Lake Jordan Alabama fishing report: 6,800-acre Coosa pool above Wetumpka
The lower-Coosa Alabama Power impoundment between Mitchell Dam and Walter Bouldin — Alabama Bass Trail tournament water, Coosa-strain spots, and creek-arm crappie.
This lake Jordan fishing report Alabama anglers bookmark covers 6,800 acres of Coosa River impoundment in Elmore County — Alabama Bass Trail tournament water between Mitchell Dam and Walter Bouldin.
Lake Jordan is a 6,800-acre Coosa River impoundment in Elmore County, 18 miles long from Mitchell Dam down to Jordan Dam just above Wetumpka. Alabama Power closed the dam on December 31, 1928 and named the reservoir for the mother of Reuben and Sidney Mitchell, who drove construction of the Coosa hydro chain. Jordan Dam is a 125-foot concrete arch with 100 megawatts of hydropower capacity; Walter Bouldin Dam feeds off the Jordan pool immediately below. Wikipedia lists the species plainly: largemouth, spotted bass, bluegill, crappie, catfish, striped bass, hybrid and white bass. The Alabama Bass Trail runs multiple events out of Lake Jordan every season, and the water fishes like every good Coosa pool — current breaks, rock, scattered grass, and creek arms feeding the main river. Reed Montgomery's 40-plus-year guide service has run Jordan alongside Mitchell, Lay, and Logan Martin for decades, and the Coosa-strain spotted bass punch above their weight the same way they do everywhere on the chain.
“Lake Jordan 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 Lake Jordan on video
Lake Jordan Dam Fishing in Alabama — Coosa River striper
Coosa River striper footage
2018 Jordan Lake Alabama Spotted Bass Fishing
Jordan Lake tournament footage
Crappie Fishing Alabama's Lake Jordan
Jordan crappie angler
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 Lake Jordan’s current pattern.
03 · The Calendar
Seasonal Playbook
March through May is prime time on Lake Jordan. Water warms from the upper 50s into the 70s, Coosa-strain spotted bass stage on rock points and current breaks from Mitchell Dam tailwater down through the main river channel, and largemouth push into Weoka, Sofkahatchee, and the smaller east-side creek arms to spawn. Mid-March: pre-spawn spots hold on the first rock points inside creek mouths and on current-broken rock between 8 and 18 feet — jerkbaits and suspending cranks take fish when surface temperatures sit 55-62°F. Late March into April: the spawn runs hot in the backs of Weoka and Sofkahatchee — wacky Senkos and chatterbaits in two to six feet. Post-spawn fish slide back to main-river rock transitions and the first dock rows on the lower end for swim jigs and small crankbaits through May. Shad spawn on main-lake riprap along the Hwy 111 corridor triggers a first-light walking-bait window anglers can work before the rest of the lake wakes up.
June through August, Jordan fishes like every good Coosa pool. Spotted bass slide offshore to main-river channel bluffs and current-affected rock between Mitchell Dam and the mid-lake pool — 18 to 28 feet on bluff walls where football jigs, drop-shot worms, and 10-inch magnum worms on a Carolina rig pick apart the fish that most pleasure-boat traffic idles past. Largemouth stay shallower: shaded boat docks up Weoka and Sofkahatchee, scattered wood on the creek-channel swings, and the rock banks at the mouths of smaller pockets. First light through about nine AM is the frog-and-buzzbait window over mats and shallow wood; after the sun gets up, swim jigs on dock shade keep the shallow bite going. Mitchell Dam tailrace end holds the densest concentration of shad and the heaviest summer stripers on the lake — a heavy spoon vertically fished along the dam face and current-broken rock pulls the biggest fish in the system on a July afternoon.
September into November, shad push up the Coosa into the creek mouths of Weoka and Sofkahatchee, and Jordan's Coosa-strain spotted bass school up on them. The signature Jordan fall event is a pack of spots breaking on shad in 10-18 feet off a main-river point or a creek mouth — a walking topwater, a fluke, or a small swimbait thrown into the bust puts a limit in the boat in an hour. Lipless crankbaits and ChatterBaits in shad color run the staging points all day; a ¾-ounce Thunder Cricket or a ½-ounce Strike King Red Eye Shad in gold produces through October as water temps drop through the 70s and into the 60s. By late October the shad spawn runs a second round on the Hwy 111 riprap, and a big walking topwater fished tight to the rocks at dawn on a calm morning is the best fall lure on the lake. The Mitchell Dam tailwater pool pulls stripers and hybrids hard all fall on live shad.
December through February, surface temps drop into the 40s and the main-river current becomes the whole game. Spotted bass stack on 25-to-40-foot main-river bluffs between Mitchell Dam and the mid-lake pool — a football jig dragged on the bluff transition, a drop-shot fluorocarbon on the rock, and a blade bait fished vertically on the deepest breaks all produce winter Coosa spots. Jordan Dam pool on the lower end concentrates the heaviest winter fish on the lake: a heavy jigging spoon or a blade vertically worked along the dam face cleans the winter stripers and hybrids that hold in the oxygenated water below the generators. Shad stack on the Hwy 111 riprap bank during January, and a slow-rolled ¾-ounce Strike King Red Eye Shad in gold worked along the rock in four to eight feet is the classic Coosa winter lipless pattern — same bait that won the 2010 Bassmaster Classic up the chain on Lay Lake, same water clarity, same temperature window.
12-month calendar
Tap any month to expand pattern notes. Legend: B = Bass · C = Crappie · S = Striper · Cf = Catfish.
Tournament pros have been decoding Lake Jordan 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.
2025 · spring
Wikipedia — Jordan Lake (Alabama) species inventory
Official Wikipedia species list for Lake Jordan, cited to Alabama Power
It is a recreational lake with fishing opportunities for largemouth bass, spotted bass, bluegill and other sunfish, crappie, catfish, striped bass, hybrid and white bass. The lake has two public access sites.
The pattern: Jordan's species mix is broader than just Coosa spots. Plan a spring trip that targets pre-spawn spotted and largemouth bass in the morning, then switch to crappie on creek-arm brush piles after the bass bite slows. The two public access points Wikipedia cites — Bonner's Point and the lower-lake Jordan Dam access — cover opposite ends of an 18-mile lake.
2026 · spring
Alabama Bass Trail — 2026 South Division schedule
Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series South Division 2026 venue calendar
Lake Jordan, Lay Lake, Lake Martin, Logan Martin Lake, Alabama River – Cooter's Pond — 2026 South Division.
The pattern: ABT puts Jordan on its 2026 South Division rotation alongside Lay, Martin, Logan Martin, and the Alabama River at Cooter's Pond. That tells you the lake fishes clean for a two-day team format in March through October — plan trips on ABT event days to see what the local sticks are throwing, or the day after to read the weigh-in pattern.
ABT 2023 and 2021 Individual Event Results — Lake Jordan
2023 Tournament Results — Individual Event Results: Alabama River, Lake Eufaula, Lake Guntersville, Lake Jordan, Lay Lake, Lewis Smith Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Neely Henry Lake, Pickwick Lake, Wheeler Lake.
The pattern: Jordan has been a recurring ABT Individual Event venue since at least 2015 — the trail has logged multiple results years with Lake Jordan named explicitly. If you are planning a first trip, pull the most recent ABT Jordan results sheet from the Results Archives and cross-reference top-five weights and seasonal pattern — the winning fish are rarely off the Mitchell-Dam-to-mid-lake stretch.
2025 · fall
Reed Montgomery (Reeds Guide Service)
Coosa chain guide program — 40+ years on Jordan / Mitchell / Lay / Logan Martin
Reeds Guide Service covers the Coosa River chain: Jordan, Lay, Mitchell, Logan Martin — fishing Alabama for largemouth, spotted bass, smallmouth, and striped bass.
The pattern: Reed Montgomery's four-decade Coosa-chain program treats Jordan as a full-season lake, not a drive-by. For a first trip, book an October day to catch the shad-school bite on main-river points and creek mouths — that is when Coosa spots school hardest and the largemouth bite is at its strongest of the year. Phone (205) 663-1504; website fishingalabama.com.
2025 · winter
Wikipedia — Jordan Dam engineering detail
Jordan Dam construction and capacity, cited to Alabama Power
Owned and operated by Alabama Power, the lake was impounded December 31, 1928... Jordan Dam is a concrete arch dam, 125 feet (38 m) high, built for hydropower generation with a 100 megawatt generating capacity.
The pattern: A 125-foot concrete-arch dam with 100 MW of hydropower means serious current when generators are turning. Winter stripers and hybrids stack on the oxygenated water immediately below the Jordan Dam powerhouse — a heavy jigging spoon worked vertically along the dam face from a held position (watch the current warnings) is the single highest-percentage winter pattern on the lake.
05 · Hire Local
Fishing Guides
Neutral listings — no paid placement.
Reeds Guide Service (Reed Montgomery)
Lake Jordan, Lay Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Lake Mitchell
Lake Jordan Dam Fishing in Alabama — Coosa River striper
Source: YouTube, Coosa River striper footage
Around the lake
2018 Jordan Lake Alabama Spotted Bass Fishing
Source: YouTube, Jordan Lake tournament footage
06 · Planning the Trip
Stay & Eat
Where to Stay on Lake Jordan
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 →
Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Wetumpka
resort
100 River Oaks Drive, Wetumpka, AL 36092
Alabama's largest casino-resort on a Coosa River bluff overlooking Lake Jordan — full-service hotel tower, multiple restaurants, RV park. Closest full-service lodging to Jordan Dam and the public ramps.
39-site Alabama Historical Commission campground at the Coosa-Tallapoosa confluence — electric + water hookups, riverside sites. Historic-site setting doubles as a quiet low-cost base for fishing the Jordan and Bouldin pools.
Multi-restaurant dining at Wind Creek Casino on the Coosa bluff — Fire Steakhouse, Fresh Market Buffet, FunSeekers Bar & Cafe. 24-hour options for dawn-start and late-night anglers.
Main Street Wetumpka dining district
Downtown Wetumpka, AL 36092 (multiple restaurants)
Revitalized downtown Wetumpka dining corridor along Main Street — featured on HGTV's Home Town Takeover. Walk-up cafes and casual eateries; phone listed is Main Street Wetumpka office.
Alabama's largest casino-resort on a Coosa River bluff overlooking Lake Jordan — gaming, restaurants, hotel tower, RV park, entertainment venue. The after-dark Jordan Lake destination.
Alabama Historical Commission park at the confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers (headwaters of the Alabama River) — reconstructed 1717 French fort, Andrew Jackson's 1814 fort, 1,000-year-old Mississippian mound, museum, campground. ~15 minutes south of Jordan Dam.
20-acre gardens with full-scale reproductions of Greek statuary and a Parthenon replica — one of Alabama's most photographed gardens. ~20 minutes from Jordan.
Discovery center for the 83-million-year-old Wetumpka Impact Crater — one of the most well-preserved marine impact craters on Earth. Downtown Wetumpka visitor center.
Revitalized downtown district featured on HGTV's 'Home Town Takeover' — Bibb Graves Bridge overlook, walkable shops and cafes, Coosa River frontage.
07 · Launch Day
On the Water
Boat ramps
concrete rampOpen
Bonner's Point Landing (Public Access)
Titus
Parking
spots
Fee
Free
Mid-lake Alabama Power public access area on the Elmore County side — historic Little Church at Bonner's Sunday lakeside service Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Alabama Bass Trail South Division — Lake Jordan (scheduled venue)
2026
TBD
TBD
Lake Jordan is a confirmed South Division venue on the 2026 Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series calendar (abt 100 trail + tournament series) — two-day team format, multiple South Division stops historically held on Jordan.
10-fish daily combined limit on largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, and redeye bass (statewide Alabama) · No statewide minimum on spotted bass; 12-inch minimum on largemouth and smallmouth (verify current ADCNR regs before keeping fish)
Crappie
30 per day · No statewide minimum on crappie
Striped/White Bass
Statewide limits apply — verify ADCNR Outdoor Alabama before keeping fish
Alabama Power no-wake zones in marked areas; Jordan Dam and Mitchell Dam tailrace zones have posted current/safety restrictions — the Walter Bouldin Dam diversion on the lower lake carries additional posted warnings.
Alabama fishing license required (residents and non-residents age 16+). Always verify current rules before your trip.
March through May is the strongest window. Pre-spawn Coosa-strain spots stage on main-river rock and creek-mouth points out of Weoka and Sofkahatchee, and the spawn follows in the backs of the creek arms. Fall is the second-best window: shad schools break up on main-river points from late September through October and spotted bass feed hard on them until water temps drop into the 50s.
Both, but the Coosa-strain spotted bass is the signature fish — hard-fighting, among the strongest spots in the South. Largemouth come off docks and grass up Weoka, Sofkahatchee, and the smaller east-side creek arms. Tournament limits of 15-18 pounds typically mix Coosa spots from main-river current breaks with largemouth out of the creek arms.
Wikipedia lists two public access sites on Lake Jordan: Bonner's Point Landing on the mid-lake Elmore County side (historic Little Church at Bonner's Sunday service Memorial Day through Labor Day), and the lower-lake public access near Jordan Dam. Castaway Island provides a third independent launch on the north shore.
Yes. All anglers age 16 and over need an Alabama fishing license regardless of residency. Licenses are available online from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) through the Outdoor Alabama portal or at local tackle stores before you launch.
Two verified Coosa-chain guides cover Lake Jordan with both phone and website on file: Reed Montgomery's Reeds Guide Service (205-663-1504, fishingalabama.com), a 40-plus-year Alabama bass guide who runs Jordan along with Lay, Logan Martin, and Mitchell; and Fisher Britt's Lay Lake Fishing Guide (334-530-8878, laylakefishing.com) on the Coosa chain including Jordan and Mitchell.
Lake Jordan is 6,800 acres with 188 miles of shoreline and a total length of 18 miles, built and operated by Alabama Power on the Coosa River in Elmore County. The dam — a 125-foot concrete arch with 100 megawatts of hydropower capacity — was closed December 31, 1928 and named for the mother of Reuben and Sidney Mitchell, who drove construction of the Coosa hydro chain.
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 — Jordan Lake (Alabama) article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Lake_(Alabama))
—Wikimedia Commons — File:Alabama - Jordan Dam - NARA - 23933405 (cropped).jpg (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alabama_-_Jordan_Dam_-_NARA_-_23933405_(cropped).jpg) (PD US Air Force / NARA)
—Alabama Power Shorelines — Jordan Lake recreation page (https://apcshorelines.com/sl_lakes_info/jordan-lake/)
—Alabama Power — Coosa Project reference (Jordan-Bouldin facilities, archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20071116042810/http://www.alabamapower.com/hydro/coosa.asp)
—Alabama Bass Trail — 2026 Tournament Series South Division (Lake Jordan venue, https://www.alabamabasstrail.org/)
—Alabama Bass Trail — 2023 Results Archives (Lake Jordan listed as Individual Event venue)
—Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) — Outdoor Alabama fishing regulations
—Reeds Guide Service (Reed Montgomery) — Lake Jordan / Coosa chain bass program (http://www.fishingalabama.com/)
