishing has become very popular. Jugs with 2 to 4 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 most popular baits are cut bait, shrimp, or chicken liver. Anglers can expect to catch channel, blue, white, brown bullhead, or yellow bullhead catfish. Flathead catfish are often caught below Walter F. George Dam, but anglers are urged not to release any flathead catfish into Lake Eufaula.

As early as July, largemouth bass, spotted bass, hybrid striped bass, and striped bass often chase schools of shad along the flats at Old Creek Town Park and near the dam fore-bay. Anglers should watch for flocks of sea gulls diving to the surface as an indicator of schooling activity.

The major city on 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.

The picturesque Lakepoint State Park 1,220 acre park offers year round hotel (renovated in 2009), cabin, and camping accommodations, an 18-hole golf course, 2 boat access sites, a fully stocked marina, and many more attractions. 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 District VI 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.