Located just outside of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Lake Tuscaloosa is a 5,885-acre reservoir that has 177 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 92 feet. Lake Tuscaloosa was constructed in 1970 as a source of drinking water. During the 1960s, the Tuscaloosa metropolitan area saw a rise in population, and the demand for water for industrial and residential use became too high for the two current reservoirs, Harris Lake and Lake Nicol, to keep up with. Thus, a dam on the North River was implemented to create Lake Tuscaloosa as a third water resource.
There are great catches that can be found in Lake Tuscaloosa, but the setup of the lake makes fishing a bit more difficult. When the dam was completed to create the lake, not many leftover materials were left in the lake to provide a structured habitat to allow aquatic species to survive. In fact, much of the lake seems to be infertile, and the water has very clear visibility to deep depths; however, the upper lake does have some more favorable conditions that allow some fish species to thrive. Below are the different types of fish species that can be found in Lake Tuscaloosa.
Lake Tuscaloosa Fish Species
1) Spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus)
Spotted bass are a very popular sporting species in Lake Tuscaloosa, and these fish are often found in areas with a faster current. Spotted bass have an olive green back that fades to silvery sides and a light belly.
This species gets its name from the rows of small dark spots that line its belly. These fish average around 10 – 17 inches in length, and they weigh 0.5 – 3.5 pounds. Spotted bass also have a tooth patch on their tongues, which helps them eat crayfish, insects, and smaller fishes.
2) Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
Largemouth bass are another highly popular sport fish in Lake Tuscaloosa, and they can be found in backwater areas of the impoundment where there are rocky or vegetated coverings. Largemouth bass get their name from their mouth, which extends past the eye, unlike smallmouth bass. Largemouth bass have olive-green bodies with dark mottling along the back and speckles along the sides.
This species typically grows to about 15 – 18 inches long, although the largest largemouth ever recorded was 22 pounds and 4 ounces. Largemouths are carnivores that primarily feed on crayfish but will also eat other fishes and insects. The daily creel limit for all black bass species combined in Alabama is 10 fish, and only five of these fish can be smallmouth bass.
3) Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
Black crappies can be found in Lake Tuscaloosa where the waters are still and clear. Black crappies have compressed bodies that are darker green on the back with dark mottling on the silvery sides. They also have 7 – 8 spines on their dorsal fins, which distinguishes them from white crappies, which have 5 – 6 spines.
This species exhibits sexual dimorphism, so the males tend to be larger and darker than the females. Black crappies typically grow to about 8 – 12 inches and will weigh 0.25 – 1 lbs. These fish are able to see relatively well in the dark, so they will generally hunt during the night or early morning for small fish, crustaceans, and insects.
4) White crappie (Pomoxis annularis)
White crappies are relatively abundant in Lake Tuscaloosa because they survive better in more turbid waters, so the best chances of finding these fish are in vegetated areas near windier shorelines. This species has compressed bodies that are silvery olive on the back and silvery white towards the belly. These fish have dark vertical bands along the sides of their bodies, and their gill covers have spines.
During breeding season, males will look slightly different than females because the males will develop a dark throat. White crappies average about 9 – 10 inches long and are around 2 pounds as adults. These fish generally eat smaller fishes like minnows or shad, but they will also eat insects like mayflies. The current daily creel limit for crappies is 30 fish in Alabama, and all crappie kept must be greater than nine inches in length.
5) Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
Bluegills are a common sunfish in Lake Tuscaloosa, and they can be found in shallow, vegetated areas of lakes as juveniles, but adults will tend to be in deeper waters during the day. These fish are characterized by having disk-shaped bodies with an olive green back, an orangish-yellow belly, and a black dot at the base of the dorsal fin. Bluegills get their name from the bluish hue surrounding the gill covers.
This species averages around 7.5 inches in length and weighs around half a pound as adults. These fish have very little mouths, so they will eat smaller prey such as zooplankton, insects, worms, and snails. Bluegills are a main source of food for many larger fish species such as largemouth bass, so they have adapted to be maneuverable. For instance, this species can make very quick stops by spreading out their pectoral fins.
6) Redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus)
Redear sunfish are found in Lake Tuscaloosa in areas where the water is warmer and has a moderate amount of cover. These fish have laterally compressed bodies that are usually green, gray, or olive, and they will sometimes have dark flecks and vertical lines along the length of them. Redear sunfish get their name from their black opercular (ear) flaps that have a bright red border in males and an orange border for females.
This species can grow up to 12 inches long and generally weigh under two pounds. Redear sunfish are benthic feeders, and once they become adults and develop a strong jaw, they will almost exclusively feed on aquatic snails. These fish are slightly harder to catch compared to bluegills, but they are still willing to bite many kinds of bait, which makes this sunfish a great starter fish for new anglers.
7) Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
Channel catfish are one of the most abundant types of catfish in the United States, and they are commonly seen in rivers and lakes like Lake Tuscaloosa. This species will most likely be found near covered areas and the shoreline of the lake. Like all catfish, the channel catfish does not have scales and has barbels on the upper and lower jaw; however, the channel catfish can be distinguished by its deeply forked tail, silvery body, and overbite.
These fish grow to about 10 – 20 inches long and weigh anywhere from 2 – 10 pounds. Catfish tend to eat quite a bit of food, so they use their barbels covered in taste buds to sense their surroundings and find food like snails, fishes, snakes, frogs, insects, aquatic plants, and possibly birds.
8) Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)
Blue catfish are a close relative of channel catfish, and they are a relatively abundant catfish species in Lake Tuscaloosa. Blue catfish have a blueish-gray back that fades to a white belly, and they possess no spots, unlike channel catfish. These fish generally range between 20 – 60 inches in length, and have an average weight of around 20 – 50 pounds; however, they can easily reach 100 or more pounds if they are older.
Blue catfish have jaws lined with tiny teeth that help them eat just about anything they can catch including insects, fish, worms, and crustaceans. There is currently no creel limit on any catfish below 34 inches in length in Alabama, but only one catfish that exceeds 34 inches can be taken.
9) Freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens)
Freshwater drum, also known as sheepshead, is a fish that will most likely be found in the shallow, muddy waters of Lake Tuscaloosa. This species gets its name from the drumming or croaking noise males can make with a specific muscle in their body to attract mates.
Freshwater drum are characterized by their silver bodies with a lateral line that extends all the way through their caudal fin. They also have a steeply sloping body that gives them the appearance of a humpback. This species averages about 10 – 14 inches long and will usually weigh up to five pounds. Drums have large teeth that help them eat a variety of prey at the bottom of the lake including snails, insects, small fish, and invasive zebra mussels.
10) Bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus)
Bigmouth buffalo can be found in many of the drainage areas of Lake Tuscaloosa. These fish prefer slower-moving water and are usually in shallow depths during the summer and deeper depths in the fall and winter; however, they can withstand many different water qualities from low oxygen content to higher turbidity.
Bigmouth buffalo are an olive or bronze color with a lighter color belly, and they grow to about 15 – 27 inches long and 2 – 14 pounds. This species gets its name from its very large sucker mouth that faces terminally, and they use this mouth to feed on zooplankton, benthic larvae, crustaceans, and detritus.
11) Gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum)
Gizzard shad are a very common prey species that can be found in areas of Lake Tuscaloosa where there are higher winds and turbidity. This species has silvery blue backs that fade to white sides, and they average between 6 – 8 inches long and 1 – 8 ounces in weight. These fish also have a long final ray on the dorsal fin that resembles a whip.
Gizzard shad get their name from their unique muscular stomach that acts almost like a bird gizzard, which breaks down plant matter and phytoplankton that the fish filter feed on from the water column. This species is very important for the health of many ecosystems including Lake Tuscaloosa because they help control plankton populations, and they are a prey item for many other fish species including crappies and black bass.
12) Threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense)
Threadfin shad is a prey species commonly found in Lake Tuscaloosa, and they are mainly going to be seen in shallower waters where the temperature is warmer. These fish have a silvery-blue back that fades to whitish sides and belly. Their fins, especially their deeply forked caudal fins, are usually tinted yellow, and their chins have black speckles.
Threadfin shad look very similar to gizzard shad, but a major difference is that the threadfin shad’s upper jaw does not project beyond the lower jaw, unlike the gizzard shad. Threadfin shad are also smaller than gizzard shad, as adult threadfin shad grow to about 2 – 3 inches in length and weigh about one ounce. Threadfin shad almost exclusively eat zooplankton and phytoplankton, which they either filter feed through their gill rakers or hunt individually.
13) Common carp (Cyprinus carpio)
Common carp, also known as European carp, is an invasive species that can be found in Lake Tuscaloosa, and they prefer areas where water is warm and still or very slow-moving. This species has a robust body with a brassy green back and white-to-yellow sides. They have large scales with a black dot on each scale and two pairs of barbels on their upper jaw. These fish have rows of pharyngeal teeth that they use to dig up aquatic plant roots to eat in addition to catching insects, crustaceans, and small mollusks.
Common carp are a non-native species to North America, and they were brought to the United States in the late 1800s because they were a wildly popular food item for immigrants who wanted to be able to continue eating them when they came to the United States.
