List of lakes of Alabama facts for kids

Alabama is home to many beautiful lakes! This list focuses on lakes that are open to everyone and have fish you can catch for sport. These lakes are managed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources or other state and federal groups. You can often go swimming or boating in these lakes, but always check the rules for each one first!

Alabama's Public Fishing Lakes

The Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division helps manage 23 public lakes across 20 counties in Alabama. These lakes are different sizes, from about 13 acres to 184 acres. Together, they cover a total of 1,912 acres! Since the 1940s, the main goal of this program has been to offer great fishing spots that are affordable and easy to reach, especially in parts of Alabama that don't have many natural lakes.

These lakes were first stocked with popular fish like largemouth bass, bluegill (also called bream), redear sunfish (shellcracker), and channel catfish. Over time, white and black crappie have also become common in many of these lakes. Every fall, more channel catfish are added. Some lakes even get special fish like hybrid striped bass and rainbow trout each year!

Lakes in District 1

• Fayette County Lake: This 60-acre lake is about 6 miles southeast of Fayette, off County Road 26.
• Lamar County Lake: A 68-acre lake located about 8 miles west of Vernon on Alabama State Route 18, then 5 miles north off County Road 21.
• Madison County Lake: This 105-acre lake is about 11 miles east of Huntsville.
• Marion County Lake: A 37-acre lake found about 6 miles north of Guin off U.S. Route 43.
• Walker County Lake: This 163-acre lake is about 3 miles southeast of Jasper, off old U.S. Route 78.

Lakes in District 2

• Clay County Lake: This is actually a group of three lakes, measuring 13, 23, and 38 acres. They are located about 1 mile west of Delta on Alabama Highway 47.
• DeKalb County Lake: A 120-acre lake found about 1 mile north of Sylvania off County Road 47.

Lakes in District 3

• Bibb County Lake: This 100-acre lake is about 5 miles north of Centreville off Alabama State Route 5.
• Dallas County Lake: A 100-acre lake located about 11 miles south of Selma off Alabama Highway 41.

Lakes in District 4

• Chambers County Lake: This 183-acre lake is about 5 miles southeast of La Fayette on Chambers County Road 83. It has a convenient pier near the boat ramp.
• Lee County Lake: A 130-acre lake located about 6 miles southeast of Opelika. You can get there by taking Alabama Highway 169 south from I-85, then 1 mile west on Lee County Road 146. This lake is special because it's the only one with cabins for fishermen and also has a pier by the boat ramp.
• Weiss Lake: Located in Cherokee County, this huge lake covers 32,000 acres. It's famous across the country as the "Crappie Capital of the World" because of its excellent crappie fishing!

Lakes in District 5

• Escambia County Lake (Leon Brooks Hines Lake): This large 184-acre lake is in the Conecuh National Forest, about 23 miles east of Brewton off County Road 11.
• Monroe County Lake: A 94-acre lake located about 5 miles west of Beatrice off County Road 50.
• Washington County Lake (J. Emmett Wood Lake): This 84-acre lake is about 2 miles west of Millry off County Road 34.

Lakes in District 6

• Barbour County Lake: A 75-acre lake located about 6 miles north of Clayton off County Road 49.
• Crenshaw County Lake: This 53-acre lake is about 5 miles south of Luverne off U.S. Route 331.
• Dale County Lake (Ed Lisenby Lake): A 92-acre lake found about 1 mile north of Roy Parker Road (Dale County Road 36) in Ozark.
• Geneva County Lake: This lake actually has two parts, 33 and 32 acres in size. They are located about 20 miles southwest of Enterprise off County Road 63.
• Pike County Lake: A 45-acre lake located about 5 miles south of Troy off County Road 39.

Major Public Reservoirs

Many large lakes in Alabama are actually reservoirs, which are artificial lakes created by dams. These are often managed by groups like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alabama Power, or the Tennessee Valley Authority. They are important for things like power generation, flood control, and, of course, recreation!

Other Important Public Lakes

Beyond the state-managed fishing lakes and large reservoirs, Alabama has many other public lakes that are great for recreation. Some of these even stretch into neighboring states like Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida!

• Lake Eufaula (also extends into Georgia)
• Gantt Lake
• Lake Guntersville - This is the largest lake entirely within Alabama!
• Lake Harding (also extends into Georgia)
• Holt Lake
• Inland Lake
• Lake Jackson (also extends into Florida)
• Lay Lake
• Little Bear Creek Reservoir
• Logan-Martin Lake
• Lake Lurleen
• Neely Henry Lake
• Lake Pickwick (also extends into Mississippi)
• Lake Purdy
• Ski Lake
• Smith Lake
• Lake Tholocco
• Lake Tuscaloosa
• Upper Bear Creek Reservoir
• Lake Wedowee (in Randolph County)
• W. F. Lake
• William Bill Danelly Reservoir

Lakes in Mobile County

Mobile County has several interesting lakes. Here are some of them:

Images for kids

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  Seal of Alabama