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8 Best Fishing Spots on Lake Guntersville

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The Tennessee River vassal is Guntersville Lake. Its largemouth bass is the main draw of the lake, but substantial populations of smallmouth bass, striped bass, sauger, and catfish are also abundant in the area.

Guntersville Lake was created by the Tennessee River Valley Authority through the construction of the Guntersville Dam.

At 76 miles long, Guntersville Lake is one of Alabama’s premier fishing destinations. Over the past few years, national tournaments and fishing resorts have served to build the lake’s notoriety. 

The creek and optional channels are denoted by green cans and red nuns. These maintain the main river channel, where submerged hazards do not obstruct the path.

Let’s talk about some tips and the best fishing spots on lake Guntersville. Read on!

best fishing spots on lake guntersville
Source: Canva Pro

Best for Bass Fishing

Guntersville Lake is consistently rated as a bucket list lake by national publications and anglers. Some of the best bass fishing can be found in creek channels such as North and South Sauty, Siebold Creek, Brown’s Creek, and Town Creek. 

Working pipe areas can also be beneficial with numerous bridges around the lake. There are also many grass flats with small edges that produce bass for most of the year. 

Whereas eight and nine-pound bass are not uncommon for both experts and beginners, other fish such as spotted bass, bream, crappie, and catfish can also be caught on Lake Guntersville fishing trips.

Size Restrictions

Year after year, the number of bass with a length of 12 to 24 inches has increased. Guntersville has the shortest time to catch a bass over five pounds and the smallest weight per bass. The hydrilla, milfoil, grass, and submerged stump fields are abundant in the lake, which is fertile.

Of all the lakes surveyed in the BAIT report, Guntersville Lake had the highest weight per bass and the shortest time to catch a bass over five pounds.

This isn’t to say that catching keeper bass in Guntersville is a piece of cake. In terms of the percentage of angler success, the number, and pounds of bass per angler day, Guntersville ranks at the bottom of the list. 

If you’re unfamiliar with the lake, every acre of it seems like it’s full of bass, and you can spend a lot of time just practicing your casting in its diverse fishery.

Tips For Finding And Catching Fish

Here are some tips that both beginner and expert anglers will find useful during their fishing trip on Lake Guntersville.

1. The largemouth bass will be found in the current slack water zones, hoping that the search will be successful. Use crankbaits, spinnerbaits, or topwater to target these spots.

2. Largemouth bass are attracted to the lake’s abundant cover extending around it. Look for hydrilla, milfoil, grass, and submerged stump fields in the region.

3. During the hot summer months, use diving crankbaits, jigging spoons, or artificial lures like plastic worms to find drop-offs and deep holes. Baits that are shady or craw-colored baits work to have a good fish.

4. Catfish can be found in two distinct regions across Guntersville Lake. They can be found in the Nickajack Dam tailrace zone and the deeper water above Guntersville Dam.

5. Crappies are found in the backwater regions of streams from February to April. They will be discovered clinging to submerged stumps and spawning in the provided cover.

8 GPS Tracks for Fishing Locations

1. North 34 21 36.4 – West 86 19 46.1 

One of the best places to catch big bass is the causeway that crosses Brown’s Creek and the humps downstream. In the summer, when there is still grass near the bottom, it is good to fish. These humps are exposed to the wind, and hydrilla forms mats on them.

2. North 34 24 4.90 – West 86 12 45.8 

Big bass is frequently found in three feet of water or shallow flats and far back in the creek. According to an expert angler, try a slower-moving jig and pig or jerk bait if you don’t get bites on them. 

3. North 34 25 10.7 – West 86 15 14.1 

Across the lake, follow the channel ledge markers into Siebold Creek and come to a halt when you reach the island on your left, not far off the bank. Minky Creek would be a great place if you started fishing. This creek is shallow and teeming with fish at this time of year.

4. North 34 27 27.6 – West 86 11 53.0 

Humps, grass, and duck blinds can be found on the bank downstream of Little Mountain Park. Some of the humps are only a foot high. Shallow milfoil is present, and the grass lines are always good. Cast a jig to the ducks or use a trap and spot for fishing over the thick grass.

5. North 34 30 27.0 – West 86 10 19.3

Use trap, spot, and shallow running crankbaits along current break lines and over the grass until you find the sweet spot.

Pine Island is a large grass island in the middle of the river, just downstream from waterfront grocery, fishing tackle, and supplies. Once you find a decent spot, they should stay there for a long time.

6. North 34 31 31.1 – West 86 08 14.9

Run up to channel marker 372.2, a large pole-mounted marker. The South Sauty Creek channel merges with the river channel upstream of this marker. In addition, the cuts and points on the old creek channels make excellent holding areas for the fish.

7. North 34 36 58.2 – West 86 06 29.4

There are three fishing causeways on North Sauty Creek. The creek channel that winds across the flat downstream of Goose Pond Marina is a good place to fish largemouth bass.

Additionally, the marina hosts numerous tournaments, and many fish are released there regularly, replenishing the area.

8. North 34 36 6.9 – West 86 0 16.4

Cast out into the river channel while keeping your boat in 10 feet of water. To BB Comer Bridge, you can fish outside and inside the channel river ledge. Traps and spots, as well as a lipped crankbait, should be used in this area.

Lake Guntersville Fishing Licenses and Regulations

So that present and future anglers can enjoy a similar adventure, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has set precise criteria on how to fish.

All citizens will need a freshwater fishing permit to fish in public lakes in Northeast Alabama. You are allowed to maintain a total of 10 black basses per day if your bass fits the length requirement. 

Conclusion

Fishing on Lake Guntersville is a great pastime and a place for bass anglers.  You can also make friends in their local clubs and create memories you can treasure for a lifetime. With our list of the eight best fishing spots, you’ll certainly not go home empty-handed. Good luck!

Diana Nadim
Fishing Expert
Diana began fishing at the age of seven, as it has been a long-time family tradition. From catching small bullheads to catching strippers on the backwaters of Bighorn, she loves to get out in the wild and have a marvelous day on the water. Her dad was an expert angler, and he taught her fishing along with her two siblings. They used to go to the Bighorn River in Montana and Henry’s fork, Idaho. As a pragmatic person, she is obsessed with creating well-researched and practical guides and reviews of the best fishing methods and gear.
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