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Alabama lakes and reservoirs

Lake Nicol Fishing

A 311-acre lake in Tuscaloosa County.

Get driving directionsAll Tuscaloosa County spots

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Photo of Tuscaloosa: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0

Tuscaloosa County

Starting points for fishing Lake Nicol

On the USGS outline, Lake Nicol fills about 311 acres in Tuscaloosa County. Holt lies about 5 miles from the lake point.

There are 1 bank site on the bank-access map too. ADCNR lists it under ADCNR Fisheries District III.

311acres (NHD outline)

0ADCNR ramps

1bank sites

1county

USGS NHD High Resolution (Alabama) outlines and flowlines, read November 1, 2026; operator and kind from the ADCNR reservoir program and dam owner listings; Census 2023 places.

Directions to Lake Nicol

Access

Concrete ramps at Lake Nicol

ADCNR lists no ramp here, so check the operator or use a nearby ADCNR ramp.

Bank spots on the ADCNR map for Lake Nicol

• Lake Nicol Parkfishing pier, City of Tusacloosa

Backup ramps for a busy day at Lake Nicol

• Riverview Access on Oliver LakeOliver Lake, 6 miles southwest
• Binion Creek boat ramp on Lake TuscaloosaLake Tuscaloosa, 10 miles northwest

ADCNR WFF public boat ramp list (list), read November 1, 2026; ADCNR fish-from-the-bank map (outdooralabama.com), read November 1, 2026.

Alabama boat ramps

Limits

Size and creel on Lake Nicol

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 Lake Nicol; 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.

Alabama licenses and limits

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Compare

Where Lake Nicol ranks among its neighbours

For more water, Lake Tuscaloosa offers about 5,076 acres.

Lake	Distance	Acres	Kind	ADCNR ramps	Bank sites
Lake Nicol		311	lake	0	1
Lake Harris	2 miles south	139	lake	0	1
Holt Lake	5 miles northeast	3,296	reservoir	0	8
Oliver Lake	5 miles south	663	reservoir	1	2
Lake Tuscaloosa	5 miles northwest	5,076	reservoir	1	2
Bankhead Lake	18 miles northeast	4,114	reservoir	0	0

Acres from ADCNR pages where printed, else NHD outlines; ADCNR ramp list and bank map; read November 1, 2026.

Nearby

The neighbourhood of Lake Nicol for anglers

Alabama still water near Lake Nicol

• Lake Harris2 miles south
• Holt Lake5 miles northeast
• Oliver Lake5 miles south
• Lake Tuscaloosa5 miles northwest
• Bankhead Lake18 miles northeast

Gear stores a short hop from Lake Nicol

• Blue Heron Marinamarina, Northport, 3 miles
• Hide-A-Way Harbor Marinamarina, Cottondale, 4 miles
• Dick's Sporting Goods Tuscaloosasporting goods store, Tuscaloosa, 8 miles
• Bob's Campground & Marina LLCmarina, Northport, 8 miles
• Shark's Fish and Chickenbait and tackle shop, Tuscaloosa, 8 miles
• Academy Sports + Outdoors Tuscaloosasporting goods store, Tuscaloosa, 10 miles

Guide services that list Lake Nicol

• Alabama Guide Servicesfishing guide, (205) 454-7313

Overnight towns for Lake Nicol anglers

• Holt5 miles
• Tuscaloosa6 miles
• Northport8 miles

County-by-county pages for Lake Nicol

• Tuscaloosa Countyseat: Tuscaloosa

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Photos

The country around Lake Nicol through a lens

Answers

Questions Alabama anglers ask about Lake Nicol

Where in Alabama is Lake Nicol?

Point the truck toward Tuscaloosa County, about 5 miles from Holt.

How large is Lake Nicol on paper?

Some 311 acres of outline.

Which ADCNR ramp makes a good start at Lake Nicol?

Try Riverview Access on Oliver Lake, roughly 6 miles away; none is listed on this water.

What usually bites at Lake Nicol, per ADCNR?

No ADCNR source lists its species; the statewide rows cover what you catch.

Which Alabama creel rows apply at Lake Nicol?

Black Bass: 10 a day.

Which Alabama license goes in the wallet for Lake Nicol?

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 Lake Nicol?

Lake Nicol Park is the lone listing.

Who sells crickets near Lake Nicol?

Head to Blue Heron Marina, about 3 miles away,.

Make Lake Nicol the whole Alabama weekend

Know the creel limit before a fish goes in the livewell.

Alabama licenses and limitsAll Alabama lakes