Know anything about Lake Weiss - Alabama

[thefisherman]

I've heard some good story about Lake Weiss in Alabama. They say there's plenty of slab crappies there. I've never been, is there any truth to this, and where's the best place on the lake to fish for crappie?

[FroggerZack]

Yep I'm pretty sure it is! If you check under the Alabama state board you can find all kinds of stories and fishing reports for there. Good luck.

[crappielimits]

Weiss is one of the best crappie lakes in the world. I have caught some good fish there. The lake is low so I wouldn`t know which direction to steer you, but some of the best guides in the world are on this lake. You would also need to state what time of year you are going.

[thefisherman]

Weiss is one of the best crappie lakes in the world. I have caught some good fish there. The lake is low so I wouldn`t know which direction to steer you, but some of the best guides in the world are on this lake. You would also need to state what time of year you are going.

Thanks, I'm looking at March and/or April of 2008.

[crappielimits]

March is great for the spawn there I would longline troll in creeks and up the river. Also might it the shallows with a jig or cork/minnow combo if you have warm weather. I haven`t been in a few years, but I love to put in at the bridge on Yellow creek there is a water fall across from there. Beautiful place! The crappie spawn on the banks just past the bridge there. As you come out of Yellow creek turn left and there will be an Island. I think it is called Hog Island The area behind it is also good for spawning fish. Prespawn look on the ledges of the LIttle River which also feeds near here. I could go on and on, but these are the bestareas I had found before I quit fishing tourneys up there. Good luck, Be safe this is a dangerous lake and it is very low and may be low in March, though we all hope not.

[Kelly Matthews]

thefisherman
First get you a good lake map and look for these coves:
Godfrey's Island
Three Mile
Spring Creek
Trotter's
Yellow Creek
Church House
All these coves are on a good quality lake map - if you long line troll, these are some of the best coves to hit. By March troll 1/32 oz Southern Pro Hot Grubs back in these coves in 4 to 6 feet of water and you should catch some good crappie. Also Godfreys, Spring Creek and Cowan Creek are great places to throw a fly and cork rig for spawning crappie. Come on over to Weiss someone will get you headed in the right direction... Hope you catch'em

[shipahoy41]

LAKE WEISS IS THE CRAPPIE FISHING CAPITOL.


The Fisheries Section's District II Supervisor can answer specific questions about Lake Weiss by sending mail to: [email protected].

Lake Weiss (pronounced "Wice") is an Alabama Power Company hydroelectric impoundment covering 30,200 acres in northeast Alabama on the Alabama - Georgia border. The Weiss Lake fishery is the major economic influence in Cherokee County, so the locals treat anglers very well. Four free public access areas and 37 privately run marinas service Lake Weiss. Campgrounds, motels and rental cabins dot the shoreline of the lake.

The lake known as the "Crappie Fishing Capital of the World" has other fish to boast about these days; largemouth bass and striped bass are making a name for themselves. The largemouth bass fishery has been a best-kept secret for several years. Data collected from tournament anglers and state fisheries personnel has shown that Weiss Lake is one of the better bass fisheries in the state.

The black bass population primarily consists of 15-18 inch bass as well as abundant numbers of young growing bass. The striped bass population is dominated by 3-7 pound fish, but fish over 25 pounds have been caught. With a creel limit of 30, one can have a lot of fun getting into a school of these bruisers!! Crappie fishing was good this past spring, but there are many crappie just under the legal size of 10 inches. The upcoming fall season and next year spring crappie fishing should be excellent as these fish grow to legal size. Georgia gives their prospect for fishing Weiss Lake.

Three special fishing regulations apply to Lake Weiss:
"It shall be unlawful for any angler to fish with more than three rods and reels, or poles, or any combination thereof on Weiss Reservoir or Neely Henry Lake, at any time;"
"It is illegal to possess crappie less than 10-inches in total length;"
"It is legal to possess 30 white bass, yellow bass, saltwater striped bass and hybrid (striped) bass or combinations of any size."
Several regulations of particular interest to Weiss Lake anglers:
"It is a violation of Alabama law for any person to transport more than one day's creel limit of game fish beyond the boundaries of this state."
It is a violation of Alabama law for any person to fillet a fish while fishing, or to possess fillets of fish while on public waters except when fish are being prepared for immediate cooking and consumption; provided however, that fish may be drawn or gutted with heads left attached.
For more fishing regulations, see http://www.outdooralabama.com/fishin...r/regulations/

Links (disclaimer):

Fishing license information may be found at: Licenses Instant licensing is available via the Internet (2% fee), via the telephone by calling 1-888-848-6887 ($3.95 fee), or at 900 vendors and probate offices in Alabama. All youth age 15 and younger fish for free.
Possession and creel limits for Alabama public waters are listed at: Creel Limits.

Bass fishing quality at Lake Weiss is assessed from bass club tournament results at: http://www.outdooralabama.com/fishin...voirs/quality/.
If you are a member of a bass club, please consider being a part of our Bass Angler Information Team. We use information from clubs to help better manage your lakes for fishing.

State fish management information and Alabama reservoir location, size and elevation are listed at: Reservoir Management.

Lake Weiss is in Cherokee County and adjacent cities include Cedar Bluff, Centre, Gaylesville and Leesburg. The lake is a short drive from Fort Payne and Collinsville, which are on I-59.

Information about Cherokee County from the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce is available at: www.cherokee-chamber.org/. The best way to get information from them is to go to the "Contact Us" area and e-mail them a request for information to be sent to you via mail. The Cherokee Chamber of Commerce literature lists a dozen motels, cabins and camping areas, five bait-and-tackle shops, eight restaurants, and eight fishing guides. They will send you a map also. Lake Weiss RV Park is just outside Leesburg on Hwy 44.

The State of Georgia provides information on Lake Weiss. From georgiawildlife.dnr.state.ga.us/, go to "Fishing," "Places to Fish," and then "Georgia Reservoirs Fishing Prospects." They will list a link to "Weiss" Lake.

Current water levels may be found for Weiss Dam at: http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/al/hydro.html

Water quality information is available from the Alabama Water Watch as a PDF file, here

Read a Fisheries News Article about Striped Bass of the Coosa River System by Steve Smith or an article on crappie by Jim McHugh.

It shall be unlawful to intentionally stock or release any fish, mussel, snail, crayfish or their embryos including bait fish into the public waters of Alabama under the jurisdiction of the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries as provided in Rule 220-2-.42 except those waters from which it came without the written permission of a designated employee of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources authorized by the Director of the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries to issue such permit. The provisions of this rule shall not apply to the incidental release of bait into the water during the normal process of fishing.


Prepared by: Fisheries Section, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This site is presented for information only the Fisheries Section cannot be responsible for the quality of information or services offered through linked sites, disclaimer. If you discover errors in the content or links of this page, please contact Doug Darr. Thank you.

[thefisherman]

LAKE WEISS IS THE CRAPPIE FISHING CAPITOL.


The Fisheries Section's District II Supervisor can answer specific questions about Lake Weiss by sending mail to: [email protected].

Lake Weiss (pronounced "Wice") is an Alabama Power Company hydroelectric impoundment covering 30,200 acres in northeast Alabama on the Alabama - Georgia border. The Weiss Lake fishery is the major economic influence in Cherokee County, so the locals treat anglers very well. Four free public access areas and 37 privately run marinas service Lake Weiss. Campgrounds, motels and rental cabins dot the shoreline of the lake.

The lake known as the "Crappie Fishing Capital of the World" has other fish to boast about these days; largemouth bass and striped bass are making a name for themselves. The largemouth bass fishery has been a best-kept secret for several years. Data collected from tournament anglers and state fisheries personnel has shown that Weiss Lake is one of the better bass fisheries in the state.

The black bass population primarily consists of 15-18 inch bass as well as abundant numbers of young growing bass. The striped bass population is dominated by 3-7 pound fish, but fish over 25 pounds have been caught. With a creel limit of 30, one can have a lot of fun getting into a school of these bruisers!! Crappie fishing was good this past spring, but there are many crappie just under the legal size of 10 inches. The upcoming fall season and next year spring crappie fishing should be excellent as these fish grow to legal size. Georgia gives their prospect for fishing Weiss Lake.

Three special fishing regulations apply to Lake Weiss:
"It shall be unlawful for any angler to fish with more than three rods and reels, or poles, or any combination thereof on Weiss Reservoir or Neely Henry Lake, at any time;"
"It is illegal to possess crappie less than 10-inches in total length;"
"It is legal to possess 30 white bass, yellow bass, saltwater striped bass and hybrid (striped) bass or combinations of any size."
Several regulations of particular interest to Weiss Lake anglers:
"It is a violation of Alabama law for any person to transport more than one day's creel limit of game fish beyond the boundaries of this state."
It is a violation of Alabama law for any person to fillet a fish while fishing, or to possess fillets of fish while on public waters except when fish are being prepared for immediate cooking and consumption; provided however, that fish may be drawn or gutted with heads left attached.
For more fishing regulations, see http://www.outdooralabama.com/fishin...r/regulations/

Links (disclaimer):

Fishing license information may be found at: Licenses Instant licensing is available via the Internet (2% fee), via the telephone by calling 1-888-848-6887 ($3.95 fee), or at 900 vendors and probate offices in Alabama. All youth age 15 and younger fish for free.
Possession and creel limits for Alabama public waters are listed at: Creel Limits.

Bass fishing quality at Lake Weiss is assessed from bass club tournament results at: http://www.outdooralabama.com/fishin...voirs/quality/.
If you are a member of a bass club, please consider being a part of our Bass Angler Information Team. We use information from clubs to help better manage your lakes for fishing.

State fish management information and Alabama reservoir location, size and elevation are listed at: Reservoir Management.

Lake Weiss is in Cherokee County and adjacent cities include Cedar Bluff, Centre, Gaylesville and Leesburg. The lake is a short drive from Fort Payne and Collinsville, which are on I-59.

Information about Cherokee County from the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce is available at: www.cherokee-chamber.org/. The best way to get information from them is to go to the "Contact Us" area and e-mail them a request for information to be sent to you via mail. The Cherokee Chamber of Commerce literature lists a dozen motels, cabins and camping areas, five bait-and-tackle shops, eight restaurants, and eight fishing guides. They will send you a map also. Lake Weiss RV Park is just outside Leesburg on Hwy 44.

The State of Georgia provides information on Lake Weiss. From georgiawildlife.dnr.state.ga.us/, go to "Fishing," "Places to Fish," and then "Georgia Reservoirs Fishing Prospects." They will list a link to "Weiss" Lake.

Current water levels may be found for Weiss Dam at: http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/al/hydro.html

Water quality information is available from the Alabama Water Watch as a PDF file, here

Read a Fisheries News Article about Striped Bass of the Coosa River System by Steve Smith or an article on crappie by Jim McHugh.

It shall be unlawful to intentionally stock or release any fish, mussel, snail, crayfish or their embryos including bait fish into the public waters of Alabama under the jurisdiction of the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries as provided in Rule 220-2-.42 except those waters from which it came without the written permission of a designated employee of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources authorized by the Director of the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries to issue such permit. The provisions of this rule shall not apply to the incidental release of bait into the water during the normal process of fishing.


Prepared by: Fisheries Section, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This site is presented for information only the Fisheries Section cannot be responsible for the quality of information or services offered through linked sites, disclaimer. If you discover errors in the content or links of this page, please contact Doug Darr. Thank you.

This is some great info. Appreciate this very much.

[CrappiePappy]

these people know their stuff :D : http://www.jrsmarina.com/

From what I've heard ... "bumping bottom" along the creek channels, has been producing fish, and with some good sized ones in the mix. Most of the times I've fished there ... I've fished primarily in the Little River area. Slow trolling with jigs (long lining) or "bumping bottom" (tandem minnow rig) as well as shooting docks and casting to wood cover ... have all produced, in the past, depending on time of year & lake conditions.

... cp

[Darrell Baker]

Depending on the time of year you plan to come to Weiss Lake will depend on what method you need to use to catch fish. If you are coming for a Fall trip (October-November), you will need to bump bottom or spider rig the river channel ledges with live bait. The fish are holding tight to the cover along the channel ledges, so you really have to work slow! You can use a tandem minnow rig, but I prefer the single rig with the 1/2 ounce weight on the bottom. There is a lot of structure along the ledges and you will hang up a lot more with the tandem rig. If you wait for Spring fishing (Mid-January-April), the best way to catch them is by long line trolling jigs in the large coves around the lake. (Kelly Matthews listed some of the best coves) In the Spring, the fish are getting ready for the spawn and they can be found schooled up and suspended early in the season in deeper water, but as the water temperatures rise the fish will move into the shallow water and can be caught trolling or by fishing minnows & jigs under a float in the shallow stump flats. I hope this information helps you out and I hope you catch a limit! See Ya' on the Water...

Darrell Baker
Weiss Lake Crappie Guides
PO Box 778
Centre, Alabama 35960
Tele/ 256-927-2232
Cell/ 256-557-0129
www.weisslakecrappieguides.com