Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.35

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024

Section 220-2-.35 - Seasons, Creel And Size Limits For Fish On Public Waters Or Banks Thereof

(1) The following seasons for taking fish in accordance with the below stated times, places, manners and restrictions are hereby established. Unless noted below, the seasons for all designated game and commercial fish are open continuously.

(2) It shall be unlawful for any person to take or have in possession more than the daily limit for any fish as established herein. This shall not apply to fish held live for release by the sponsor or its designated agent after a bonafide fishing tournament provided they are released unharmed to the public waters from which they were taken as soon as reasonably possible on the same day they were taken. This does not obligate the sponsor or its designated agent to release dead or dying fish.

(3) Except as otherwise noted, it shall be unlawful to possess any fish less than or greater than size restrictions as established herein. Size restrictions on all fish are determined by measuring from the front of the mouth to the tip of the tail with both mouth and tail closed. Except as otherwise provided for certain State and Federally owned and/or managed fishing lakes and ponds, the daily creel, possession limits and size restrictions for fish in all public waters of this State shall be as follows:

Daily Creel and Possession Limit

(a)Black Bass.....................................10

Includes combinations of largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, Alabama, shoal and those species formerly known as "redeye" bass, which are now known separately as Coosa, Warrior, Cahaba, Tallapoosa and Chattahoochee bass, based on their respective drainages. The Alabama bass was formerly known as spotted bass in the Mobile drainage. No more than 5 of the daily creel limit of 10 may be smallmouth bass. See exceptions for shoal bass in specific tributaries of the Chattahoochee River.

(b)Walleye.......................................2

It shall be illegal to take or attempt to take walleye by any method from Sweetwater Lake located in the Talladega National Forest, Cleburne County, from White Plains Lake (also known as Whitesides Mill Lake), Calhoun County and from Shoal Creek upstream of White Plains Lake, Calhoun and Cleburne Counties. It shall also be illegal to take or attempt to take walleye by any method from Lake Mitchell on the Coosa River between Mitchell Dam and Lay Dam or from its tributary streams, Walnut Creek in Chilton County, Hatchet Creek in Coosa and Clay Counties, Weogufka Creek in Coosa County, the Mulberry Fork River and the Sipsey Fork River or any of their tributary streams in Blount, Cullman, Lawrence, Walker, and Winston Counties or the Duck River Reservoir in Cullman County. Any walleye taken in these lakes or streams shall immediately be released back into the waters from which they were taken with least possible harm.

(c)Sauger.........................................5

It is illegal to possess any Sauger less than 15 inches in total length.

(d)White Bass....................................15

(e)Yellow Bass...................................15

(f)Saltwater Striped Bass, and Hybrids or Combinations. 15

No more than five of the 15 may exceed 22 inches in total length. See exceptions for Lewis Smith, Inland, Yates, and Thurlow reservoirs and Lake Martin.

(g)Crappie.......................................30

It is illegal to possess any crappie less than nine inches in total length taken from Alabama public waters, including Aliceville Reservoir and effective October 1, 2001, Pickwick Reservoir. Waters exempt from the nine-inch crappie limit include impoundments less than 500 surface acres, and the reciprocal waters of the Chattahoochee River and Impoundments and their tributaries, Bear Creek Reservoir (Big Bear Lake of the B.C.D.A. Lakes), Lake Jackson at Florala and Weiss Reservoir.) See exception for Weiss Reservoir.

(h)Yellow Perch............................No Limit

(i)Catfish (under 34 inches)...............No Limit

(j)Catfish (34 inches or greater)................1

This size limit shall not apply to catfish harvested from the Perdido, Conecuh, Blackwater, Yellow, Choctawhatchee, Chipola, and Chattahoochee rivers basins. It shall be unlawful to transport live catfish 34 inches in length or greater beyond the boundaries of this state.

(k)Bream.........................................50

(l)Rainbow Trout................................5

It shall be unlawful to fish with more than two rods or to cull from the creel any trout caught from the Sipsey Fork from Lewis Smith Dam downstream to the confluence with the Mulberry Fork. (See Paragraph 5 for definition of culling).

(m)Alligator Gar.................................1

All alligator gar caught with commercial fishing gear must be immediately returned to the water with the least possible harm.

(n)Sturgeon..........................Closed Season

All sturgeon must be immediately returned to the water with the lease possible harm.

(o)Paddlefish or Spoonbill Catfish... Closed Season

All paddlefish must be immediately returned to the water with the least possible harm.

(p)Skipjack Herring...........................50

(4)SIZE LIMITS - As provided for above, as posted in State and Federally owned and/or managed public fishing lakes and ponds, and as follows:

(a)Chattahoochee River Tributaries - It is illegal to possess shoal bass in Little Uchee, Uchee, Osanippa, Halawakee and Wacoochee creeks.

(b)Guntersville Reservoir and Its Tributary of Town Creek -It is illegal to possess any largemouth or smallmouth bass less than 15 inches in total length.

(c)Harris Reservoir - It is illegal to possess any largemouth bass between 13 inches and 16 inches in total length.

(d)Lake Jackson at Florala - Creel limit of five black bass greater than 12 inches in total length. Only one of the five can be over 22 inches in total length.

(e)Inland Reservoir - It is illegal to possess more than two saltwater striped bass that exceed 22 inches in total length in the daily creel limit and only one of those may exceed 30 inches in total length.

(f)Lewis Smith Reservoir - It is illegal to possess more than two saltwater striped bass that exceed 22 inches in total length in the daily creel limit. It shall be unlawful to intentionally cull from the creel any saltwater striped bass from June 15th to October 15th. (See paragraph 5).

(g)Lewis Smith Reservoir - It is illegal to possess any black bass between 13 inches and 15 inches in total length.

(h)Lake Martin - It is illegal to possess more than two saltwater striped bass that exceed 22 inches in total length in the daily creel limit. It shall be unlawful to intentionally cull from the creel any saltwater striped bass from June 15th to October 15th. (See paragraph 5).

(i)Pickwick Reservoir - It is illegal to possess any smallmouth bass or largemouth bass less than 15 inches in total length.

(j)Thurlow Reservoir - It is illegal to possess more than two saltwater striped bass that exceed 22 inches in total length in the daily creel limit and only one of those may exceed 30 inches in total length.

(k)Walter F. George Reservoir (Lake Eufaula) and its Tributaries - It is illegal to possess any largemouth bass less than 14 inches in total length.

(l)Weiss Reservoir - It is illegal to possess crappie less than 10 inches in total length.

(m)West Point Reservoir and its Tributaries - It is illegal to possess any largemouth bass less than 14 inches in total length.

(n)Wheeler Reservoir - It is illegal to possess any smallmouth bass less than 15 inches in total length.

(o)Wilson Reservoir and Its Tributaries of Big Nance and Town Creeks - It is illegal to possess any smallmouth bass less than 15 inches in total length.

(p)Yates Reservoir - It is illegal to possess more than two saltwater striped bass that exceed 22 inches in total length in the daily creel limit and only one of those may exceed 30 inches in total length.

(q)Chattahoochee River and Impoundments and Tributaries - Special creel limits apply in reciprocal waters as specified under regulation 220-2-.122.

(5) For the purposes of this regulation in paragraphs (3)(l), (4) (f), and (4)(i), "culling" shall be defined as removing and releasing a fish from the creel (live well, stringer, basket, bucket, cooler, or other container) whether it is replaced or not.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.35

Filed September 30, 1982. Amended: October 20, 1983; October 13, 1984; October 19, 1985; July 29, 1986; June 9, 1989; March 20, 1990; April 5, 1990(E); August 28, 1990(E); June 25, 1992(E). Amended: Filed October 4, 1993; effective November 8, 1993. Amended: Filed January 10, 1994; effective February 14, 1994. Amended: Filed July 11, 1995; effective August 16, 1995. Amended: Filed August 16, 1995; effective August 15, 1995. Amended: Filed December 19, 1995; effective December 19, 1995. Amended: Filed September 10, 1996; effective October 14, 1996. Repealed and New Rule: Filed August 11, 1997; effective September 16, 1997. Amended: Filed September 13, 1999; effective October 18, 1999. Amended (PE): Filed October 4, 2000; effective October 4, 2000. Amended (PE): Filed October 5, 2000; effective October 5, 2000. Amended: Filed June 19, 2001; effective July 24, 2001. Amended (PE): Filed June 25, 2003; effective June 25, 2003. Amended (PE): Filed August 18, 2004; effective August 18, 2004. Amended (PE): Filed January 10, 2005; effective January 12, 2005. Amended (PE): Filed May 31, 2005; effective May 31, 2005. Amended (PE): Filed March 15, 2006; effective March 15, 2006. Amended (PE): Filed July 19, 2006; effective July 19, 2006. Amended: Filed September 15, 2008; effective October 20, 2008. Amended (PE): Filed September 21, 2009; effective September 21 2009. Amended: Filed October 6, 2010; effective November 10, 2010. Amended: Filed October 12, 2011; effective November 16, 2011. Amended: Filed August 20, 2012; effective September 24, 2012. Amended (PE): Filed September 21, 2012; effective September 21, 2012.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXIV, Issue No. 09, June 30, 2016, eff. 7/29/2016.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXV, Issue No. 02, November 30, 2016, eff. 1/2/2017.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XLII, Issue No. 09, June 28, 2024, eff. 6/28/2024.

Author: Christopher M. Blankenship

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 9-2-7, 9-2-8, 9-2-12.

Penalty: As provided by law.