Alabama Border Waters
How the Alabama and Georgia agreement on the Chattahoochee and the Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee agreement on the Tennessee River work, with the border lakes and their limits.
For weighing a catchPiscifun Lip gripper with digital scale27% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Pickwick Lake: Tennessee Valley Authority, CC BY 2.0
The Alabama and Georgia agreement on the Chattahoochee
Alabama and Georgia have a reciprocal agreement for fishing from the banks or on the waters of the Chattahoochee River between Alabama and Georgia and all impoundments thereon, South of the Georgia Highway 109 bridge. This agreement does not include any streams or tributaries. Contact a Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries Division Office for assistance.
Waters covered: Chattahoochee River between Alabama and Georgia and all impoundments thereon, south of the Georgia Highway 109 bridge (not streams or tributaries).
Special creel limits apply in reciprocal waters as specified under regulation 220-2-.122 Georgia Reciprocal Fishing Agreement Regulation; white bass, saltwater striped bass and hybrids 15 in aggregate, only two over 22 inches TL (Chattahoochee River and its impoundments and tributaries).
Official 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest (ADCNR, eRegulations edition), read November 1, 2026.
The three-state agreement on the Tennessee River
Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee have a reciprocal agreement for fishing the Tennessee River. See Reciprocal Fishing License Map.
Waters covered: Tennessee River (areas shown on the Ala-Miss-Tenn Reciprocal Fishing License map: Pickwick area, Bear Creek; some areas honor only Alabama or Mississippi licenses, some Alabama only).
Official 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest (ADCNR, eRegulations edition), read November 1, 2026.
Alabama and Florida: no freshwater agreement printed
No Alabama-Florida freshwater reciprocal agreement is printed in the 2026-2027 digest; nonresident saltwater license prices for Florida residents differ (see license.json saltwater_by_state).
| License | Alabama resident | Florida resident | Other states |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | $30.05 | $48.20 | $64.90 |
| Trip | $12.35 | $30.20 | $35.65 |
| Pier | $7.65 | $14.15 | $14.45 |
| Spear Fishing | $6.00 | $8.50 | $8.50 |
| Spear Fishing Trip | $N/A | $3.50 | $3.50 |
| Disabled | $3.50 | $N/A | $N/A |
| Disabled Veterans (20%) | $3.60 | $N/A | $N/A |
| Gulf Reef Fish Endorsement | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 |
| Lifetime Gulf Reef Fish Endorsement | $220.00 | $220.00 | $220.00 |
As printed on the ADCNR MRD limits page (pre-2026-27 resident levels; see flagged). Read November 1, 2026.
Alabama lakes that cross a state line
- Aliceville Lakeshared with Mississippi
- Goat Rock Lakeshared with Georgia
- Lake Eufaulashared with Georgia
- Lake Guntersvilleshared with Tennessee
- Lake Hardingshared with Georgia
- Lake Jacksonshared with Florida
- Lake Olivershared with Georgia
- Pickwick Lakeshared with Mississippi
- West Point Lakeshared with Georgia
Digest exceptions on the Chattahoochee and Pickwick
| Water as printed | Rule as printed |
|---|---|
| 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 | It is illegal to possess more than fifteen White Bass, Saltwater Striped Bass and Hybrids in aggregate and only two may exceed 22 inches in total length. Special creel limits apply in reciprocal waters as specified under regulation 220-2-.122 Georgia Reciprocal Fishing Agreement |
| Pickwick Reservoir | It is illegal to possess any smallmouth bass or largemouth bass less than 15 inches in total length. |
Size and creel exceptions as printed in the Official 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest (ADCNR, eRegulations edition), limits page, read November 1, 2026.
Alabama Border Waters, with Alabama water in pictures
Photo: Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Erin Kinney, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ron Cogswell, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Rex Hammock, CC BY-SA 2.0
Fishing an Alabama state line: questions and answers
Can a Georgia angler fish Lake Eufaula with a Georgia license?
Yes, under the reciprocal agreement on the Chattahoochee and its impoundments south of the Georgia Highway 109 bridge, from the banks or on the water, but not up the tributaries.
Does the Chattahoochee agreement cover creeks?
No; it covers the main river and its impoundments, not streams or tributaries.
Which lakes does the Georgia agreement cover?
The Chattahoochee impoundments on the line, among them West Point Lake, Lake Harding, Goat Rock, Lake Oliver, Lake Eufaula and George W. Andrews.
Can a Mississippi angler fish Pickwick with a Mississippi license?
In the areas the Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee reciprocal map marks; some areas honor only Alabama or Mississippi licenses, some Alabama only.
Whose limits apply on a border water?
The angler follows the limits printed for the water; on the Chattahoochee the aggregate striper, hybrid and white bass rule applies.
Is there an Alabama and Florida agreement?
The 2026-27 digest prints none for fresh water.
Do Florida residents pay a different saltwater price?
Yes; the MRD sheet lists separate nonresident prices for Florida residents and for residents of other states.
How many lake pages here cross a state line?
9, each giving the Alabama share of the outline.
Alabama rule pages away from the state lines
- Alabama Saltwater Fishing LimitsMRD sizes and creels for state waters
- Alabama Red Snapper Seasonthe 2026 private and for-hire seasons
- Alabama Water Exceptionsthe 26 digest entries with their own rule
- Alabama license and regulationsprices, exemptions and freshwater rows