Alabama River below Millers Ferry Fishing Guides and Conditions, Alabama
The tailwater below Millers Ferry Lock and Dam near Camden, one of Alabama's best-known catfish and striper tailraces on the lower Alabama River.
Guides on the Alabama River below Millers Ferry
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About the Alabama River below Millers Ferry
Millers Ferry Lock and Dam sits on the Alabama River near Camden, in the Black Belt country between Selma and the Mobile River delta. The water below it is a well-established tailwater fishery with a long reputation, particularly for catfish and for striped bass. The gauge below the dam reports stage, and as with any tailrace that number is the first thing to check, because the fishery is driven by how much water is moving through the structure on a given day.
Blue catfish are the headline. The lower Alabama River produces very large blues, and the tailrace concentrates them where shad and skipjack are pulled through the dam. Channel catfish are abundant alongside them, and flatheads hold in the scour holes and against the structure. Striped bass and hybrids gather below the dam in the cooler months and are fished with live bait and heavy jigs in the current.
Largemouth and spotted bass work the rock, the eddy lines and the creek mouths just downstream, and white bass push up in spring in numbers. Crappie fish well in the slower water below the immediate tailrace and in the adjacent creek arms. Freshwater drum are common and often the first thing a newcomer catches in the fast water.
This is a navigation river with an active lock, and the same cautions apply as at any Corps structure: restricted zones near the dam, marked safety cables, and current that changes without much warning. There is a Corps recreation area and ramp below the dam, and the Camden area has services. Boat traffic is light compared with the Coosa or Tennessee systems. The reach also holds a strong population of Alabama bass, and tournament anglers regularly run down from the Camden ramp toward the creek arms when the tailrace is slack.
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Access
Millers Ferry tailrace: Corps ramp and recreation area below the dam.
Camden: nearest town for services, lodging and supplies.
Bank fishing is available at the designated tailrace access below the structure.
Roland Cooper State Park: access on the reservoir side above the dam.
Creek mouths downstream hold fish off the main current when water is high.
The next reach downstream runs toward Claiborne Lock and Dam.
Note: restricted zones and safety cables apply near the dam. Check generation.
Seasons
Winter: stripers and big blue catfish concentrate in the tailrace.
Spring: white bass run hard and the bass fishing improves downstream.
Summer: catfish dominate, best when water is moving through the dam.
Fall: cooling water, shad pulled through, and a strong mixed bite.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Alabama River below Millers Ferry?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Blue Catfish, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Hybrid Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Striped Bass, White Bass, White Crappie on the Alabama River below Millers Ferry in Alabama.
Where can you access the Alabama River below Millers Ferry?
Millers Ferry tailrace: Corps ramp and recreation area below the dam. Camden: nearest town for services, lodging and supplies. Bank fishing is available at the designated tailrace access below the structure. Roland Cooper State Park: access on the reservoir side above the dam. Creek mouths downstream hold fish off the main current when water is high. The next reach downstream runs toward Claiborne Lock and Dam. Note: restricted zones and safety cables apply near the dam. Check generation.
When is the best time to fish the Alabama River below Millers Ferry?
Winter: stripers and big blue catfish concentrate in the tailrace. Spring: white bass run hard and the bass fishing improves downstream. Summer: catfish dominate, best when water is moving through the dam. Fall: cooling water, shad pulled through, and a strong mixed bite.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Alabama River below Millers Ferry?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Alabama agency site: https://www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/freshwater-fishing