Fayette County Public Fishing Lake: A 60-Acre ADCNR Catch-and-Release Bass, Bream, and Channel Catfish Lake Six Miles Southeast of Fayette

Major and minor solunar windows shift daily with the moon’s transit. Fish the windows above, or check the Seasonal Playbook below for Fayette County Public Fishing Lake’s current pattern.

March through May is the open window on Fayette County PFL. The lake runs five days a week — Thursday through Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday — sunrise to sunset. Bluegill bed on shallow gravel from late April through May and take a cricket or red wiggler under a bobber along the bank and from the ramp shoreline. Redear hit red wigglers a little deeper on the same wood. Largemouth stage into the upper end in March and spawn through April; wacky-rigged Senko, square-bill, and a small spinnerbait on shoreline timber work, but every bass goes back — ADCNR's posted rule on this lake is catch-and-release only for largemouth. Channel catfish turn on as water climbs past 65°F — chicken liver or nightcrawler on a slip-sinker rig off the bank in late afternoon. Anglers 16 through 64 need an Alabama fishing license; anglers 12 and older also need a $5 ADCNR Fishing Permit. Licenses are not sold on site; buy online at alabamainteractive.org/dcnr_license before driving out.

June through August the 60-acre pool warms into the 80s and the bite moves early-and-late. Bluegill stay stacked on shoreline brush and the ramp area all summer — a cricket under a small bobber or a black-and-chartreuse beetle spin keeps a rod bent through the heat. Largemouth work shoreline wood at first light, pull off into the deeper main pool and the dam end through midday; a Texas-rigged worm to shade and a drop-shot on deeper edges cover the pattern, and every fish is released. Channel catfish are at their best — nightcrawlers, chicken liver, or cut bait on the bottom off the bank as the sun drops. The lake is quiet: no concessions, no lake manager on site, no crowds. Trolling motors only on the water — outboards are restricted to loading and unloading. Bring bait, water, sunscreen, and bug spray. Golden Eagle Syrup is still made downtown in Fayette for a food-heritage stop on the drive out.

September through November is the transition window on Fayette County PFL. Water drops through the 70s into the 60s by late October, bass push back into the shallows to feed up, and the bream bite stretches out. A lipless crankbait and a ChatterBait along the shoreline and a white spinnerbait on timber edges catch catch-and-release largemouth feeding ahead of winter — all fish released. Bluegill and redear hold on deeper brush and the dam end into October. Channel catfish keep biting while water stays above 60°F. Fall is the quietest season of the year here — a small west Alabama PFL with a five-day-a-week schedule, no lake manager, and no crowd. The Jerry Brown Arts Festival, named for the Hamilton-based National Heritage Fellowship potter, is held in Hamilton (Marion County, roughly thirty minutes north of Fayette) — check jbaf.org for current event status — and downtown Fayette has the Fayette Civic Center and the Alabama-produced Golden Eagle Syrup headquarters.

December through February the bite slows but the lake stays fishable Thursday through Monday on warm days. Bass slow down and every largemouth is released on catch-and-release regardless of season — ADCNR's posted rule does not change with the seasons here. Channel catfish stay catchable on cut bait and chicken liver off the bank when water temps hold above 50°F. Fayette County PFL does not run a winter trout program. This is a year-round catch-and-release bass, bream, and catfish lake — no put-and-take rainbow stocking like Madison County PFL to the east. Pick a warm-front afternoon, run the trolling motor on the main pool, fish the dam and shoreline brush for bream, and hold a catfish rod on the bottom off the ramp shore. Confirm any weather-related closures with WFF District 3 in Northport at (205) 339-5716 or Fisheries Headquarters in Montgomery at (334) 242-3471 before driving out — the lake has no on-site manager to call for real-time conditions.

Fayette County PFL Boat Ramp

Fayette

Parking

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Fee

State Public Fishing Lakes permit + $5 Fishing Permit (includes launch of personal boat) required per ADCNR PFL rules

ADCNR-built concrete boat ramp at 529 County Road 134, Fayette AL 35555 — the only ramp on the 60-acre lake. Personal boats launch with the $5 Fishing Permit (launch included). Outboard motors are allowed ONLY while loading and unloading the boat. Trolling motors are allowed on the water. A $10 Boat Rental Permit is the published fee category, but availability of rental jon boats at this unstaffed lake is not confirmed — call WFF District 3 Fisheries Office in Northport at (205) 339-5716 before driving out if you need a rental. No lake manager on site, no fishing licenses sold at the lake, portable restrooms only.

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