Alabama Fish Stocking
What the Carbon Hill, Eastaboga and Marion hatcheries raise, where ADCNR stocks, and the Sipsey Fork trout.
For stocked waterPiscifun Torrent Lite spinning comboCheck price at PiscifunPhoto of Cahaba River: Alabama Extension, CC0 1.0
What Alabama hatcheries raise and where it goes
ADCNR Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries hatcheries (Carbon Hill, Eastaboga, Marion); rainbow trout in the Smith Lake (Sipsey Fork) tailwater come from Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery and in Madison County Public Fishing Lake from private sources (ADCNR).
ADCNR publishes no per-water stocking numbers, dates or sizes on outdooralabama.com (program statements only); null rather than estimated.
ADCNR Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries stocking program statements (ADCNR publishes no per-water stocking numbers), read November 1, 2026; hatchery page.
The three Alabama state fish hatcheries
| Hatchery | County | Ponds | Pond acres | Raises |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon Hill Fish Hatchery | Walker County | 16 | 17.4 | Marion-strain largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish (shellcracker), hybrid striped bass, smallmouth bass, black crappie, and forage fish |
| Eastaboga Fish Hatchery | Calhoun County | 32 | 22.6 | Marion-strain largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish (shellcracker), hybrid striped bass, spotted bass, grass carp, channel catfish, black crappie, redeye bass and forage fish |
| Marion Fish Hatchery | Perry County | 100 | 63.4 | Florida largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish (shellcracker), striped bass, hybrid striped bass, channel catfish, grass carp , southern strain walleye and forage fish |
Alabama stocking program statements, as written
- The Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division manages a wide range of fishery resources throughout the state. Stocking hatchery-produced fish into selected fisheries is beneficial in specific cases for managing the quality and diversity of the fishing opportunities provided to the anglers of Alabama.ADCNR
- Marion strain largemouth bass are stocked in state-owned public fishing lakes. Florida strain largemouth bass are stocked in some public waters including in multiple purpose public reservoirs in an effort to improve the quality of largemouth bass fisheries in these systems.ADCNR
- Striped bass are stocked in public reservoirs only.ADCNR
- Channel catfish are stocked into state-owned public fishing lakes on a put-grow-and-take or put-and-take basis as indicated by biological monitoring and lake catch records.ADCNR
- Florida largemouth bass, hybrid striped bass, bluegill and redear sunfish are stocked into public lakes or streams following lake renovations, fish kills or when biological monitoring indicates the need for supplemental stockings.ADCNR
- Rainbow trout are stocked in the Smith Lake tailwaters from Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery and in Madison County Public Fishing Lake from private sources.ADCNR
- WFF began stocking Florida largemouth bass several decades ago spanning almost every reservoir in the state. WFF was one of the first state agencies to begin stocking Florida largemouth bass and over 17 million have been stocked since the early 1970’s. These stockings occurred before social media and other internet platforms were prevalent; thus, most people do not even realize they occurred. The goal of these stockings was not to increase bass abundance, but rather to alter the genetics of native largemouth bass aADCNR
- Unlike largemouth bass, striped bass are no longer able to successfully reproduce in most of Alabama’s public water bodies. Striped bass are considered an anadromous species, meaning they historically lived their life in salt water and only moved into freshwater rivers to spawn. Since dams now impede their spring spawning runs and thus eliminate the long stretches of free-flowing water necessary for egg maturation, WFF fish hatcheries must artificially spawn, raise and stock this species to prevent them from disappADCNR
ADCNR Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries stocking program statements (ADCNR publishes no per-water stocking numbers), read November 1, 2026.
The one Alabama tailwater stocked with rainbow trout
Rainbow trout from Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery go into the Sipsey Fork below Lewis Smith Dam; the Rainbow Trout row allows 5 a day, and on the Sipsey Fork no angler may fish more than two rods or cull trout.
- Sipsey Forkriver page
- State Public Fishing LakesMadison County lake gets trout from private sources
Pictures that go with Alabama Fish Stocking
Photo: Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Erin Kinney, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Tennessee Valley Authority, CC BY 2.0
Alabama stocking questions, answered from ADCNR
Does ADCNR publish how many fish went into each lake?
No; outdooralabama.com prints program statements but no per-water numbers, dates or sizes.
Which hatcheries does Alabama run?
Carbon Hill Fish Hatchery (Walker County), Eastaboga Fish Hatchery (Calhoun County) and Marion Fish Hatchery (Perry County).
Does Alabama stock Florida largemouth bass?
Yes; ADCNR says it began stocking Florida bass decades ago, in almost every reservoir, and counts more than 17 million stocked since the early 1970s.
Are striped bass stocked?
Yes, in public reservoirs only, because dams block the spring runs they need to spawn.
Which fish go into State Public Fishing Lakes?
Marion-strain largemouth bass and channel catfish, along with bream after renovations.
Which Alabama waters get stocked rainbow trout?
The Sipsey Fork below Lewis Smith Dam, from Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery, and Madison County Public Fishing Lake from private sources.
Why stock after a fish kill?
ADCNR restocks bass, hybrids, bluegill and redear after renovations, kills or when monitoring shows a need.
Can I stock fish in a public lake myself?
It shall be unlawful to intentionally stock or release any fish, mussel, snail, crayfish or their embryos, including baitfish, into the public waters of Alabama under the jurisdiction of the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries as provided in Rule 220