Clean your boat trailers! Giant Salvinia is a highly invasive floating aquatic plant that is present in this lake. Please remove all vegetation from your boat trailer before leaving the launch areas.
*Columbus Lake is part of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE). The MDWFP Fisheries Bureau manages the lake's fisheries resources and provides weekly fishing reports.
Covering 8,910 acres, Columbus Lake is the largest reservoir along the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. It was opened in 1981 and is owned and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The reservoir extends 22 miles from Aberdeen Lock and Dam (mile 357.5) to Columbus Lock and Dam (Stennis Lock and Dam, mile 334.7). Historically, Columbus Lake has been a popular destination for bass and crappie anglers from around the state and the west central region of Alabama.
Fishing Report
| Species | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bass | The bass bite has been fair this past week and should improve as the weather gets cooler. Anglers have been targeting the deep side of the channel bends in the old river runs. Look for woody cover in these areas to hold fish. Bass are also being caught around shoreline structure off the channel and around the gravel pits. Anglers have had the most success using Texas-rigged soft plastics and jigs. |
| Catfish | The catfish bite has been slow with few catfish anglers available for reports. Jugs using cut/whole shad have been the most productive. Anglers typically target areas just off of the navigational channel and below the dam. |
| Crappie | The crappie bite has been slow to fair. Anglers have been using minnows and jigs around gravel pits and woody cover. Most fish have been found holding along laydowns and deeper grass. |
Giant salvinia is a highly invasive aquatic plant found throughout the Tenn-Tom Waterway. It is critical that anglers visiting the lake clean their boats and boat trailers to reduce the possibility of transferring this plant to other water bodies. Giant salvinia is extremely difficult to eradicate once it becomes established.
Columbus Lake Special Regulations
Columbus Lake Special Regulations
Creel and Size Limits
| Species | Lengths to Release | Daily Creel Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bass (combined largemouth, spotted and smallmouth) | Under 14 inches | 10 per angler |
| Crappie (combined white and black) | Under 9 inches | 30 per angler |
Statewide creel and size limits apply to all other fish species
*Columbus Lake Interactive Map
Find and learn more about *Columbus Lake...