Fishing is held as one of the most popular outdoor activities in Alabama. The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division is in charge of managing, protecting, and enhancing all freshwater resources in the state. The resources available include 47 reservoirs that cover over 551,220 acres total, 23 public fishing lakes, and over 77,000 miles of rivers, streams, and deltas.
Types of Crappie in Alabama Waters The diversity of waters available in Alabama greatly diversifies the types of fish found in these waters. When Crappie fishing, the area in which you are fishing dictates the type of Crappie you will be able to catch. Both Black Crappie and White Crappie can be found in Alabama, though the Black Crappie are much more predominate. Hybrid crappie can also be found in Alabama rivers, though they are somewhat rare. The State Record for Black Crappie is 4 pounds, 5 ounces.
Black Crappie prefer water temperatures of 68 to 72 Degrees, and deeper, slow moving waters. Rules and Regulations When fishing for Crappie in Alabama waters, you must follow certain rules and regulations. While these rules can change by the area in which you are in, generally they remain close to the same.
You can only possess a total of 30 Crappie (Black or White) per fishing trip. The typical required length for kept Crappie is 9 inches in all waters that are larger then 500 acres. All of the states public lakes are exempt from this rule, along with the Chattahoochee River, Impoundments, tributaries, and the Bear Creek Reservoir. Crappie have to be a minimum of 10 inches when caught from the Weiss Reservoir. Alabama Crappie Fishing Hot Spots LAKE EUFAULA- While most lakes in the area have Crappie ranging in age of 1-6 years old, Lake Eufaula has Crappie as old as 10 years. The population of this lake is so high that it is likely that Crappie will die of old age rather then being caught.
This is really surprising because Lake Eufaula does not place a restriction on the size or amount of Crappie you can keep from the water. This may be because fisherman in the area only seem to target Crappie during certain parts of the year. During the other times, the fish are free to roam and flourish without the chance of being caught. Another cause for the abundance of slabs in Eufaula is the habitat the impoundment provides. Plenty of fairly shallow water is available off the old Chattahoochee River channels. Lake Eufaula offers has a high fertility rate, and provides plenty of adequate areas for Crappies to spawn in.
Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is commited to providing the best crappie fishing information possible. Get more information on Alabama crappie fishing here: http://www.askcrappiefishing.com
