Welcome to our Wilson Lake Fishing Home Page
Wilson Lake is a very popular destination for fishing and boating. While nearby Pickwick Lake may get most of the national attention for its fishing, Wilson Lake can hold its own as a solid multi-species fishery. Wilson lake is about half the size of Pickwick lake and it covers close to 16,000 surface acres of water. This lake stretches from the Wilson Dam at Muscle Shoals, Alabama to the Wheeler Dam in Rogersville, Alabama.
Primary Species of Fish
Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, Catfish
The primary species of fish here are smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, striped bass and catfish. You can target these fish and catch good numbers of them if you hit it right. Big fish potential is possible for all 4 species of these fish as well.
Secondary Species of Fish
Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
Walleye and sauger are possible here and some anglers do report some good catches of crappie and bluegill. Most people come here for the excellent bass fishing though instead.
Catch Big Bass
Wilson Lake does not get talked about as much as nearby Pickwick lake when it comes to big bass, but this lake has good numbers of big smallies and largemouth bass. It is not uncommon to find largemouth bass and smallmouth bass above the 4 lb. mark caught pretty much year round on Wilson Lake. The tailwater fishery can be outstanding for huge smallmouth bass below the Wheeler Dam every spring and fall.
Awesome Multi-Species Fishery
Just like Pickwick Lake, there are so many species of fish you can target on Wilson Lake. Fish for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, catfish, striped bass, spotted bass, crappie and more. If you want to put numbers in the boat, this is a great lake to fish.
Current Plays a Role
Current runs through Wilson Lake, but you don’t get as much current throughout the lake as you do on Pickwick Lake. As a result, Wilson Lake does fish a little bit more like a lake than a river, but if you are fishing during high water or in the areas with current, it can definitely be a factor.
Fish the Creeks
There are lots of creek arms to fish on Wilson Lake. Spring and fall are usually the best times to fish these creeks for a variety of fish. Anglers do report good fishing in the summer for largemouth bass though in these creeks, but cover will be very important. Whether it be shady docks, lay downs overhanging trees or rocks, you will need to find some cover if you’re fishing the creeks in the summer.
Fish the Dam
The wheeler dam is a popular spot for targeting big smallmouth bass, big catfish and several other species of fish. The current here attracts good numbers of quality smallmouth bass and that’s probably the biggest draw for most anglers who come to fish this lake. When they are releasing a lot of water you will have some decent current and you won’t be able to get as close up to the dam, however, throughout most parts of the year, the amount of water they will be running will allow you to fish closer to this dam.
Fish the Main Lake
On the main lake, you will have current, especially as you get closer to both dams. The current breaks will definitely help position a variety of fish, especially smallmouth bass. When the dams are releasing less water, this lake does fish more like a lake compared to Pickwick lake which has lots of current running through it. So depending on when you visit this lake to fish, you may be able to hit some good main Lake shorelines, ledges and points without having to deal with much current. If current isn’t the main driver then it’s going to be water temperature, baitfish, cover and drop-offs that will drive the better spots just like fishing a normal lake.
Fish the Points
There are a good amount of points to fish on Wilson Lake. From spring through fall, you should be able to find a good amount of fish on or around these points. Current can definitely play a major factor on what points are better to fish. Besides current, look for vegetation, rocks, wood and areas that have deep water close by will help to attract more fish.
Fish the Rocks
There are plenty of rocks on Wilson Lake and the smallmouth bass definitely prefer the rocky areas. You will find plenty of other species of fish around the rocks as well, especially when you have current. There are plenty of areas around the lake that have vegetation near rocks or wood near rock and when you combine multiple pieces of cover in one spot, your odds of finding bass and other species of fish will increase greatly.
Fish the Shorelines
There are miles of good shorelines to fish on Wilson Lake. This lake has plenty of rocks, wood and vegetation to go along with plenty of boat docks too. Bass anglers will find endless amounts of shoreline to target bass shallow.
Fish the Weeds
Wilson lake has lots of vegetation, which is great for largemouth bass and other species of fish too. You have a lot of options if you want to fish the weeds from shallow banks to drop-offs. Anglers catch tons of bass around several types of vegetation throughout Wilson Lake.
Fish the Wood
You’ll find plenty of wood throughout the lake if that’s something you want to fish. For the anglers that like to flip jigs, you are going to find a lot more vegetation to flip here than wood but you can very easily go from flipping vegetation to flipping wood and then back to vegetation as you move along the shoreline. You’re going to find a lot more largemouth bass around the wood, however, some banks will have a rocky shoreline with some lay downs and this is where you may find some smallmouth bass mixed in, especially if you’re fishing in the spring.