Gainesville Lake Fishing
A 6,400-acre reservoir in Pickens, Greene and Sumter counties.
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Starting points for fishing Gainesville Lake
The ADCNR figure for Gainesville Lake is 6,400 acres of reservoir water across Pickens, Greene and Sumter counties. The impoundment is an U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project. Panola lies about 5 miles from the lake point.
There are 8 bank sites on the bank-access map too. ADCNR lists it under ADCNR Fisheries District III.
ADCNR acreage (ADCNR page); operator and kind from the ADCNR reservoir program and dam owner listings; Census 2023 places.
Gainesville Lake in the words of ADCNR
The ADCNR page says:
Gainesville Reservoir is a run-of-the-river reservoir on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Gainesville Reservoir is located off I-59 in west central Alabama between Meridian, Mississippi, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Howell Heflin Lock and Dam impounds the Tombigbee River 8 miles north of Epes, Alabama. The 6,400-acre lake is just east of Gainesville, Alabama. The reservoir's primary uses include navigation, flood control, and recreation. Recreation opportunities include camping, hunting and boating. Ten areas allow public use and bank fishing with eight areas having boating access.
Since being impounded in 1978 by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, Gainesville Reservoir is best known for its largemouth bass and crappie fishing. There is a good abundance of largemouth bass up to 18 inches with moderate numbers of larger bass. The crappie growth in this reservoir is excellent with an abundance of 9- to 12-inch fish. Another good source of panfish in Gainesville Reservoir is bream. Bream fishing (mostly bluegill) is good from summer through fall months in backwater areas of the reservoir and around weed beds.
Bass fishing quality at Gainesville Reservoir is assessed from bass club tournament results .
ADCNR page for Gainesville Lake, quoted, outdooralabama.com, read November 1, 2026.
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ADCNR text and the record lists name these fish for Gainesville Lake; others live there too.
ADCNR reservoir and state lake pages, Alabama state record lists; read November 1, 2026.
Concrete ramps at Gainesville Lake
ADCNR lists no ramp here, so check the operator or use a nearby ADCNR ramp.
Bank spots on the ADCNR map for Gainesville Lake
- Riverside Access Area on Gainesville Lakebank access, US Army Corps of Engineers, Day use fee
- Vienna Access Area on Gainesville Lakebank access, US Army Corps of Engineers, Day use fee
- Cochrane Recreation Area on Gainesville Lakebank access, US Army Corps of Engineers, Day use fee
- Heflin Access Area-Spillway on Gainesville Lakefishing pier, US Army Corps of Engineers, Day use fee
- Heflin Access Area-Lock on Gainesville Lakefishing pier, US Army Corps of Engineers, Day use fee
- Heflin Access-Lower Pool on Gainesville Lakebank access, US Army Corps of Engineers, Day use fee
- Sumter Recreation Area on Gainesville Lakebank access, US Army Corps of Engineers, Day use fee
- S.W. Taylor Access/Overlook Area on Gainesville Lakebank access, US Army Corps of Engineers, Day use fee
ADCNR WFF public boat ramp list (list), read November 1, 2026; ADCNR fish-from-the-bank map (outdooralabama.com), read November 1, 2026.
Size and creel on Gainesville Lake
| 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 |
Statewide digest limits cover Gainesville Lake; exceptions take priority.
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.
Where Gainesville Lake ranks among its neighbours
For more water, Demopolis Lake offers about 10,000 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Kind | ADCNR ramps | Bank sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gainesville Lake | 6,400 | reservoir | 0 | 8 | |
| Aliceville Lake | 21 miles north | 4,892 | reservoir | 0 | 5 |
| Lake LU | 25 miles south | 43 | lake | 0 | 1 |
| Warrior Lake | 28 miles east | 8,580 | reservoir | 2 | 6 |
| Demopolis Lake | 31 miles southeast | 10,000 | reservoir | 1 | 10 |
| Payne Lake | 43 miles east | 111 | lake | 0 | 1 |
Acres from ADCNR pages where printed, else NHD outlines; ADCNR ramp list and bank map; read November 1, 2026.
The neighbourhood of Gainesville Lake for anglers
Alabama still water near Gainesville Lake
- Aliceville Lake21 miles north
- Lake LU25 miles south
- Warrior Lake28 miles east
- Demopolis Lake31 miles southeast
- Payne Lake43 miles east
Gear stores a short hop from Gainesville Lake
- Pirate's Marina Covemarina, Pickensville, 18 miles
- The Bait Shop, 106 1st Avebait and tackle shop, Eutaw, 19 miles
- Fisherman's One Stopbait and tackle shop, Reform
Overnight towns for Gainesville Lake anglers
- Aliceville11 miles
- Eutaw18 miles
- Carrollton21 miles
County-by-county pages for Gainesville Lake
- Pickens Countyseat: Carrollton
- Greene Countyseat: Eutaw
- Sumter Countyseat: Livingston
Piscifun spinning and casting gear rigged for Gainesville Lake
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The country around Gainesville Lake through a lens
Photo: Emmett Tullos, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Alabama Extension, CC0 1.0
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region, CC BY 2.0
Questions Alabama anglers ask about Gainesville Lake
Where in Alabama is Gainesville Lake?
Point the truck toward Pickens, Greene and Sumter counties, about 5 miles from Panola.
How large is Gainesville Lake on paper?
Roughly 6,400 acres, ADCNR says.
Which ADCNR ramp makes a good start at Gainesville Lake?
Nothing on the ADCNR list nearby.
What usually bites at Gainesville Lake, per ADCNR?
Sources name largemouth bass, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, black crappie, bluegill and channel catfish.
Which Alabama creel rows apply at Gainesville Lake?
Black Bass: 10 a day.
Which Alabama license goes in the wallet for Gainesville Lake?
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.
Are there piers on Gainesville Lake?
8 bank sites on the ADCNR map, including Riverside Access Area on Gainesville Lake.
Who sells crickets near Gainesville Lake?
Head to Pirate's Marina Cove, about 18 miles away,.
Make Gainesville Lake the whole Alabama weekend
Know the creel limit before a fish goes in the livewell.