Alabama
Fishing Atlas
Pickwick Lake open water looking southwest from Waterloo, Alabama

Pickwick Lake: Smallmouth, Walleye, and Three-State Tennessee River Current

43,100 acres of Tennessee River reservoir where smallmouth bass run big, walleye stack below Wilson Dam, and the state line crosses mid-channel.

Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0

Written by Atlas Editorial · Last updated

Pickwick Lake is a 43,100-acre TVA reservoir on the Tennessee River spanning Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, closed by Pickwick Landing Dam in 1938 and built around current, rock, and the Wilson Dam tailwater smallmouth fishery.

GPS Waypoints (GPX)
Acreage
43,100 acres
Max Depth
59 ft
Avg Depth
30 ft
Length
53 miles
Shoreline
496 miles
Impounded
1938 (TVA)
River System
Tennessee River
Access
Public
01 · Overview

The Water

Pickwick sits where Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee all touch the same stretch of Tennessee River. The reservoir runs 53 miles from Pickwick Landing Dam in Counce, Tennessee back upstream to Wilson Dam at Florence, and Alabama holds the upper third from the state line through Colbert and Lauderdale counties. TVA closed the dam in 1938 and the pool has fished current ever since. Smallmouth bass are the headline species here — the Wilson Dam tailwater sits at the top of the Alabama pool and has produced record-size brown fish on chunk rock, gravel flats, and eddy lines where the turbines push cold oxygenated water. Walleye stack in the same tailwater every winter. Largemouth run the creek arms, catfish work the channel, and the Alabama Bass Trail launches tournaments out of McFarland Park in Florence every year. The main-river ledge bite from Seven Mile Island down past the Natchez Trace bridge is why pros keep coming back.

“Pickwick Lake 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 Pickwick Lake on video

Catfishing for Money - Pickwick Lake Alabama
Kayak Catfish
FISHING PICKWICK LAKE !!! (WHERE to FISH and HOW to CATCH)
Rocky Drake Outdoors
Fishing below WILSON DAM on PICKWICK LAKE !! (TENNESSEE RIVER)
Rocky Drake Outdoors
02 · Live

Today's Bite

—
Bite Score
Unavailable
Based on water temp, barometric
pressure, moon phase & solunar window.

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

USGS pool level: Gauge 03593000 — current readings direct from USGS.

03 · The Calendar

Seasonal Playbook

March through May Pickwick turns on as soon as water climbs out of the forties. Pre-spawn smallmouth stage on gravel points and secondary-channel drops from Wilson Dam down past Seven Mile Island — a suspending jerkbait on long pauses is the lake-wide starter bait from the low fifties through about sixty degrees. Walleye peak in the Wilson Dam tailwater March through early April, and a three-eighth-ounce jig tipped with a curly-tail grub bounced through the current seam gets bit when bass fishermen are still looking for them. Largemouth slide into the creek arms and back pockets to spawn once surface temp holds mid-sixties. Yellow Creek, Bear Creek, and the Colbert County creek mouths all produce on spinnerbait and lizard. By late April the shad spawn hits main-lake rip-rap and the Alabama Bass Trail visits McFarland Park, where tournament bags typically come off rock and bridge piling at first light.

12-month calendar

Tap any month to expand pattern notes. Legend: B = Bass · C = Crappie · S = Striper · Cf = Catfish.

Species on this water

#1

Smallmouth Bass

Wilson Dam tailwater and main-river gravel/rock — Pickwick's signature fish.

Creel limit
5/day (combined)
Best season
Spring/Fall
State record
8 lbs 1 oz (1986)
#2

Largemouth Bass

Creek arms, grass edges, Seven Mile Island area.

Creel limit
5/day (combined)
Best season
Spring
State record
16 lbs 8 oz
#3

walleye

Wilson Dam tailwater winter concentration — distinctive to Pickwick in Alabama.

#4

Spotted Bass

Mixed with smallmouth on main-river rock.

Creel limit
5/day (combined)
Best season
Spring
State record
8 lbs 15 oz
#5

Catfish

Channel cats in river run; blues below the dams.

Creel limit
No statewide limit
Best season
Summer/Winter
#6

Crappie

Creek-arm brush and bridge piling cover.

Creel limit
30/day, 9-inch min
Best season
Spring/Winter
#7

sauger

Tailwater winter fish alongside walleye.

#8

Striped Bass

Creel limit
15/day (combined temperate bass)
Best season
Year-round
04 · The Pattern Library

Pro Tips

Tournament pros have been decoding Pickwick Lake 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.

2021 · spring

Joey Nania

2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Pickwick Lake (Apr 29 - May 1)
I was just honored that that fish decided to eat my bait. It was a freak. It was just so big and so long broad; it was just a beautiful fish.

The pattern: Nania's first B.A.S.S. win came on main-river bars between Koger Island and Seven Mile Island on a 3/4-ounce green-pumpkin-shad Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer with a smoky-shad Razor ShadZ trailer — the 8-2 Day 1 kicker bit on precise casts that hit the tops of stumps mixed into grass. Pickwick pattern lesson: main-river bars in that Seven Mile Island stretch hold fish on grass-plus-stumps, and a heavy bladed jig keyed for shad gets the big-bass bites.

2022 · spring

Jon Canada

2022 MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Stop 3 at Pickwick Lake (Apr 21-24)
I came here and practiced for two days when the water was down, idling up and down this thing — marking every stump, shell bed, everything you can think of on a 5- to 8-mile stretch of the river and I ended up catching them in some of the areas where I did my homework. Most of his fish were caught on isolated stumps in 4- to 8-feet of water.

The pattern: Canada (Helena, Alabama) won $100,000 with a 20-pound Championship Sunday limit after starting 74th on Day 1 with 12-13. His spring pattern: idle a 5-to-8-mile stretch of river at low water marking isolated stumps and shellbeds, then fish a swim jig with a Reaction Innovations Twerk trailer and a drop-shot around those stumps in 4-8 feet. Pickwick spring lesson: isolated stumps you marked during low water hold big bass when pool comes up.

2022 · summer

Brandon Lester

2022 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake (Jun 2-5)
It was shellbed, and where the current rolled up on that bar, from 8 feet to 4 feet, there was a hard spot. The fish were sitting up on that spot. It was small, maybe three times the size of my boat. It was a typical Tennessee River feeding spot, right off the main river. There was a ton of bait in there — gizzard shad, threadfin shad. It was the perfect combination.

The pattern: Lester's 86-1 four-day total (wire-to-wire Elite win, $100,000) came off a boat-sized hard spot on a current-washed shellbed where a Strike King KVD 4.0 Magnum Squarebill in chartreuse shad produced the bulk of his fish. Key lesson for Pickwick ledge fishing — find the small high spot on the shellbed where current breaks from 8 feet up to 4 feet, and the bait and bass both stack there.

2021 · fall

Brent Crow

2021 Toyota Series Championship at Pickwick Lake (Oct 28-30)
They were running a little too much water out of the dam for me to do what I wanted to do, so the first two days I basically struggled and squeaked into the top 10 catching spotted bass. I have a few places I can count on to catch big spotted bass, and I weighed in seven spots and three smallmouth the first two days, which saved me.

The pattern: Crow's Toyota Series Championship win on fall Pickwick turned on species flexibility. When TVA was running too much current for his smallmouth program, he fell back on known spotted-bass rock spots to survive the cut, then shifted to smallmouth when flow settled — a three-species mentality (spots, smallmouth, largemouth) is how locals handle Pickwick's current-driven pattern swings.

05 · Hire Local

Fishing Guides

Neutral listings — no paid placement.

Jimmy Mason Fishing

Pickwick Lake, Wilson Lake, Wheeler Lake, Lake Guntersville

largemouth bass · smallmouth bass · spotted bass

Neutral listing — no paid placement.

(256) 762-0014Website

Brian Barton Outdoors, LLC

Pickwick Lake, Wilson Lake

smallmouth bass · largemouth bass · spotted bass · striped bass · crappie · sauger · catfish · white bass

Neutral listing — no paid placement.

256-412-0969Website

Pickwick Lake Fishing (Capt. Mark Alred)

Pickwick Lake

striped bass · smallmouth bass · catfish

Neutral listing — no paid placement.

(662) 279-9819Website
On video

Fishing Pickwick Lake on video

On the water

Catfishing for Money - Pickwick Lake Alabama

Source: YouTube, Kayak Catfish
Around the lake

FISHING PICKWICK LAKE !!! (WHERE to FISH and HOW to CATCH)

Source: YouTube, Rocky Drake Outdoors
06 · Planning the Trip

Stay & Eat

Where to Stay on Pickwick Lake

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 →

Renaissance Shoals Resort & Spa (Marriott)

resort · Florence

10 Hightower Place, Florence, AL 35630

Full-service Marriott resort on the Tennessee River at Florence. Walking distance to the river; closest upscale property to McFarland Park and the Wilson Dam tailwater.

Website → · (844) 631-0595

GunRunner Boutique Hotel

hotel · Florence

10-suite boutique hotel in historic downtown Florence. Voted #1 Boutique Hotel in America by USA Today in 2024. Walk-in showers, wet bars, seven suites with private balconies.

Website →

Holiday Inn Express Florence

hotel · Florence

180 Etta Gray Street, Florence, AL 35630

Interstate-access hotel with breakfast included — standard angler-friendly stop before McFarland Park launches.

Hampton Inn Midtown Florence

hotel · Florence

2281 Florence Blvd, Florence, AL 35630

Midtown Florence location off Florence Boulevard. Listed by Florence-Lauderdale Tourism as an area accommodation.

Joe Wheeler State Park Lodge

state park-lodge · Rogersville

4401 McLean Drive, Rogersville, AL 35652

Alabama state park lodge east of Florence on the Tennessee River — cabins, lodge rooms, campground. Wheeler pool lodging but a practical Alabama state park base if Pickwick-side hotels are full.

Website →

Marinas

Florence Harbor Marina

200 James M. Spain Drive, Florence, AL 35630

(256) 768-1299

Services: Boat slips · Fuel and marine store · Two extra-wide boat ramps · Fishing piers · 50 campsites on-site

Located inside McFarland Park at the base of the Highway 72 bridge crossing the Tennessee River — direct access to the Alabama pool of Pickwick. Picnic shelters, driving range, and restaurant on the same footprint.

Fishing Piers

McFarland Park Fishing Piers

200 James M. Spain Drive, Florence · Free

City park access · Adjacent boat ramp · Parking · Campground on-site

Waterloo Landing

Waterloo, Lauderdale County · Free

Boat ramp · Bank access

Colbert Park

Pride Station Road, Sheffield / Colbert County · Free

Boat ramp · Bank access · Picnic area

Camping

McFarland Campground

rv park · Florence

1000 Jim M Spain Drive, Florence, AL 35630

City of Florence Parks and Recreation campground inside McFarland Park, adjacent to Florence Harbor Marina and the Pickwick ramp. Online reservations through Campspot. Senior rate of $30 for ages 62+ (promo code SENIOR). Email campground@florenceal.org with questions.

(256) 740-8817Website →

Hart Campground

private · Waterloo

100 Hart Pkwy, Waterloo, AL 35677

Waterloo-area campground on the lower Alabama pool near the Mississippi state line — practical base for anglers launching at Waterloo when Florence Harbor is busy on tournament weekends.

(256) 768-1555Website →

Accessibility

  • Parking: Paved lots at McFarland Park (200 James M. Spain Drive, Florence) serve the main boat ramp, Florence Harbor Marina, and the on-site fishing piers.

McFarland Park is the most accessible Alabama-side setup on the Pickwick pool — paved parking adjacent to two extra-wide boat ramps, fishing piers, and the marine store at Florence Harbor Marina. Confirm ADA-specific pier and dock status with Florence Parks and Recreation (256-760-6416) before trips; the city has temporarily closed individual piers for repairs in recent years.

Where to Eat

Trowbridge's Ice Cream Bar

316 N Court Street, Florence, AL 35630 · Sandwiches, ice cream, old-fashioned lunch counter

(256) 764-1503

Downtown Florence lunch stop that anglers keep on rotation before afternoon sessions. Handmade shakes and griddle sandwiches — quick in, quick out.

Ricatoni's Italian Grill

107 N Court Street, Florence, AL 35630 · Italian

(256) 718-1002

Family-oriented downtown Italian across the street from Trowbridge's. Go-to sit-down dinner for Florence weigh-in nights.

Legends Steakhouse

201 N Seminary Street, Florence, AL 35630 · Steakhouse

(256) 766-5072

Open since 1988 in downtown Florence — dry-aged steaks, house sides, full bar. Standard tournament-week dinner spot.

Odette

Florence · American / farm-to-table

(256) 349-5219

Visit site →

Historic downtown Florence neighborhood eatery serving elevated American plates with Southern and international influences. Tuesday through Saturday; reservations by email for parties of 6+.

Rattlesnake Saloon

1292 Mt. Mills Road, Tuscumbia, AL 35674 · Bar / American

(256) 370-7220

Visit site →

Open-air saloon tucked under a rock bluff at Seven Springs Lodge — south-side Shoals bucket-list stop between Pickwick trips, especially on evenings when Florence Harbor parking is packed.

Nearby Attractions

Wilson Dam

scenic

First dam on the Tennessee River, authorized 1918. Sits at the head of the Alabama Pickwick pool — overlook access and tailwater viewing near Florence.

McFarland Park

recreation

2830 Darby Drive, Florence, AL 35630

(256) 760-6416

Florence Parks & Rec waterfront complex on the Tennessee River — 60-campsite campground, Florence Harbor Marina, two boat ramps, fishing piers, disc golf course, soccer and baseball fields, playgrounds, lighted jogging trail, picnic pavilions, and on-site restaurant. Hosts the annual 4th of July Spirit of Freedom Celebration and W.C. Handy Music Festival concerts. Family anchor for anglers' spouses and kids on Pickwick trips.

FAME Recording Studios

museum

Legendary Muscle Shoals studio established 1959 — Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Little Richard, the Rolling Stones, Alicia Keys, Jason Isbell, Gregg Allman Band all tracked here. Tours of the historic studio are available; an essential off-day stop for anglers fishing Pickwick.

Muscle Shoals Sound Studio

museum

3614 Jackson Highway, Sheffield — the Swampers' studio, now operated as a museum by the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation. The Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, and the Staple Singers all cut records in this cinder-block building. Public tours and recording sessions available.

Helen Keller's Birthplace (Ivy Green)

museum

300 West North Commons, Tuscumbia — the home where Helen Keller was born and where Anne Sullivan broke through with the word 'water' at the outdoor pump. Summer Miracle Worker outdoor play runs June and July on the grounds.

Alabama Music Hall of Fame

museum

617 U.S. 72 West, Tuscumbia. The state's official music museum honoring Alabama inductees — Hank Williams, Nat King Cole, Lionel Richie, Emmylou Harris, the Commodores. On-site recording booth (Book Your Recording) lets visitors cut a song.

W.C. Handy Museum and Library

museum

The 1873 log cabin birthplace of the Father of the Blues, preserved in downtown Florence. Handy's original sheet music, the piano that first played 'St. Louis Blues,' personal papers, and African-American music archive.

Rosenbaum House

museum

The only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house in Alabama — a 1939 Usonian commissioned by Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum. Open Tuesday-Saturday 10 AM-4 PM and Sunday 1-4 PM; last tour at 3:15 PM. No reservation required except for groups of 10+.

Pope's Tavern Museum

museum

203 Hermitage Drive, Florence — one of the oldest standing structures in the Shoals (1830s brick house). Open Tuesday-Saturday 10 AM-4 PM. $5 adults, $2 students. Phone (256) 760-6439. Home of the award-winning 'Slavery in the Shoals' exhibit and an active archaeological dig.

Dismals Canyon

scenic

National Natural Landmark sandstone gorge about 45 minutes south of Florence — 1.5-mile canyon-floor hiking trail through waterfalls and grottos, plus guided night tours to see the Dismalites (bioluminescent glowworms found only a few places on Earth). Season opens mid-March.

Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve

scenic

251 Loop Road, Tuscumbia (Colbert County). 700-acre private nature preserve with 25.7 miles of marked hiking trails, waterfalls, and bluff overlooks. Open Friday-Sunday 7 AM-5 PM year-round. Free admission; sign in at trailhead kiosk. Operated by The Land Trust of North Alabama.

Around Pickwick Lake

Florence anchors the Alabama side of Pickwick. McFarland Park at 200 James M. Spain Drive holds the main boat ramp, Florence Harbor Marina, the Alabama Bass Trail weigh-in stage, and a city campground with RV and tent sites on the Tennessee River. Downtown Florence is a five-minute drive from the ramp — Court Street and Mobile Street keep full-service lodging, restaurants, and tackle within easy reach after weigh-in. Wilson Dam sits right upstream of McFarland Park at river mile 259.4 with public overlook access and tailwater viewing on the Lauderdale County side. Across the river, Sheffield and Muscle Shoals sit on the Colbert County bank with lower-pool ramp access at Colbert Park near the TVA Colbert Fossil Plant discharge. Down the Lauderdale County shoreline the road runs out to Waterloo near the Mississippi state line — one of the quieter lower-pool launches, worth the drive when Florence Harbor traffic piles up on tournament weekends.

07 · Launch Day

On the Water

Boat ramps

concrete rampOpen

McFarland Park Boat Ramp

Florence

Parking
spots
Fee
Free

200 James M. Spain Drive. Alabama Bass Trail launch and weigh-in site for Pickwick events. Florence Harbor Marina on-site.

Directions
concrete rampOpen

Colbert Park

Pride Station / Sheffield

Parking
spots
Fee
Free

Lower-pool Colbert County access near the Colbert Fossil Plant discharge area.

Directions
concrete rampOpen

Waterloo Landing

Waterloo

Parking
spots
Fee
Free

Lower Alabama pool access on the Lauderdale County side, near the Mississippi state line.

Directions

Bait shops near the lake

  • Pickwick Lake Fishing (Capt. Mark Alred)

    Iuka / Pickwick pool

    Visit site →

    Live-bait striper and smallmouth tripsBoat/fuel/tackle included on guided trips
    (662) 279-9819

  • Florence Harbor Marina

    200 James M. Spain Drive, Florence, AL 35630

    Visit site →

    Gas and diesel fuel dockPump-out station110 wet slips 20-60 ftPontoon rentals
Archive

Tournament History

EventDateWinnerWeightPrimary Lure
Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake2022-06Brandon Lester86 lbs 1 ozStrike King 4.0 Magnum Squarebill crankbait in chartreuse shad
MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Stop 3 at Pickwick Lake2022-04Jon Canada20 lbs (Championship Sunday limit)Reaction Innovations Flirt Worm drop-shot in green pumpkin; swim jig on isolated stumps
Toyota Series Championship Presented by Guaranteed Rate at Pickwick Lake2021-11Brent Crow52 lbs 2 oz (3-day total)Mixed spotted-bass and smallmouth pattern on rock; fell back on spots below Wilson Dam when flow was heavy
Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open at Pickwick Lake2021-05Joey Nania58 lbs 2 oz3/4-oz Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer (green pumpkin shad) early; Z-Man Mag FattyZ on 3/16-oz shaky head on Championship Saturday

Source: Bassmaster tournament archive · Alabama Bass Trail results database

Law

Regulations

Regulations on Pickwick Lake

Bass (combined)
5-fish combined (largemouth/spotted/smallmouth) · 15-inch minimum largemouth and smallmouth; 12-inch minimum spotted bass (per Alabama Bass Trail 2026 rules)
Crappie
30 per day · 9-inch minimum
Striped/White Bass
15 per day combined temperate bass

Multi-state reservoir — Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee each regulate their own portion. TVA no-wake zones posted near dams and marinas. Walleye regulations differ from bass: verify ADCNR current rules before keeping fish.

Alabama fishing license required on the Alabama pool (residents and non-residents). Reciprocal licenses may apply near state lines — verify before crossing.. Always verify current rules before your trip.

Full Alabama fishing regulations ›
Explore

Nearby Waters

~42 miles

Lake Wheeler

67,100 acres

Bass · Crappie

~2 miles

Tennessee River (Tailrace)

River

Stripers · Bass

~55 miles

Lake Nickajack

10,370 acres

Bass · Crappie

~38 miles

Lake Wilson

15,930 acres

Bass · Catfish

FAQ

Pickwick Lake questions

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

  • Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) — Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (https://www.outdooralabama.com/fishing)
  • Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) — Pickwick Lake operating information (https://www.tva.com/environment/lake-levels/pickwick)
  • Wikipedia — Pickwick Lake (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickwick_Lake)
  • Wikipedia — Pickwick Landing Dam (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickwick_Landing_Dam)
  • Alabama Bass Trail — Pickwick tournament schedule and rules (https://alabamabasstrail.org/lakes/pickwick/)
  • Bassmaster — 2010 Alabama Charge Elite tournament coverage at Pickwick Lake
  • Wikipedia — Wilson Dam (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Dam)

Data last reviewed: 2026-04-18

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