USACE Robert F Henry Lock & Dam impoundment — 12,800 acres (20 square miles) stretching 80 miles up the Alabama River from Jones Bluff past Prattville and Wetumpka. Completed 1975.
Woodruff Lake Alabama fishing covers 12,800 Alabama River acres across Autauga, Lowndes, Dallas, and Elmore counties — USACE Robert F Henry Lock pool, 80 miles long, built 1975 for bass, crappie, and big blue catfish.
1975 (USACE Mobile District — Robert F Henry Lock & Dam at Jones Bluff, mile 236.2)
River System
Alabama River
Access
Public
01 · Overview
The Water
Robert E Bob Woodruff Lake is the uppermost of three Alabama River impoundments managed by the USACE Mobile District. The Robert F Henry Lock & Dam at Jones Bluff was completed in 1975, impounding 20 square miles of Alabama River water that stretches 80 miles upstream from Jones Bluff past Selma, Prattville, and to the confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers near Wetumpka. Because the pool is long and narrow — following the Alabama River's bends through Autauga, Lowndes, Dallas, and Elmore counties — Woodruff fishes more like a long river than a lake. Bluff banks, river-channel structure, cypress-lined backwaters, and the confluence of the Coosa-Tallapoosa at the upper end define the fishery. Largemouth, crappie, blue and flathead catfish, hybrid stripers, and spotted bass all hold here. Woodruff sees significant recreational use near Prattville and at the Jones Bluff recreation area, but the middle-pool miles through Lowndes County see far less angler traffic.
“Robert E Bob Woodruff 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 Robert E Bob Woodruff Lake on video
Alabama's 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 Robert E Bob Woodruff Lake’s current pattern.
03 · The Calendar
Seasonal Playbook
March through May is the prime window on Woodruff. Water climbs from the upper 50s through the 70s, pre-spawn largemouth stage on cypress-edge points and tributary creek mouths in the Prattville and upper-pool areas, and a jerkbait on ten-second pauses covers the staging fish. Crappie stack on cypress stumps and brush in 6-12 feet in Autauga and Lowndes County tributary arms — minnows and 1/16-ounce jigs produce stringers. Late April into May, largemouth spawn in quiet backwater pockets across the 80-mile pool. When Alabama Power releases water through the Jordan or Walter Bouldin dams at the upper Coosa-Tallapoosa confluence, the upper Woodruff pool fires on current-fed hybrid stripers and big blue catfish. Spotted bass hold on the current-washed rock near the confluence. Bluegill move onto shallow flats for May full-moon spawning; cricket on cypress edges catches stringers in the cypress backwaters.
June through August Woodruff sets up on current and river-channel structure. Blue catfish dominate the summer fishery — drift cut shad on the main channel bends and in the Jones Bluff dam forebay 20-to-45-foot water for the biggest cats of the year. Shallow largemouth hang in the cypress backwaters on laydowns and shaded timber — green-pumpkin tubes, wacky Senkos, frogs on sparse grass. Night fishing for big flatheads under the I-65 bridge lights at the upper pool is a classic Woodruff summer play. Spotted bass on current-washed bluff rock in the middle Lowndes County pool hold through summer — drop-shot on the ledges. First-light topwater on tributary creek mouths is the bass answer before the heat builds. Barge traffic through the lock defines the midday pace — stay off the navigation cut when a tow is running. The Lowndes County mid-pool stays quieter than the Prattville and Wetumpka ends, and that middle section holds underpressured largemouth on the bluff walls through the full summer.
September through November shad migrate out of the main Alabama River into the tributary arms and cypress backwaters, and every species follows. Largemouth chase shad on cypress edges, laydowns, and secondary creek-mouth structure across the 80-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 Autauga, Lowndes, and Dallas County tributary arms. Hybrid stripers stack again in the upper-pool Jordan / Walter Bouldin tailrace area on cooler 60-65°F water. Blue cats continue on cut shad along the main channel. By mid-November the cypress thins and a slow-rolled spinnerbait becomes the late-fall largemouth answer on main-channel cypress edges. Fall is the single best mixed-bag season on Woodruff — anglers consistently report five-species days in October and November when every fishery peaks together on shad patterns.
December through February Woodruff empties out and locals who know the river-channel work the deep water. Largemouth and spotted bass group on Lowndes County mid-pool bluff walls and the Robert F Henry dam forebay — a suspending jerkbait on long pauses on sunny afternoons above 48°F, a hair jig vertical on the rock, an Alabama rig on the deepest 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 through Robert F Henry below or Alabama Power runs generation at Jordan/Bouldin above, the bite turns on. Woodruff's central-south latitude keeps winter water warmer than Tennessee River pools at the same date.
12-month calendar
Tap any month to expand pattern notes. Legend: B = Bass · C = Crappie · S = Striper · Cf = Catfish.
Tournament pros have been decoding Robert E Bob Woodruff 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.
2024 · spring
Alabama Power + USACE coordinated release note
Woodruff Lake two-dam current dynamics
Woodruff Lake's upper end is fed by Alabama Power's Jordan and Walter Bouldin dam discharges; its lower end is controlled by the USACE Robert F Henry Lock & Dam. Current at either end concentrates fish on rock and cypress cover.
The pattern: Check three generation schedules before a Woodruff trip: Alabama Power Shorelines for Jordan and Walter Bouldin, and USACE Mobile District for Robert F Henry. Time the day around which end will be running current — spots and hybrids stack tight on current seams when water is pulling.
2025 · summer
USACE Mobile District — Alabama River navigation record
Robert F Henry Lock & Dam fact sheet
The Robert F Henry Lock and Dam was completed in 1975 and creates R.E. 'Bob' Woodruff Lake, which covers approximately 20 square miles (52 km²) and stretches about 80 miles (130 km) along the Alabama River.
The pattern: 80 miles of Alabama River pool is too much to cover in one trip. Break the lake into three sections — upper (Wetumpka/Coosa-Tallapoosa confluence), middle (Lowndes/Dallas bluff banks), lower (Robert F Henry dam forebay). Match each section to its best season and species: upper for hybrid stripers in spring, middle for bluff-bank largemouth year-round, lower for trophy blue catfish.
2024 · summer
Outdoor Alabama — Alabama River Woodruff Reservoir profile
ADCNR Woodruff Reservoir fishery note
Woodruff Reservoir offers a diverse fishery including largemouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, blue and flathead catfish, and hybrid striped bass on 80 miles of Alabama River pool.
The pattern: The species mix is the advantage. Woodruff gives anglers the option to chase trophy blue cats on the Robert F Henry dam forebay, chase spotted bass on the upper-pool rock near the confluence, or chase largemouth in the Prattville cypress — all on the same body of water. Plan the trip around the species, then pick the pool section that fishes best for it.
05 · Hire Local
Fishing Guides
On video
Fishing Robert E Bob Woodruff Lake on video
On the water
Alabama's State Public Fishing Lakes Now Open — ADCNR
Source: YouTube, ADCNR
06 · Planning the Trip
Stay & Eat
Where to Stay on Robert E Bob Woodruff 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 →
Holiday Inn Express Prattville South
hotel
Prattville, AL 36067
Primary chain hotel in Prattville with quick access to Woodruff Lake upper-pool ramps via US-31.
Alabama's largest casino-resort on the Coosa River bluff — gaming, restaurants, hotel, RV park. Evening destination for upper-pool Woodruff Lake anglers.
Alabama Historical Commission park at the Coosa-Tallapoosa confluence (the birthplace of the Alabama River) — reconstructed French fort, Andrew Jackson fortifications. Sits at the upper end of Woodruff Lake.
Civil Rights Movement landmark — 1965 Bloody Sunday march site over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. A short drive south of Woodruff Lake's middle pool.
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
Woodruff Lake is a USACE Alabama River navigation pool. Follow posted no-wake zones near Robert F Henry Lock & Dam. Commercial barge traffic has right-of-way — stay off the navigation channel centerline. Generation releases from Robert F Henry and from Alabama Power's Jordan/Bouldin dams at the upper end can change water levels and current rapidly.
Alabama fishing license required for all anglers 16 and older (residents and non-residents). Always verify current rules before your trip.
Woodruff Lake (formally Robert E Bob Woodruff Lake) is the uppermost Alabama River impoundment, stretching 80 miles from the Robert F Henry Lock & Dam at Jones Bluff (mile 236.2) upstream through Autauga, Lowndes, Dallas, and Elmore counties to the Coosa-Tallapoosa confluence near Wetumpka. Prattville is the main mid-pool town; Wetumpka sits at the upper end.
Woodruff Lake holds largemouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, blue and flathead catfish, hybrid striped bass, and bluegill. Blue catfish are the trophy species — the Robert F Henry dam forebay and main Alabama River channel bends produce the biggest cats of the year. Largemouth hold in cypress backwaters; spotted bass work the upper-pool rock near Wetumpka.
The Robert F Henry Lock & Dam was completed in 1975 by the US Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District, impounding the Alabama River at Jones Bluff (mile 236.2) to create the 20-square-mile Woodruff Lake reservoir. The lake was named for Robert E Bob Woodruff, a longtime Alabama Power executive.
The three main public ramps are Jones Bluff Recreation Area at the Robert F Henry dam (lower pool), Prattville Public Access (upper middle pool), and Swift Creek near Wetumpka (upper pool at the Coosa-Tallapoosa confluence). All USACE-maintained or city-managed, all free.
Yes — all anglers 16 and older need an Alabama fishing license regardless of residency. Purchase online at ADCNR's Outdoor Alabama portal before launching.
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 — R.E. Bob Woodruff Lake (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.E._%22Bob%22_Woodruff_Lake): 20 sq mi pool, 80 mi length, Robert F Henry Lock & Dam completed 1975
—USACE ACF Woodruff Final 2017 report (https://water.usace.army.mil/cda/documents/wc/2054/ACF_Woodruff_Final_Mar_2017.pdf)
—USACE Mobile District — Alabama River navigation (https://www.sam.usace.army.mil/)
—Outdoor Alabama — Woodruff Reservoir
—Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) — Outdoor Alabama (https://www.outdooralabama.com/)
