The following seasons for taking fish in accordance with the below stated times, places, manners and restrictions are hereby established. Unless noted below, the seasons for all designated game and commercial fish are open continuously.
- It shall be unlawful for any person to take or have in possession more than the daily limit for any fish as established herein. This shall not apply to fish held live for release by the sponsor or its designated agent after a bonafide 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.
- Except as otherwise noted, it shall be unlawful to possess any fish less than or greater than size restrictions as established herein. Size restrictions on all fish are determined by measuring from the front of the mouth to the tip of the tail with both mouth and tail closed.
- Except as otherwise provided for State and Federally owned and/or managed fishing lakes and ponds, the daily creel, possession limits and size restrictions for fish in all public waters of this State 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 5 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 and Weogufka Creeks in Coosa County, Mulberry Fork River or any of its tributary streams in Blount, Cullman, Lawrence, Walker or Winston Counties. 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 |
| 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, and the reciprocal waters of the Chattahoochee River and Impoundments and their 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 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 | — | 50 |
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 measured from the front of the mouth to the tip of the tail with both mouth and tail closed.
- It is a violation of Alabama law for any person to transport more than one day’s creel limit of any species of fish beyond the boundaries of this state. It is a violation of Alabama law for any person to fillet freshwater fish while on public waters except when fish are being prepared for immediate cooking and consumption, provided however, that fish may be drawn or gutted with heads left attached.
- It shall be unlawful for any angler to fish with more than three rods and reels, or poles, or any combination thereof on Weiss Reservoir or Neely Henry lakes at any time. No more than two rods and reels, or poles, or any combination thereof may be used in the Sipsey Fork River from Lewis Smith Dam to the confluence with the Mulberry Fork at any time.
- There is no closed season on any freshwater game fish.
- It shall be unlawful to fish any trotline, snag or snare line without 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 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.
Lewis Smith Reservoir – It is illegal to possess any black bass between 13 inches and 15 inches in total length.
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.
“Culling“ removing and releasing a fish from the creel (live well, stringer, basket, bucket, cooler, or other container) whether it is replaced or not.
