Cedar Creek Reservoir Fishing
A 4,200-acre reservoir in Franklin County.
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First look at Cedar Creek Reservoir, Yellowhammer State style
Cedar Creek Reservoir covers 4,200 acres according to ADCNR and lies in Franklin County. Water levels are set by Tennessee Valley Authority / Bear Creek Development Authority, the dam operator. Nearest town on the Census list: Belgreen, roughly 6 miles away.
ADCNR maps 5 bank sites for fishing without a boat. It sits under ADCNR Fisheries District I.
ADCNR acreage (ADCNR page); operator and kind from the ADCNR reservoir program and dam owner listings; Census 2023 places.
The ADCNR write-up for Cedar Creek Reservoir
Here is how ADCNR introduces it:
Background: Cedar Creek Reservoir, impounded in 1979 as a flood control reservoir, holds 4,200 acres of water at full pool. Located nearly 10 miles west of Russellville in Franklin County, it is one of four Tennessee Valley Authority reservoirs operated by the Bear Creek Development Authority. The primary uses of this reservoir are flood control and recreation. There is some residential development along the shoreline of Cedar Creek Reservoir. Camping and fishing provide the main recreational opportunities.
Fishery: Cedar Creek Reservoir is known best for its black bass (largemouth bass and spotted) and crappie fishing, but catfish and bream fishing are good too. The lake has a reputation for giving up some trophy bass. Fish over 5 pounds are common, with 8-pound and larger bass being taken each year. According to the 2006 Alabama B.A.I.T. Report, it took an average of 95 tournament-angler hours to catch a bass over five pounds. The spotted bass population is not as impressive, and is comprised primarily of fish less than 14 inches. There is no size limit imposed on the black bass harvest.
Sampling: Sampling work in the Spring of 2007 revealed a largemouth bass population with better than average abundance of fish 8 – 12 inches. Fish between 12 and 20 inches in length appear below the Alabama average. Fish from 20 – 24 inches are in average abundance.Spotted bass are not as common as largemouth bass, and their average size is less than that of the largemouth bass. The majority of the spots are less than 14 inches in length. The crappie population appears dense, with the majority of the fish measuring 10 – 12 inches in length.
ADCNR page for Cedar Creek Reservoir, quoted, outdooralabama.com, read November 1, 2026.
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Each fish here comes from an ADCNR page or an Alabama record naming Cedar Creek Reservoir; the list is not a survey.
ADCNR reservoir and state lake pages, Alabama state record lists; read November 1, 2026.
Getting the bass boat onto Cedar Creek Reservoir
No ADCNR-listed ramp sits on Cedar Creek Reservoir; the map shows the closest ones elsewhere.
Walk-in fishing at Cedar Creek Reservoir
- Cedar Creek Dambank access, TVA/Bear Creek Development Authority, Permit required ($10/yr.)
- Cedar Ridge Boat Ramp on Cedar Creek Reservoirbank access, TVA/Bear Creek Development Authority, Permit required ($10/yr.)
- Lost Creek Boat Ramp on Cedar Creek Reservoirbank access, TVA/Bear Creek Development Authority, Permit required ($10/yr.)
- Slickrock Boat Ramp on Cedar Creek Reservoirbank access, TVA/Bear Creek Development Authority, Permit required ($10/yr.)
- Britton Bridge Boat Ramp (CR 49) on Cedar Creek Reservoirbank access, TVA/Bear Creek Development Authority, Permit required ($10/yr.)
ADCNR WFF public boat ramp list (list), read November 1, 2026; ADCNR fish-from-the-bank map (outdooralabama.com), read November 1, 2026.
The digest limits on Cedar Creek Reservoir
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bass | 10 a day | open all year |
| Walleye | 2 a day | open all year |
| Sauger | 5 a day; 15 inches TL minimum | open all year |
| White Bass | 15 a day | open all year |
| Yellow Bass | 15 a day | open all year |
| Saltwater Striped Bass and Hybrids or Combinations | 15 a day | open all year |
| Crappie | 30 a day; 9 inches TL (exemptions apply) minimum | open all year |
| Yellow Perch | No daily limit | open all year |
| Catfish (under 34 inches) | No daily limit | open all year |
| Catfish (over 34 inches) | 1 a day | open all year |
| Bream | 50 a day | open all year |
| Rainbow Trout | 5 a day | open all year |
| Alligator Gar | 1 a day | open all year |
| Sturgeon | Closed Season | Closed season (immediate release) |
| Paddlefish or Spoonbill | Closed Season | Closed season (immediate release) |
| Skipjack Herring | 50 a day | open all year |
For Cedar Creek Reservoir, the statewide limits hold except for the rules printed underneath.
Freshwater anglers need an Alabama fishing license from 16 on ($17.45 resident, $68.20 nonresident for 2026-27); residents 65 and older are exempt.
Limits as printed in the Official 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest (ADCNR, eRegulations edition) (limits page; digest PDF), read November 1, 2026.
Five nearby lakes lined up with Cedar Creek Reservoir
Pickwick Lake tops this group on size with roughly 34,470 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Kind | ADCNR ramps | Bank sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Creek Reservoir | 4,200 | reservoir | 0 | 5 | |
| Bear Creek Reservoir | 10 miles south | 670 | reservoir | 0 | 3 |
| Sloss Lake | 13 miles east | 56 | lake | 0 | 1 |
| Upper Bear Creek Reservoir | 22 miles southeast | 1,577 | reservoir | 0 | 10 |
| Pickwick Lake | 23 miles north | 34,470 | reservoir | 8 | 16 |
| Little Bear Creek Reservoir | 27 miles east | reservoir | 0 | 4 |
Acres from ADCNR pages where printed, else NHD outlines; ADCNR ramp list and bank map; read November 1, 2026.
Within an easy Alabama drive of Cedar Creek Reservoir
Neighbouring Alabama lakes to Cedar Creek Reservoir
- Bear Creek Reservoir10 miles south
- Sloss Lake13 miles east
- Upper Bear Creek Reservoir22 miles southeast
- Pickwick Lake23 miles north
- Little Bear Creek Reservoir27 miles east
Tackle counters that serve Cedar Creek Reservoir
- Gray's Tackle Shopbait and tackle shop, Sheffield, 21 miles
- Profound Outdoorsbait and tackle shop, Muscle Shoals, 22 miles
- Florence Harbor Marinamarina, Florence, 23 miles
- Action Bait Co Incbait and tackle shop, Florence, 25 miles
Alabama towns within a drive of Cedar Creek Reservoir
- Russellville12 miles
- Red Bay13 miles
- Littleville16 miles
Which county pages list Cedar Creek Reservoir
- Franklin Countyseat: Russellville
Piscifun rods and reels lined up for Cedar Creek Reservoir
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Telling the Cedar Creek Reservoir fish apart, by photo
Photo: schizoform, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Alabama Extension, CC0 1.0
Cedar Creek Reservoir: answers for an Alabama fishing day
In which Alabama county does Cedar Creek Reservoir lie?
The water lies inside Franklin County, about 6 miles from Belgreen.
What size does the outline of Cedar Creek Reservoir reach?
ADCNR gives 4,200 acres.
How many ADCNR ramps reach Cedar Creek Reservoir?
ADCNR lists none within 15 miles.
Is Cedar Creek Reservoir a bass lake?
Look for largemouth bass, spotted bass, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, black crappie, channel catfish and bluegill.
Has the digest written special rules for Cedar Creek Reservoir?
Black Bass: 10 a day.
Does a nonresident need a license at Cedar Creek Reservoir?
Freshwater anglers need an Alabama fishing license from 16 on ($17.45 resident, $68.20 nonresident for 2026-27); residents 65 and older are exempt.
Is Cedar Creek Reservoir a good bet for a bank angler in Alabama?
Try Cedar Creek Dam, one of 5 bank sites.
Which Alabama tackle counter sits nearest Cedar Creek Reservoir?
Gray's Tackle Shop, about 21 miles away, tops our shop list.
Gas the bass boat and aim for Cedar Creek Reservoir
Every Alabama fee and creel row is one click away.