Alabama Fishing Calendar: What Bites Month by Month
Written by Atlas Editorial · Last updated
In Alabama, crappie and bass spawn from March into April, bluegill and redear bed from May through summer, offshore ledges and night fishing carry July and August, and the fall shad run makes October and November the best all-round months.
Fishing calendar — the year at a glance
This table shows general freshwater patterns for Alabama reservoirs. It is not lake-specific: south Alabama runs two to three weeks ahead of the Tennessee River lakes, and clear, deep lakes run behind shallow, stained ones. Use the water temperature column, not the month, when the two disagree.
| Month | Water temp (typical) | What spawns | What bites | Best species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45–52°F | — | Deep, slow: jerkbaits, A-rig, spoons; crappie on deep brush | Spotted bass, crappie |
| February | 48–55°F | White bass begin river runs late in the month | Pre-spawn bass move to points; crappie staging on channels | Largemouth, crappie |
| March | 55–63°F | Crappie; bass begin in the south | Crappie shallow; lipless crankbaits and jerkbaits for bass | Crappie, largemouth |
| April | 62–70°F | Bass (peak central and north) | Bed fishing, swim jigs, shad spawn at dawn late in the month | Largemouth, spotted bass |
| May | 70–78°F | Bluegill and redear begin | Topwater, post-spawn bass, bream beds | Bluegill, redear, largemouth |
| June | 78–84°F | Bluegill; channel catfish | Bass move to ledges; bream on full-moon beds | Bluegill, catfish, largemouth |
| July | 84–88°F | Bluegill (later waves) | Offshore ledges in current; night fishing | Largemouth offshore, catfish |
| August | 85–90°F | — | Night fishing, deep brush, dawn topwater | Catfish, largemouth at night |
| September | 80–85°F | — | Late-month cooling starts shad moving to creeks | Largemouth, catfish |
| October | 70–78°F | — | Fall shad run: squarebills, spinnerbaits, topwater | Largemouth, spotted bass, crappie |
| November | 60–68°F | — | Bass on shad in creeks and flats; crappie back on brush | Largemouth, crappie, striped bass |
| December | 50–58°F | — | Transition deep: jerkbaits, A-rig, football jigs | Spotted bass, crappie |
Fishing calendar by season
Questions from the ramp
Sources
Data last reviewed: 2026-11-05