Dannelly Reservoir Fishing: Millers Ferry Pool on the Alabama River
US Army Corps of Engineers Millers Ferry Lock and Dam impoundment — 17,280 acres (27 square miles), the largest of the three Alabama River reservoirs. Completed 1974, home of Roland Cooper State Park.
Dannelly Reservoir Alabama fishing covers 17,280 Alabama River acres in Wilcox and Dallas counties — largest of three Alabama River pools, built 1974, for largemouth, crappie, blue catfish, hybrid stripers around Roland Cooper State Park.
1974 (US Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District Millers Ferry Lock and Dam)
River System
Alabama River
Access
Public
01 · Overview
The Water
Dannelly Reservoir, also called Millers Ferry Lake, is the largest of the three Alabama River impoundments at 27 square miles of pool water. The William Bill Dannelly Reservoir was impounded in 1974 by the Millers Ferry Lock and Dam, which USACE Mobile District built as part of the Alabama River navigation system. The pool runs through Wilcox County on the west and Dallas County on the east, with Camden (Wilcox County seat) as the primary basecamp and Roland Cooper State Park on the lake providing lodging, camping, and ramp access. Upstream sits Woodruff Lake above the Robert F Henry Dam; downstream sits the compact Claiborne Lake. Because Dannelly is large, deep, and lightly pressured, it produces some of the best mixed-bag bass and catfish fishing on the Alabama River system. Largemouth, crappie, blue and flathead catfish, and hybrid striped bass all hold here. The reservoir has hosted Alabama Bass Trail 100 tournament stops, making it the most tournament-active of the three Alabama River pools.
“Dannelly Reservoir holds fish in patterns you can set your watch to. The bite isn't a secret — it's what most fishermen don't know about where the grass thins onto a hard ledge.”
Alabama Fishing Atlas Editorial
Fishing Dannelly Reservoir on video
Alabama State Public Fishing Lakes Now Open — ADCNR
ADCNR
02 · Bite Windows
Solunar Forecast
Major and minor solunar windows shift daily with the moon’s transit. Fish the windows above, or check the Seasonal Playbook below for Dannelly Reservoir’s current pattern.
03 · The Calendar
Seasonal Playbook
March through May is the prime window on Dannelly. Water climbs from the upper 50s into the 70s, pre-spawn largemouth stage on cypress-edge points, tributary creek mouths, and the Roland Cooper State Park shoreline, and a jerkbait on ten-second pauses covers the staging fish. Crappie stack on cypress stumps and brush in 6-12 feet in Wilcox and Dallas County tributary arms — minnows and 1/16-ounce jigs produce stringers. Late April into May, largemouth spawn in quiet backwater pockets on both sides of the pool. When USACE releases water at the Millers Ferry dam, hybrid stripers stack in the tailrace — swimbaits and cut shad on current seams. Bluegill and shellcracker move onto shallow cypress-edge flats for the May full-moon spawn. Dannelly has been an Alabama Bass Trail 100 tournament stop, and spring is when the best tournament weights come off the water.
June through August Dannelly sets up on cypress shade and river-channel structure. Blue catfish dominate the summer fishery — drift cut shad on the main channel bends and in the Millers Ferry dam forebay 20-to-40-foot water for big blues year-round. Shallow largemouth hang in the Wilcox County cypress backwaters on laydowns and shaded timber — green-pumpkin tubes flipped to cypress, wacky Senkos on cypress stumps, frogs on sparse grass. Night fishing for flatheads on the main channel under the US 43 bridge lights pulls the biggest fish of the year. First-light topwater on Chilatchee Creek and other tributary mouths is the bass answer before the heat builds. Roland Cooper State Park fishing pier stays productive for bream and catfish through the hottest months, and the park campground is full of anglers escaping the heat with lake access.
September through November shad migrate out of the main Alabama River into the tributary arms and cypress backwaters, and every species follows the bait. Largemouth chase shad on cypress-edge points, laydowns, and secondary creek-mouth structure across the 27-square-mile pool — a lipless crankbait ripped through sparse grass, a ChatterBait in shad color, a walking bait on calm mornings. Crappie reload on brush and timber in 8-14 feet in Wilcox and Dallas County tributary arms. Hybrid stripers stack at the Millers Ferry tailrace again on cooler 60-65 degree water when USACE runs generation. Blue cats continue on cut shad along the main channel all fall. By mid-November the cypress thins and a slow-rolled spinnerbait becomes the late-fall largemouth answer on main-channel cypress edges — Dannelly's fall bite runs later than Central Alabama reservoirs. Chilatchee Creek and Wilcox County backwater shad migrations produce multi-species schools in October that anglers on pressured lakes never see at their home waters.
December through February Dannelly empties out and the locals who know the river-channel structure work the deep water. Largemouth group on Millers Ferry dam forebay and the deepest main-channel cypress — a suspending jerkbait on long pauses on sunny afternoons above 48 degrees, a hair jig vertical on dam rock, an Alabama rig on deepest cypress-edge ledges when surface drops into the 40s. Crappie stack on deep brush in 15-22 feet in tributary arms. Blue and flathead catfish on cut shad along the main Alabama River channel bends stay reliable all winter — drift-rig the 20-to-40-foot bends for the biggest cats of the year. When USACE releases water at Millers Ferry, current concentrates fish at the dam face and in the tailrace. Dannelly's latitude keeps winter water warmer than Coosa-chain pools at the same date, and Roland Cooper State Park cabins stay open for cold-weather anglers.
12-month calendar
Tap any month to expand pattern notes. Legend: B = Bass · C = Crappie · S = Striper · Cf = Catfish.
Tournament pros have been decoding Dannelly Reservoir for five decades. Every tip on this card is cited to the original weigh-in recap or angler interview — no paraphrased fluff, no invented quotes.
2024 · spring
Alabama Bass Trail ABT 100 Series
Alabama Bass Trail tournament stops at Dannelly
Dannelly Reservoir has hosted Alabama Bass Trail 100 Series tournament stops with quality tournament-weight bags of largemouth bass.
The pattern: Because ABT 100 fishes Dannelly, patterns for the pool are better-documented than on any other Alabama River reservoir. Tournament anglers routinely run from Roland Cooper State Park down the cypress-edge backwaters on the Wilcox County side and work Chilatchee Creek on the Dallas County side on the same day. Google ABT Dannelly tournament results for current seasonal patterns.
2025 · summer
USACE Mobile District Alabama River navigation record
Millers Ferry Lock and Dam fact sheet
The William B. Dannelly Lock and Dam was completed in 1974 and impounds the Alabama River, creating the William Bill Dannelly Reservoir, which covers 27 square miles.
The pattern: At 27 square miles Dannelly is the biggest Alabama River pool and the most diverse fishery of the three. The 17,280-acre footprint means you can run separate sections all day — Roland Cooper State Park shoreline, Wilcox County cypress backwaters, Chilatchee Creek, Millers Ferry dam forebay — and still cover unique water on each trip.
2025 · fall
Roland Cooper State Park operator note
Roland Cooper State Park angler amenities
Roland Cooper State Park on Dannelly Reservoir offers cabins, camping, a fishing pier, and a boat ramp as the primary on-water angler destination.
The pattern: Roland Cooper is the most complete Alabama River state-park setup. Book a cabin for a multi-day trip — walk from your front door to the fishing pier, launch off the park ramp, fish the mornings along the park shoreline, then run the main pool in the afternoon. Cabin plus ramp plus pier makes Dannelly the most accessible of the three Alabama River pools for families who want to fish together.
05 · Hire Local
Fishing Guides
On video
Fishing Dannelly Reservoir on video
On the water
Alabama State Public Fishing Lakes Now Open — ADCNR
Source: YouTube, ADCNR
06 · Planning the Trip
Stay & Eat
Where to Stay on Dannelly Reservoir
Lodging near the ramps. Some links below are affiliate partnerships (Booking.com, VRBO) — they cost you nothing extra and help keep the Atlas free. Full disclosure →
Roland Cooper State Park Cabins and Campground
state park-lodge
285 Deer Run Drive, Camden, AL 36726
Alabama state park on Dannelly Reservoir — modern cabins, campground, boat ramp, fishing pier, lodge. Default angler basecamp for Dannelly trips.
Alabama state park campground on Dannelly Reservoir — improved RV sites, primitive sites, modern cabins, boat ramp, fishing pier. Primary Dannelly Lake camping base.
Historic Camden fine-dining destination — seasonal Southern menu in an antebellum setting. Reservations recommended for weekend dinners after a Dannelly day.
Alabama state park on Dannelly Reservoir — 9-hole golf course, nature trails, playground, fishing pier, swim beach. Central Dannelly family destination.
Ferry crossing the Alabama River to the Gee's Bend quilting community — internationally recognized folk-art tradition. A cultural add-on for Dannelly anglers across the river from the main pool.
07 · Launch Day
On the Water
Boat ramps
concrete rampOpen
Roland Cooper State Park Boat Ramp
Camden
Parking
spots
Fee
Park day-use
Alabama state park ramp on Dannelly Reservoir — primary angler launch, includes campground, cabins, fishing pier, and day-use facilities.
10 black bass daily aggregate (Alabama statewide) · 12-inch minimum on largemouth and smallmouth (Alabama statewide)
Crappie
30 per day · 9-inch minimum (Alabama statewide)
Striped/White Bass
Statewide temperate-bass limits apply
Dannelly Reservoir is a USACE Mobile District Alabama River navigation pool. Follow posted no-wake zones near Millers Ferry Lock and Dam. Commercial barge traffic has right-of-way — stay off the navigation channel centerline. Generation releases can change water levels and current rapidly. Alabama Bass Trail tournament rules may supplement statewide rules on designated tournament days.
Alabama fishing license required for all anglers 16 and older (residents and non-residents). Always verify current rules before your trip.
Dannelly Reservoir is on the Alabama River in west-central Alabama, spanning Wilcox and Dallas counties. The pool is impounded by the Millers Ferry Lock and Dam and sits between Woodruff Lake upstream and Claiborne Lake downstream. Camden is the main basecamp, with Roland Cooper State Park as the primary on-water destination.
Dannelly Reservoir covers 17,280 acres, or roughly 27 square miles, making it the largest of the three Alabama River impoundments. It is also the most fishing-pressured of the three, hosting Alabama Bass Trail 100 tournament stops in recent years.
Dannelly holds largemouth bass, crappie, blue and flathead catfish, hybrid striped bass, bluegill, and shellcracker. Largemouth bass and blue catfish are the trophy species, and the reservoir is known across the state for producing quality tournament bags.
The US Army Corps of Engineers completed the William Bill Dannelly Reservoir by impounding the Alabama River at Millers Ferry Lock and Dam in 1974. The reservoir was named for Alabama state senator William Bill Dannelly.
Roland Cooper State Park on the east shore is the primary angler launch, with cabins, camping, and a fishing pier on-site. Millers Ferry Lock Public Access at the dam and Chilatchee Creek Public Access on the Dallas County side are the other two main ramps, both USACE-maintained.
Fishing regulations, water conditions, and seasonal patterns change. Alabama Fishing Atlas provides informational content only. Verify all regulations with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources before fishing, keeping any fish, or launching watercraft. We are not liable for decisions made based on information published here. Full disclaimer →
Citation
Data sources
—Wikipedia Millers Ferry Lock and Dam (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millers_Ferry_Lock_and_Dam): William Bill Dannelly Reservoir, 27 sq mi pool, completed 1974
—kids.kiddle.co Millers Ferry Lock and Dam profile
