About the Trail
The lakes of the Alabama Bass Trail and the memories made on its waters and banks are definitely keepers!
Alabama is proud to share its legendary fishing traditions with visitors young and old, experienced or not, from across the country.
The trail features 13 premier bass-fishing lakes and stretches from the mountains of North Alabama south to the Mobile Delta. Bass may be our most famous catch, but the biodiversity of Alabama’s waters creates a breeding ground for hundreds of species of freshwater fish. Our mild climate – coupled with a host of fishing guides, marinas and public access points – makes anytime a good time to fish!
Alabamians don’t claim to have invented bass fishing, but the modern bass tournament did begin in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1968, with the incorporation of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.).
Today B.A.S.S. is headquartered a bit farther north, in Birmingham, and those first rules of competitive bass fishing that foster ethical angling, conservation and safety are being used all around the world. The strong partnership of B.A.S.S. with the Alabama Bass Trail is helping us communicate the message of world-class fishing with anglers across the United States.
Conservation and education programs are integral to the trail’s goals,
with an emphasis on encouraging anglers young and old to be good stewards of Alabama’s natural resources. The Alabama Bass Trail offers annual opportunities for communities, groups and individuals to get involved improving our public waterways.
The Alabama Bass Trail and the Alabama Student Angler Bass Fishing Association have developed a service program that engages Alabama’s youth anglers. With the help of these young men and women in building artificial reefs, performing drops at designated GPS locations, and cleaning up trash during the annual water drawdown, we are ensuring healthy aquatic habitats and ecological systems at the lakes.
Whether you choose to travel the trail from north to south, visit a lake near another of Alabama’s amazing attractions or just pick a spot on the map and head out, you’ll get hooked on the great fishing of the Alabama Bass Trail.
Check out the trail map and start planning your trip – and your lasting memories of fishing the trail – today. For information on all there is to see and do in Alabama, visit Alabama.Travel or use one of our suggested itineraries to get you started.
Then get out and hit the trail!
The Alabama Bass Trail is a cooperative effort between the Governor’s office, the Alabama Tourism Department, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association.
