Largemouth Bass in Alabama
Limits, record and places for largemouth bass in Alabama.
- 10 a daycreel
- 16 lbs., 8 oz.record
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largemouth bass: Alabama numbers first
Alabama treats largemouth bass through its freshwater entry "Black Bass". The figures: 10 a day. Season: open all year. Every species in that group counts toward one creel together. ADCNR gives the scientific name as Micropterus salmoides.
The Alabama record weighs 16 lbs., 8 oz., caught by Thomas "T.M." Burgin in 1987 (Mountain View Lake, Shelby Co.). Try Wheeler Lake, Lake Martin and Weiss Lake first; 40 Alabama water pages name it. Its numbers shift on 8 waters, for instance Duck River Reservoir and Guntersville Reservoir and its Tributary of Town Creek.
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| Row as printed | Waters | Creel and size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bass | Public fresh waters statewide | 10 a day | open all year |
Includes combinations of largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, Alabama, shoal and those species formerly known as “redeye” bass, which are now known separately as Coosa, Warrior, Cahaba, Tallapoosa and Chattahoochee bass, based on their respective drainages. The Alabama bass was formerly known as spotted bass in the Mobile drainage. No more than five of the daily creel limit of 10 may be smallmouth bass. See exceptions fo
Limits as printed in the Official 2026-2027 Alabama Hunting and Fishing Digest (ADCNR, eRegulations edition) (limits page; digest PDF), read November 1, 2026.
Exception waters for Alabama largemouth bass
| Water as printed | Species | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| Duck River Reservoir | Black bass | It is illegal to possess any black bass between 14 inches and 22 inches in total length. Only one of the ten fish can be over 22 inches in total. |
| Guntersville Reservoir and its Tributary of Town Creek | Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass | It is illegal to possess any largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 15 inches in total length. |
| Harris Reservoir | Largemouth bass | It is illegal to possess any largemouth bass between 13 inches and 16 inches in total length. |
| Lake Jackson at Florala | Black bass | Creel limit of five black bass greater than 12 inches in total length. Only one of the five can be over 22 inches in total length. |
| Lewis Smith Reservoir | Largemouth bass, Alabama bass, Spotted bass | It is illegal to possess any largemouth bass, Alabama bass or spotted bass between 13 inches and 15 inches in total length. |
| Pickwick Reservoir | Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass | It is illegal to possess any smallmouth bass or largemouth bass less than 15 inches in total length. |
| Walter F. George Reservoir (Lake Eufaula) and its Tributaries | Largemouth bass | It is illegal to possess any largemouth bass less than 14 inches in total length. |
| West Point Reservoir and its Tributaries | Largemouth bass | It is illegal to possess any largemouth bass less than 14 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.
The Alabama record largemouth bass
| List | Weight | Angler | Water | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| freshwater | 16 lbs., 8 oz. | Thomas "T.M." Burgin | Mountain View Lake, Shelby Co. | November 3, 1987 |
ADCNR (Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division for freshwater; Marine Resources Division State Record Fish Committee for saltwater); freshwater list, saltwater list, read November 1, 2026.
Places to fish for largemouth bass in Alabama
Still water for largemouth bass
- Wheeler Lake57,278 acres
- Lake Martin39,180 acres
- Weiss Lake30,200 acres
- Millers Ferry Reservoir17,200 acres
- Wilson Lake15,500 acres
- Logan Martin Lake15,263 acres
- Woodruff Lake12,510 acres
- Lay Lake12,000 acres
- Neely Henry Lake11,235 acres
- Demopolis Lake10,000 acres
- Warrior Lake8,580 acres
- Coffeeville Lake8,500 acres
- Lake Jordan6,800 acres
- Gainesville Lake6,400 acres
- Cedar Creek Reservoir4,200 acres
- Holt Lake3,296 acres
- Gantt Lake2,700 acres
- Yates Lake1,980 acres
- Bear Creek Reservoir670 acres
- Lake Tholocco640 acres
- Point A Lake600 acres
- Thurlow Lake585 acres
- Chambers County Public Fishing Lake183 acres
- Walker County Public Fishing Lake163 acres
ADCNR reservoir, river and public fishing lake species lists, the record waters and the MRD inshore species; largest waters first.
Fish sharing a row with Alabama largemouth bass
- Alabama Bassfreshwater
- Redeye Bassfreshwater
- Shoal Bassfreshwater
- Smallmouth Bassfreshwater
- Spotted Bassfreshwater
- Hybrid Striped Bassfreshwater
- Striped Bassboth
- White Bassfreshwater
- Yellow Bassfreshwater
How the water near Largemouth Bass looks from the bank
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Erin Brierley, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Curtis Palmer, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Marshall County CVB, CC BY 2.0
Short Alabama answers on largemouth bass
Which Alabama row limits largemouth bass?
It is 10 a day (open all year).
Where did the Alabama largemouth bass record come from?
The record is 16 lbs., 8 oz., set in 1987 by Thomas "T.M." Burgin at Mountain View Lake, Shelby Co.
Where do largemouth bass live in Alabama?
Wheeler Lake, Lake Martin and Weiss Lake lead 40 pages that list it.
Which Alabama waters change the largemouth bass rule?
8 waters print their own rule, such as Duck River Reservoir.
When is largemouth bass season open in Alabama?
ADCNR prints open all year.
Which Alabama license covers largemouth bass?
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.
What does an Alabama largemouth bass record need?
Get a biologist to confirm the species, weigh it on certified scales with two witnesses and file within three months.
How does ADCNR name largemouth bass?
Names on file: Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides).
Set out for Alabama largemouth bass
Each linked water has its own access list.