The Claiborne Reservoir is a man-made impoundment within the Alabama River, stretching through Wilcox, Clarke, and Monroe counties in Alabama. The reservoir was opened by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in November 1969 for its primary function as a navigation channel, and construction of the dam was officially completed in 1971. This vast water body flows for 60.5 miles (97.4 km) from the Millers Ferry Lock and Dam to the Claiborne Lock and Dam, covering a surface area of 5,930 acres (24 km2).
Aside from hosting an astounding 125 native fish species, Claiborne Reservoir is also home to several rare aquatic animals, including one of the rarest fish in the United States, the nearly extinct Alabama sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus suttkusi). The lake presents great opportunities for catching catfish, largemouth bass, crappies, and bluegills, and there are numerous public boat ramps and access areas located around the reservoir. When fishing at Claiborne, anglers should pay keen attention to statewide regulations concerning the many threatened species occupying the lake.
Claiborne Reservoir Fish Species
1) Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
The largemouth bass is a deep-bodied, olive-green fish that inhabits the shallow, warm waters of Claiborne Reservoir. As their name suggests, largemouths have sizeable maws that extend well beyond the back of the eye – perfect for clasping prey. This fish is an aggressive ambush predator, lying in wait within submerged foliage for unsuspecting prey to cross its path. They feast on a variety of organisms, including other sunfish, shad, crayfish, and amphibians. Even juveniles are voracious carnivores and target smaller prey like aquatic insects until they reach adulthood.
The largemouth bass is the most popular sports fish across the United States, with countless fishing tournaments held annually to capture this feisty fish. Largemouth fishing is superb throughout the entire Claiborne Reservoir, especially in shallow-water areas, where fish average 12 – 30 inches (30 – 76 cm). Though largemouth bass fishing is a major Claiborne attraction, the Alabama Fish Consumption Advisory cautions against consuming fish caught in the reservoir due to dangerous mercury levels in analyzed fish. Largemouths from the lower reservoir and dam forebay should be completely avoided, while consumption of fish caught near the Lower Peachtree Access Area should be limited to two servings a month.
2) Spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus)
Though spotted bass, together with other species of Micropterus, form the “black basses”, their habitat rarely overlaps with that of their relatives. Spotted bass occupy the deep, turbid waters of Claiborne Reservoir, and can be found around gravelly substrate and the steep banks of the lake.
The spotted bass’ profile is divided in half along the dorsal plane by a thick brown band that runs from the head to the tail fin, terminating with a large spot. Their green backs are mottled with big, dark blotches, while their contrasting pale undersides sport linear rows of pigmented dots. They also have mildly notched dorsal fins. Spotted bass are sometimes referred to as redeye bass, as their irises are occasionally a red-brown color. According to official taxonomy, however, the redeye bass is actually another species, Micropterus coosae.
Spotted bass are overall smaller than largemouths, a feature reflected in their choice of food. While still eager hunters, spotted bass pursue insects and shad more than they do larger prey, though bigger individuals regularly feed on crayfish and other sunfish. To catch spotted bass, similar lures as those used for largemouths are effective, but in a smaller size.
3) Striped bass (Morone saxatilis)
Striped bass belong to the family of true basses, the Moronidae. Their backs are green or dark blue, and their sides and bellies are dazzling silver to white. The upper half of their slender bodies is lined with 7 – 8 straight, thin stripes running anteroposteriorly from behind the head to the base of the caudal fin. Additionally, they have a separated dorsal fin with an anterior spiny portion and a posterior soft-rayed section. Striped bass have two sharp projections emerging from each gill cover.
Striped bass range from 20 – 24 inches (50.8 – 61 cm) in Alabama waters. Unlike many large fish that prefer solitary lifestyles, striped bass congregate in schools. They spawn from March to April, but the extremely particular conditions necessary for reproductive success make naturally-sustained populations in reservoirs next to impossible. Striped bass mate in the Millers Ferry Lock and Dam’s flowing tailwaters, where rapid currents are used to keep fertilized eggs afloat until they hatch. Eggs are temperature-sensitive and will die if temperatures become unfavorable or if they sink.
4) Freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens)
Freshwater drum are also called gaspergou, and are known by anglers for their loud, signature mating call. Spawning season for these fish begins in May and ends in the summer. The freshwater drum’s mating ritual commences when male fish rub their muscles against their internal swim bladders, making a noisy, drumming noise to attract females. The species epithet, grunniens, means “grunting”.
The freshwater drum’s spawning behavior is far from the most bizarre characteristic of this fish, as their morphology is equally peculiar. Freshwater drum possess a nearly flat ventral surface and a profoundly humped back. Their long, divided dorsal fin starts in line with the base of the pectoral fin and terminates at the front of the tail fin. They have unusually oversized, calcium carbonate otoliths (ear bones) that help them keep balance. These otoliths are nicknamed “lucky stones” and have been historically used to craft one-of-a-kind jewelry.
The diet of a freshwater drum consists of fish, crayfish, insects, and gastropods, which they crush using their pharyngeal teeth. No obstacle can come between a freshwater drum and its dinner! They will not hesitate to move submerged rocks to unearth their prey.
5) Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
Black crappies are another exciting draw for anglers at Claiborne Reservoir. They are light green fish with striking, irregular black variegation across the entire body and the dorsal, tail, and anal fins. Black crappies spend most of their time in underwater refugia and associate with aquatic plants, sunken logs, and other submerged structures. They favor clear, slow waters with soft, sandy, or muddy beds. Black crappies are sensitive to changes in their environment and are intolerant of murky and high salinity.
Black crappies spawn in April and May. Pre-spawning season is a great time for anglers to fish for black crappies, as this is when they form schools in shallow areas of the lake. Fishers should use minnows and jigs to explore sites with dense subaqueous cover. Alabama has a statewide creel limit of 30 fish per day, and anglers are not permitted to possess any crappies measuring less than 9 inches (22.9 cm) long.
6) Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)
Blue catfish are smooth-bodied, pale blue-gray fish that enjoy shooting through the reservoir’s high-speed tailwaters. These nocturnal generalists thrive in reservoir habitats, where they devour anything that can fit in their mouths. While juveniles primarily dine on smaller food articles like zooplankton, adult fish can eat practically anything, including plants, crustaceans, and invertebrates, though they have an evident preference for fish.
With the blue catfish’s insatiable appetite, adaptability, tolerance of varying salinity, and significant reproductive success, it frequently becomes invasive in waters where it has been introduced. Blues are the largest North American catfish species, and their hulking bodies almost always grant them apex predator status. With size as an advantage, blue catfish easily outcompete and prey on other desirable species, sometimes causing ecological consequences.
7) Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris)
While catfish are reputed opportunistic feeders, flatheads are strict carnivores – they only hunt other fish. During the day, flatheads relax in their favorite deep-water hiding spots, but at night, this aggressive predator wades through the cloudy, gentle shallows where it attacks black basses, shad, and other catfish common to Claiborne Reservoir. Though bloodthirsty by nature, flatheads are admirable parents that meticulously protect their young. Not only do they guard eggs against predators, but they also use their tails to maintain nests, clean eggs, and oxygenate the surrounding water.
Flathead catfish aren’t one of the most attractive occupants in Claiborne, with wide, flat heads, tiny eyes, and tentacle-like barbels hanging from their mouths to detect food. Their lower jaws protrude beyond the upper lip, giving them a distinguishing pout. They have yellow-brown backs and sides entirely spotted with brown, which fade white ventrally (leading to the nickname, yellow cats). They also possess a yellow-tipped, unforked tail fin and a round anal fin.
Despite what many consider a homely appearance, flatheads make fantastic table fare! Many revere this fish as the most delectable of all catfish species – best served pan-fried, baked, or grilled.
8) Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
The channel catfish is a monumental species in the history of aquaculture in the United States. It was the first fish species to be raised for the commercial production of fish as a food source in the country, beginning in 1955. They are native to Alabama and are the most important food fish resource in the state. The channel catfish is also one of the most popular sports fish across the state, and Claiborne Lake has first-rate fishing for them!
These gray to green-yellow bottom-dwellers occupy moderate currents, usually near vegetation and fallen trees. Channel catfish have a prolonged spawning season, beginning in May and ending in August. They utilize the hollows of logs, bank cavities, or holes in muddy substrates as nesting sites. A female may lay 10,000 eggs on average, which hatch after 6 – 10 days depending on water temperatures.
Juvenile catfish have pale bodies, decorated with a few black, freckle-like dots. These spots fade over time as overall pigmentation becomes darker, though rare albino fish remain a pinkish-white color even in adulthood. Unlike flatheads, channel catfish have acutely forked caudal fins, though both possess sharp defensive spines in their dorsal and pectoral fins. These spines have growth rings similar to those of a tree trunk and can be used by scientists to determine the age of a catfish.
9) American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula)
To new fish enthusiasts, the American paddlefish might look like a creature from another planet! Paddlefish in Alabama grow up to 6 feet (1.8 m) long, and one-third of this astounding body length is accounted for solely by their long, blade-like snouts. This impressive snout, or rostrum, is actually an advanced sensory organ, serving as an extension of the lateral line. It detects light, vibrations, and electromagnetic signals from plankton on which paddlefish feed.
As of 2022, American paddlefish are the only extant (living) species of the paddlefish family, the Polyodontidae, with the official extinction of the Chinese paddlefish. As such, they are now simply referred to as paddlefish by many. American paddlefish have been long-term targets of conservation management in Alabama waters, with restrictions regarding their harvest being enforced over several decades. They require abundant, flowing water to spawn, reproduce once every 4 to 7 years, are susceptible to overfishing, and are outcompeted by bighead carp. The culmination of these factors has led to a drastic population decline over time. Currently, paddlefish harvest is prohibited throughout Alabama. Fish must be returned to the water unharmed immediately upon catch.
In Claiborne Reservoir, paddlefish have been reported to gather near the Lower Peachtree Landing.
10) Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
Bluegills, locally known as bream, are a species of true sunfish. True sunfish belong to the genus Lepomis and are characterized by pigmented opercula (gill covers). Bluegills are 6 – 10 inch (15.2 – 25.4 cm), laterally compressed fish with heterogeneous dorsal fins that consist of 9 – 11 anterior spines and 10 – 12 posterior soft rays. They have dark blue gill covers, olive-green backs, yellow undersides, and broad, dark vertical bands running down their bodies. Astoundingly, the pigmentation in bluegills changes depending on their surroundings and reproductive status. Spawning males develop iridescent purple sides, and those guarding nests develop bright red underneath the head.
Bluegills spawn for 6 months from April to September, and one female can lay up to 81,000 eggs per spawn! Millions of young fish are born into Alabama’s waters every year. When bluegills overpopulate a lake, the average body size within the resident population decreases, much to the detriment of recreational fisheries. As a result, the catching and subsequent removal of smaller bream is not an ecological concern, and Claiborne Reservoir has a generous 50-fish creel limit with no minimum length requirement.
11) Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula)
Alligator gar are primitive fish in the gar family, the Lepisosteidae. They are relics of the past and are the only living representatives of the Triassic fish group known as the ginglymodi. Even after 100 million years, alligator gar have still retained the ancient morphological features of their ancestors!
Alligator gar have long, gray bodies, growing from 6 to 10 feet (1.8 – 3 m) in Alabama. The identifying characteristic of gar is their long, bill-like mouth. Alligator gar in Claiborne Reservoir have developed phenotypical traits skewed from those of populations in unrestricted waters, having smaller heads, deeper bodies, and shorter dorsal fins. The alligator gar’s mouth is lined with two rows of sharp teeth, a unique feature among gar, which usually only have a single row. Despite their intimidating name and perilous jaws, alligator gar are harmless to humans. While their teeth are capable of piercing skin, they have never been recorded attacking anglers. Surprisingly, the most serious threat posed by an alligator gar is its eggs, which are poisonous if consumed.
Like paddlefish, alligator gar have suffered a tremendous population decline due to overharvesting and habitat loss. The daily creel limit for alligator gar in Alabama is one fish per person.
12) Alabama sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus suttkusi)
Claiborne Reservoir is home to one of the rarest fish in the United States – the Alabama sturgeon! Endemic to the waterways of the Mobile River Basin, the Alabama sturgeon has been listed as endangered across the United States since 2000 and faces the risk of extinction. The rapid downturn of Alabama sturgeon numbers is attributed to the transformation of the Alabama River to an extensive system of locks and dams, severely disrupting their already limited habitat. Currently, the fish is only known to occur in Alabama.
As elusive as it is, the Alabama sturgeon is infrequently caught by fishers and biologists, with only 3 fish captured in the 21st century. Though no new sightings have been recorded recently, eDNA methods have detected the presence of the fish in 2014 – 2015. Little is known about the Alabama sturgeon’s biology, and assumptions are made about its lifestyle based on findings about other sturgeon in the Scaphirhynchus genus. Researchers have only been able to study the Alabama sturgeon’s habitat and dietary preferences, and have deduced that it prefers deep, swift-flowing waters and feeds on aquatic insects.
Alabama sturgeon are distantly related to the American paddlefish, both belonging to the order Acipenseriformes. Alabama sturgeon have narrow, shark-like bodies that reach 2.3 to 2.6 feet (0.7 – 0.8 m) long with bony back plates. Their profile is nearly convex, with flat undersides and curved dorsums. Overall the body is bright, yellow-brown with a pale belly. They have elongated, flat, pointed snouts with short barbells protruding from the underside. Like paddlefish, possession of Alabama sturgeon is prohibited, and fish must be returned to the water immediately if caught.
13) Southeastern blue sucker (Cycleptus meridionalis)
The southeastern blue sucker is a member of the sucker family, the Catostomidae. As the name suggests, these fish use their thick lips to attach themselves to the bottom of the lake below swift-flowing chutes, where they feed on nematodes and the aquatic larvae of caddisflies, beetles, and non-biting midges. They can grow up to 24 inches (61 cm) long and live for over 30 years! Southeastern blue suckers have a slate blue to gray color, with an extraordinarily long, sickle-shaped dorsal fin and forked tail. Their short, flattened heads appear small when compared to their bulky bodies.
Southeastern blue suckers are ranked as vulnerable in the United States and are present only in the Mobile Basin and Pearl, Pascagoula, and Tombigbee river drainages. They spawn from March to April, when water temperatures reach 59 – 68 °F (15 – 20 °C). Southeastern blue suckers migrate formidable distances during this period (with a record distance of 350 miles or 563.3 km in the Alabama River Basin), and some individuals can even travel upstream across dams when the reservoir is flooded. Southeastern blue suckers often return to Claiborne Reservoir to spawn annually.
14) Highfin carpsucker (Carpiodes velifer)
The highfin carpsucker has towering, anterior dorsal fin rays that are as tall as the dorsal fin is long. The dorsal fin extends nearly to the caudal fin and is severely sickle-shaped. They have short, stumpy heads, abrupt snouts, and arched backs. Their bodies are heavyset and deep, with silvery brown pigmentation and translucent fins that are sometimes white-tipped.
Highfin carpsuckers require calm, silt-free waters. If you ever see what appears to be a miniature shark swimming through the lake, it’s probably a highfin! These fish have an odd habit of swimming with their pointed dorsal fins and backs peaking from the water’s surface. They spawn in Alabama from April to June over sandy or gravelly substrates.
Highfins have ventral mouths, fleshy lips, and flat undersides that serve as niche adaptations to facilitate their benthic feeding habits. These omnivorous fish forage the lake bed for mollusks, crustaceans, insect larvae, and algae.
15) Quillback (Carpiodes cyprinus)
The quillback is another of only three species in the carpsucker genus. Both the genus common name and the Greek word Carpiodes refer to this group’s glaring resemblance to carp. Quillbacks spawn earlier than other carpsuckers, starting in April and ending in May. Fry undergo exponential growth, and young quillbacks can be as long as 5 inches (12.7 cm) at only one-year-old!
While the quillback resembles highfin carpsuckers with a deep, silvery body and sickled dorsal fin, they lack the nipple-shaped projection on the lower lip present in other carpsucker species. They also have small mouths that do not reach the front of the eye. Like relative species, the dorsal fin is long and pointed anteriorly, though the height is only about half the length of the entire fin. The lower fins are white or yellow-tinged. Quillbacks are a long-lived species that can survive for over 40 years, and develop black age spots as they get older.
16) River redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum)
River redhorses are large, beautiful fish ranging from 12 to 28 inches (30 – 71 cm) long and weighing up to 9 pounds (4.1 kg). Another sucker, the large, downward-facing lips are wrinkled and the snout is squared-off. Their light olive backs and sides are contrasted by a beautiful, bright red tail fin and orange-rimmed lower fins.
River redhorses enjoy areas with medium flow and gravelly substrate, though they tolerate slow currents and silty zones. The major determinant of their habitat is the availability of food – and redhorses will usually settle in places with an abundance of the mussels and snails that they feed on. Though river redhorses primarily eat Asian clams (Corbicula spp.), they are one of few freshwater species capable of controlling invasive zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) by consuming them. River redhorses have specialized pharyngeal teeth for crushing mollusk shells.
17) Alabama shad (Alosa alabamae)
Alabama shad are members of the herring family, the Clupeidae, and are the only anadromous species within the family present in Alabama. Alabama shad spawn in April, when they migrate upstream, though little is known of their spawning behavior beyond this. Young fish inhabit sandbar habitats and move toward the lake’s deeper waters and banks as they grow older and larger.
The Alabama shad measures 12 – 18 inches (30.5 – 45.7 cm), and like other shad species, has an elongated, ovoid body with a gray back and metallic, silvery sides. There are 55 to 60 lateral scales. The lower jaw is equal in length or only slightly longer than the upper jaw, and both jaws have no teeth. The lower jaw is also speckled with dark spots along most of its length, and the tongue has a single row of teeth down the middle. The dorsal fin is far anterior to the anal fin and possesses no posterior filament. Both dorsal and tail fins have a dark margin.
Though once abundant throughout their native range, dam impoundment has inhibited the annual migration of Alabama shad, and resulted in decreased populations. Alabama shad are classified as a non-game species, and it is illegal to remove them from Claiborne Lake or to kill them.
18) Skipjack herring (Alosa chrysochloris)
Skipjack herring are also called skipjack shad and get their name from their tendency to “skip” across the lake’s surface when hooked. They are schooling fish, and masses of skipjacks congregate at the surface of the lake around dusk to attack minnows, plankton, and insect larvae, often leaping out of the water as they do so.
Skipjacks are strikingly similar in appearance to Alabama shad but can be differentiated by observing the features of the mouth. Their lower jaw protrudes significantly beyond the upper, and the tongue possesses 2 to 4 rows of teeth.
Skipjack herring aren’t a favored game fish, as they are bony and have dry meat, but they are an important forage fish for black basses and catfish. Their schooling behavior makes it harder for predators to find them, but also increases the number of individuals preyed upon if a school is located. Skipjacks make reliable bait for fishing catfish, and Claiborne Reservoir enacts a liberal daily creel limit of 100 fish.
