Black Warrior River below Selden Dam Fishing Guides
The navigation tailwater below Selden Lock and Dam near Eutaw, where lock releases concentrate bait and the fish that follow it.
Guides on the Black Warrior River below Selden Dam
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About the Black Warrior River below Selden Dam
Selden Lock and Dam sits on the Black Warrior River near Eutaw, one of a series of navigation structures that turned the Black Warrior and Tombigbee into a working barge route between Birmingham and Mobile. The reach immediately below the dam is a tailwater in the navigation sense rather than the coldwater sense: there is no hypolimnetic release and no trout, but there is a concentration of current, structure and bait that makes it a distinct and productive piece of water.
The gauge below the dam reports stage. On a navigation river that reading reflects lock and dam operation and the pool management upstream as much as it does rainfall, and the useful pattern to learn is what generation and lock cycling do to the current below. When water is moving, bait stacks in the turbulence below the structure and predators set up in the seams and eddies behind it. When the river is still, the tailwater fishes much more like ordinary slack river and the fish spread out. Anglers who do well here plan around moving water.
The fishery is a southern big-river mix. Largemouth and spotted bass hold on the rock, riprap and wood along the banks. White bass and hybrid striped bass work the current seams and can produce fast fishing when they are schooled below the dam. Catfish are abundant and large, with blues and flatheads both well represented in the deeper scour holes. Crappie fill in the slower water and the backs of the creek mouths. This is boat water first and foremost, with a strong current and commercial barge traffic to respect, and a safety-minded approach near the lock structure is not optional. Bank access exists but is limited and should be treated as a supplement rather than the plan.
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Access
Eutaw - the nearest town, the Greene County seat, with fuel, groceries and lodging.
Selden Lock and Dam - the structure at the head of the reach, with limited bank access and the gauge itself.
Demopolis - downstream at the Tombigbee confluence, with marinas, ramps and a larger service base.
Tuscaloosa - upstream on the river, with full services, tackle and access to the upper pools.
Warrior Lock and Dam - the next structure upstream, offering a comparable tailwater fishery.
Tombigbee River - the river the Black Warrior joins below Demopolis, extending the trip considerably.
Greensboro - a small town east in Hale County with basic services near the eastern bank.
Seasons
Spring: excellent, with white bass and hybrids running to the dam and bass moving shallow on the banks.
Summer: hot, with the tailwater current the best oxygenated water around and catfish feeding well throughout.
Fall: cooling water and schooling bait bring sustained action below the dam for bass and hybrids alike.
Winter: slower overall, but the deep scour holes below the structure hold good numbers of blue catfish and crappie.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Black Warrior River below Selden Dam?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Blue Catfish, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Hybrid Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Longnose Gar, Redear Sunfish, Spotted Bass, Striped Bass, White Bass, White Crappie on the Black Warrior River below Selden Dam in Alabama.
Where can you access the Black Warrior River below Selden Dam?
Eutaw - the nearest town, the Greene County seat, with fuel, groceries and lodging. Selden Lock and Dam - the structure at the head of the reach, with limited bank access and the gauge itself. Demopolis - downstream at the Tombigbee confluence, with marinas, ramps and a larger service base. Tuscaloosa - upstream on the river, with full services, tackle and access to the upper pools. Warrior Lock and Dam - the next structure upstream, offering a comparable tailwater fishery. Tombigbee River - the river the Black Warrior joins below Demopolis, extending the trip considerably. Greensboro - a smal...
When is the best time to fish the Black Warrior River below Selden Dam?
Spring: excellent, with white bass and hybrids running to the dam and bass moving shallow on the banks. Summer: hot, with the tailwater current the best oxygenated water around and catfish feeding well throughout. Fall: cooling water and schooling bait bring sustained action below the dam for bass and hybrids alike. Winter: slower overall, but the deep scour holes below the structure hold good numbers of blue catfish and crappie.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Black Warrior River below Selden Dam?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Alabama agency site: https://www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/freshwater-fishing