Tournaments

Tournament anglers and organizers may view and/or post tournaments on our website at the link below. This portal allows boaters and tournament planners to reduce conflicts. This is not a reservation system, but a way to let people know about events. If you have questions or comments about this system, please contact Keith Henderson.

Tournament Permit

The Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division neither permit nor deny tournaments, but the Alabama Marine Patrol requires permits for any boating event expecting 100 or more boats (including bass tournaments). Click below to download the free tournament application. NOTE: Applications are free of charge and must be submitted to at least 15 days prior to the event.

Tournament Fish Handling Guide

As more anglers fish for pleasure rather than food, many fish are released instead of going into the frying pan.  This practice has helped contribute to good fishing in many Alabama lakes even though fishing pressure has increased and fishing gear has greatly improved.  Anglers generally believe they are saving fish for another day or another angler when they release their catch.  This is not the case when fish die from stress after being released.  To understand how stress kills fish, it is easiest to consider stress as something that gradually increases during the capture period until it reaches a point from which the fish cannot recover. For more information on fish handling guidelines, click the link below to view and download a fish handling guide (pdf).

The objective of the program since its inception has been to gather information on bass populations by combining the efforts of bass club members and state fisheries biologists. The BAIT Program summarizes catch data on reservoir bass populations that are collected and provided to us by participating clubs. This information is used by state fisheries biologists in combination with data from other sources as a basis for fisheries management decisions. Bass anglers use the report to establish future tournament sites, or to locate a reservoir that provides a particular type of fishing.

Bass Clubs in Alabama and neighboring states have submitted their tournament results to help us manage their resource. We appreciate this help from anglers! Your bass club can be a member of BAIT by submitting tournament catch data online, email, or by mail. Click below to learn more about the BAIT program.

Public Boat Ramp Access Map

Click the button below to view an interactive map of all current public boat ramp access points managed by the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (AWFF) Division on Alabama's public bodies of water. NOTE: Public access point not managed by AWFF Division will not be noted on this map.

We've also included a link to download a KML/KMZ file of this list to a GPS device of your choice.

Freshwater Fishing Creel and Size Limits

The annual Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest contains information on freshwater fishing creel and size limits and is available online.Click below to view current freshwater fishing regulations.

Frequently Asked Questions: Public Water Fish Stocking

Fisheries biologists with the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) routinely receive requests to stock sport fish species, such as largemouth bass, in specific public water bodies to improve the fisheries. Unfortunately, the utility and expectations of fish stocking are often grossly misunderstood by the angling public. Click below to learn more about about fish stocking practices.

Support freshwater habitat enhancement, aquatic wildlife species protection and restoration, conservation education, bass genetic research, sport fish disease research, invasive species management, and public water fish stockings.