Earth’s depleting resources have been a serious concern for decades, and scientists and engineers around the world have come up with numerous solutions to reduce our environmental footprint. Bankhead Lake, a multipurpose reservoir impounded in 1915, houses one of these many innovations. The reservoir sits along the Black Warrior-Tombigbee river system and serves several commercial functions, including navigation, flood control, recreation, and most notably, the generation of hydroelectric power.
Though Bankhead Lake is far from the largest lake in Alabama, it boasts a remarkably diverse sports fish selection, not to mention other rare aquatic fauna like the critically endangered flattened musk turtle (Sternotherus depressus). The lake is regularly stocked and provides an outstanding fishing experience for black bass, rainbow trout, catfish, and sunfish. Marinas around the lake provide docking, fueling services, launching ramps, and bait restocking. You can even stop by a lakeside restaurant when you decide to take a break! When your trip is over, successful trophy fish hunters should be sure to register for certification from the Angler Recognition Program.
Bankhead Lake Fish Species
1) Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
Black crappies are one of many favorites in Bankhead Lake, and the reservoir is known for hosting colossal fish. Black crappies are unmistakable, darkly mottled fish that are as tasty as they are beautiful. They are sometimes called calico bass because of their striking pattern. Black crappies have deep, oval bodies with prominently humped backs. In Alabama, black crappies spawn from April to May, when fish move to calm waters to reproduce. One female crappy may mate with multiple males, producing several batches of eggs per season. Crappies school in shallow waters prior to spawning season, and many anglers take this opportunity to catch multiple fish at once.
Though black crappies in Bankhead Lake are massive in size, their population has declined in recent years. All waters in Alabama enact a 9-inch (22.9 cm) minimum length for kept crappies to prevent overfishing of young fish.
2) White crappie (Pomoxis annularis)
The white crappie is the more docile relative of the black crappie – in fact, the two species are nearly identical! The Latin word annularis means “ring-like”, a reference to the vertical band-like pattern surrounding the dorsal surface of the fish’s body. Despite the implication of their names, telling white and black crappies apart isn’t as simple as looking at the color of the fish. While white crappies are usually the lighter of the two, with less mottling and vertical stripes (rather than the irregular spots of black crappies), crappie color can vary tremendously depending on environmental conditions and genetics. White and black crappies are also similar in shape and size, both ranging from 10 – 20 inches (25.4 – 50.8 cm) long in Alabama. The best way to differentiate between the two is by examining the dorsal fins. White crappies have 5 – 6 spines on their dorsal fins, while black crappies have more.
White crappies belong to the sunfish family, the Centrarchidae. In contrast to black crappies, white crappies are far more tolerant of turbidity and warm temperatures. Like most sunfish, the males move to shallow water during spawning season, where they form colonies and dig nests in the substrate of the lake bed. Females usually lay up to 15,000 eggs, though bigger individuals can lay as many as 150,000 eggs in a single spawning season!
3) Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
Largemouth bass are ambush predators – meaning that they have adopted a sit-and-wait strategy when it comes to finding their next meal. When largemouths are ready to feed, they lay in wait, striking stealthily when an unsuspecting target swims within their reach. As a part of this feeding method, largemouths usually lounge in warm, shallow water with dense aquatic foliage that keeps them out of sight. From their hiding spots, largemouth bass use their superb eyesight to hunt other fish. They have been reported to be attracted to the color red, as this color is easiest for them to see.
Largemouths prey on many different aquatic fauna, including other fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic insects. They generally avoid swimming deep in the water column because of their aversion to the cold.
As vivacious as they are, largemouths are a popular target for anglers, putting up a lively resistance when hooked. Bankhead is a trophy largemouth hotspot, and fish are known to regularly reach the massive length of 16 inches, with even bigger monsters lurking throughout the lake’s backwaters.
This striped, brown-green fish spawns from April to May, when eggs are laid on rocky or gravelly substrate. Largemouths will collectively protect nests in large groups for up to a month after the eggs hatch. Male largemouths are some of the best fathers in the sunfish family, attending diligently to eggs and fry.
4) Spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus)
Spotted bass are slender, gold-green fish with a single horizontal black bar running straight from the head to the caudal fin. They have a non-uniform, mosaic-like pattern on their backs. Though the coloration of spotted bass and largemouth bass is nearly identical, an easy way to tell the two apart lies in the common names. The spotted bass’s mouth does not extend beyond the back of the eye. On the other hand, as the name suggests, largemouths have enormous jaws that terminate well beyond the posterior of the eye. Spotted bass are in general far smaller than other black basses, and those in Bankhead Lake are usually only 8 – 13 inches (20.3 – 33 cm) long. The best spotted bass fishing at Bankhead has been reported to be in the lower sections of the lake.
Spotted bass are much more likely to form schools than largemouths. They prefer gravelly substrates and the deep-sloping edges of the lake. Similarities between spotted bass and other bass species, including the ability to hybridize with them, have generated significant taxonomic deliberation for the species, and several changes have been made to its classification over the years. A former subspecies, M. p. henshalli, has been allocated as a new, independent species, M. henshalli (the American bass). Another former subspecies, the Wichita spotted bass (M. p. wichitae), was discovered to be a hybrid between the spotted bass and the smallmouth bass.
5) Striped bass (Morone saxatilis)
Striped bass, also called Atlantic striped bass or stripers, are the largest temperate bass species and an absolute must-see at Bankhead Lake! Adult fish easily reach 1 to 3 feet (30.5 – 91.4 cm) long, their enormous metallic bodies striped with 7 – 8 dark horizontal lines from the dorsal fin to about halfway down the sides of the body. Their color ranges from silvery to olive green or brown, but stripers almost always have faded white undersides. Striped bass have a separated dorsal fin, an identifying characteristic of temperate basses. Additionally, the anterior portion of a striper’s dorsal fin is spined, while the posterior section is soft-rayed. They have large, gaping mouths with jaws that extend below the eye. Unlike largemouth and spotted bass, which are actually members of the sunfish family, striped bass are “true bass” belonging to the Moronidae.
Though striped bass are naturally anadromous or semi-anadromous (living in the ocean and spawning in freshwater), they have been added to freshwater rivers, lakes, and reservoirs across Alabama as sports fish. They have long life spans, with some individuals living up to 30 years old. Striped bass fishing in Bankhead is premier, and the reservoir currently holds the rod and reel world record for the largest landlocked striper with a jaw-dropping 69-pound 9-ounce (31.6 kg) monster! The best baits for landing a striper are gizzard shad (their natural prey), white or yellow jigs, and spoon lures.
6) Hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops x Morone saxatilis)
Hybrid striped bass are not naturally occurring in Alabama waters. They are the result of artificial crossbreeding between a male white bass (Morone chrysops) and a female striped bass (Morone saxatilis), creating a hybrid striped variety called the palmetto bass. On the other hand, a sunshine bass is produced when a female white bass is crossed with a male striper. Though palmetto bass overall resemble their striped bass parent, visitors to Bankhead Lake can recognize a palmetto by examining the stripes on the sides of the fish. In striped bass, lines are solid and uninterrupted, while in hybrids they are usually broken.
Although the majority of hybrid striped bass are stocked from fish hatcheries, they can reproduce naturally – a rarity amongst hybrids. They are more adaptable to environmental fluctuations than their parents and can withstand extreme temperatures, low oxygen levels, and high salinities near that of seawater.
The best hybrid fishing in Bankhead Lake occurs during spring and fall, in fast-flowing headwaters (where water enters the reservoir) and tailrace waters (where water exits the reservoir). In these areas, anglers can easily catch fish weighing 3 – 8 pounds (1.4 – 3.6 kg).
7) Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Rainbow trout are another major draw for most anglers who visit Bankhead Lake. In fact, rainbow trout are so coveted here that they are stocked seven times a year! Each stocking introduces around 3,000 fish to the lake, for an impressive total of 21,000 trout added annually! Rainbow trout prefer cooler, clear waters with temperatures spanning 55 – 68 °F, though they are resilient to varied conditions. Rainbows can tolerate wide temperature ranges, and the steelhead subspecies inhabits multiple salinities.
The name “rainbow trout” comes from the eye-catching, bright pink to red band running laterally across the fish’s sides. This stripe’s pigmentation varies between fish depending on external conditions and age. Rainbow trout are generalist predators that will nip at anything they think is food. They are always eager to bite an array of baits, making rainbow trout a great target for your next fishing trip. Additionally, rainbow trout are low in mercury and make a nutritious addition to your diet. Be sure to cook up a serving of this fish using your favorite recipe for a low-calorie boost in protein and vitamin B12.
8) Skipjack herring (Alosa chrysochloris)
Skipjack herring or skipjack shad are slender, silvery fish in the herring family, Clupeidae. Adults are 12 – 15 inches (30.5 – 38.1 cm) long. Lacking any well-defined pattern, skipjacks are regularly confused with other herring species, namely the Alabama shad, threadfin shad, and gizzard shad. Still, distinguishing a skipjack from these species becomes a simple task when you know what to look for. Skipjack herring lack the long filament that projects from the dorsal fins of threadfin and gizzard shad. Additionally, the lower jaw of the skipjack herring protrudes far beyond its snout, while the jaws of the Alabama shad are roughly equal.
Skipjack fishing in Bankhead Lake is highly regarded. They are an early-run species, spawning in late March to early April when fish congregate near the reservoir’s fast-flowing tail waters. This predictable schooling behavior provides the ideal opportunity for anglers to catch a skipjack, when hooked fish can be observed “skipping” across the water.
Thankfully, you don’t have to be an expert fisher to see skipjack herring leap into action. Skipjacks naturally form surface feeding frenzies after dusk, when fish jump out of the water while spiritedly attacking prey. They feed on small aquatic animals like zooplankton and insect larvae.
9) Threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense)
Threadfin shad are a crucial forage fish for the many black bass, temperate bass, and sunfish inhabitants of Bankhead Lake. Threadfins use a combination of filter-feeding and simple consumption to obtain their food, which consists of zooplankton and phytoplankton. Threadfins are strict planktivores and rarely bite bait.
Threadfin shad school in shallow, open waters and do not inhabit areas deeper than 5 feet (1.5 m) below the surface. While they can withstand a wide range of salinities, threadfins are sensitive to extreme temperatures, and populations experience die-offs during summer and winter.
10) Gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum)
Another important prey fish, gizzard shad are nearly twice the size of threadfins. They average 8 – 12 inches (20.3 – 30.5 cm), whereas threadfin shad rarely exceed 6 inches (15.2 cm) long. Gizzard shad populate the lake’s deeper waters, where they use their gill rakers to filter feed on plankton. When sweeping up plankton, gizzard shad also intake sand and sediments to assist with digestion. They emerge from the lake’s depths from April to June, when fish enter shallow waters for spawning.
Predators of gizzard shad prefer to feed on young fish, as fully grown adults are too large to be consumed by all but the most massive predators. Additionally, while adult gizzard shad are mostly solitary, juvenile fish school together and are easier targets for predators. Because many sports fish hunt only young gizzard shad, their value as a forage fish is regularly debated.
11) Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
Channel catfish are Alabama natives and enjoy loitering around gravel, sand, or silt substrates with abundant aquatic foliage to hide in. They are opportunistic generalists, a type of fish that feeds on any source of nutrients available – living or dead. The diet of a channel catfish depends primarily on its size. Smaller fish consume aquatic insect larvae, while large fish devour anything from seeds and plant matter to snakes and birds!
Channel catfish utilize their specialized bodies and unconventional sensory organs to locate food. Their mouths are equipped with eight whisker-like barbels that can sense prey, avoid obstacles, and display aggression. Their bodies are also covered with taste buds, further aiding the fish in finding its next meal. For this reason, coupled with their slimy, scaleless bodies, channel catfish have been nicknamed “swimming tongues”.
12) Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)
Like channel catfish, blue catfish feast on an assortment of aquatic sustenance, though their first-choice meal is almost always fish. They prefer the reservoir’s rapid tail currents and are not usually found in association with other catfish. Blue catfish have pale blue bodies with white undersides and chin barbels, prominently forked tails, and straight anal fins. The anal fin of a blue catfish has 30 or more rays, whereas that of a channel catfish has only 24 to 29.
Blue catfish are the largest species in the Ictaluridae, the catfish family. Adults in Alabama measure 18 to 24 inches (45.7 – 61 cm) and weigh an average of 10 pounds (4.5 kg), though some exceptional giants grow to as much as 50 pounds (22.7 kg). They spawn between May and June, when males and females cooperate to find suitable nesting sites in underwater cavities in logs, rocks, or the banks of the lake.
As a game fish, blue catfish are famed for their high-quality meat. They taste delectable whether baked or fried. Since blue catfish engage in a piscivorous diet, the best bait to attract one is cut fish.
13) Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris)
This fish’s name accurately describes what Bankhead Lake visitors should expect when they spot one – a mammoth catfish with a dorsoventrally flattened head. Flatheads are the only large catfish species to exhibit this eccentric characteristic. Aside from their peculiar crania, flatheads have the typical appearance of other catfish in Bankhead Lake. They are brown-yellow fish with dark blotches along their backs and sides. Their lower jaws extend beyond the upper ones, and they have square, unforked tails.
Unlike channel and blue catfish that scavenge on live or dead fish, flatheads are strictly carnivorous predators that hunt for live food. Their primary prey depends on their location, but they have been found to feed on crayfish and sunfish, and will even cannibalize other catfish!
Owing to their violent temperament and gargantuan size, adult flatheads have no known natural predators and sit comfortably at the top of Bankhead’s food web. The best way to catch a flathead catfish is by using a rod and reel, limb lines, or noodling. Inexperienced noodlers should be cautious when targeting flatheads, as their aggression intensifies during spawning season. Flathead catfish can leverage their weight to drag a person underwater.
14) Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
Bluegills are among the smaller occupants of Bankhead Lake, reaching only 6 to 10 inches (15.2 – 25.4 cm) in adulthood. Though little, bluegills are deep-bodied, robust fish with long pectoral fins. The common name “bluegill” comes from their deep blue operculum, which is more opaque in males than females.
Compared to other sports fish, bluegills have bizarre lifecycles that include multiple phenotypic changes and incredibly particular mating rituals. These fish have light olive backs that dissolve to white ventrally, though coloration changes during breeding season when males sport shimmery purple sides. Like most other sunfish, males build nests in colonies. After a male constructs his nest, he either sits inside or swims around it, grunting to attract females. Male bluegills demonstrate parental care and develop bright red undersides when protecting their nests. This red tint is markedly pronounced below the head.
It may seem outlandish to think that an angler could ever have anything in common with a fish, but largemouth bass and people alike love the delicious, flaky meat of bluegills. They also make a practical target for new fishers due to their willingness to bite. Bluegills have tiny mouths, so anglers should use small baits like live insects when fishing for them.
15) Redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus)
Like bluegills, redear sunfish are members of the genus Lepomis, also known as the true sunfish. The genus name comes from the Greek words “lepis” meaning scaled and “poma” meaning cover, referring to the pigmented operculum present in most members of the genus. Redears are no exception, with a nearly black gill cover adorned with a bright red or orange margin. These fish are laterally compressed with light green bodies and orange specks scattered across the sides of their heads. The dorsal fin consists of an anterior spiny portion with 9 – 11 spines and a posterior rayed section with 10 – 12 soft rays. Alabama’s redears are similar in size to bluegills, measuring 8 – 11 inches (20.3 – 27.9 cm) long.
The similarities between redears and bluegills end there, as these two fish rarely compete with each other despite belonging to the same genus. The reason for this lies in the redear’s odd dietary preference for snails! Redear sunfish are voracious molluscivores, and they even possess specialized pharyngeal teeth for cracking open snail shells. Though snails may seem like a harmless source of nourishment for redears, they are a crucial intermediary host for several freshwater parasites, and researchers suspect that this leaves redear sunfish more susceptible to parasitic infection.
16) Longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)
Longear sunfish are one of the most gorgeous species to look out for at Bankhead Lake. These colorful fish have olive-green backs and yellow bellies, and are dappled with a metallic turquoise that radiates through the fins. This marvelous pigmentation is more apparent in breeding males, whose spots are an intense, sparkling blue. The colors of longear sunfish vary tremendously between individuals and populations, including assorted combinations of brown, yellow, and orange-red throughout the body. They have elongated gill covers that are dotted with a broad black spot and brimmed with white. The operculum is usually longer in males than in females. Due to the massive intraspecific diversity in appearance, many scientists theorize that Lepomis megalotis should be further assessed and divided into multiple species.
Longears average only 5 – 7 inches (12.7 – 17.8 cm) long. Due to their size and the resulting risk of predation, longear sunfish have adopted niche survival tactics. They have long spawning periods from March to August, in which schools dig colonies of nests on the lake’s floor. Colonies are compact, with nests nearly touching each other. When longear sunfish aren’t protecting their own nests, these feisty fish will invade others – often stalking smallmouth bass and sunfish nests to graze on eggs the moment a guarding male gets distracted. If they’re hungry enough, longear sunfish will even prey on the nests of other members of their species.
17) Green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)
Green sunfish are not easily fazed by unfavorable changes in their surroundings and are regularly the first species to repopulate adverse environments. They are similar in appearance to longear sunfish, though their blue specks are far less noticeable. The ideal way to tell the two species apart is by observing the mouth – green sunfish have a broken or incomplete blue streak across the upper lip, while the upper lip of a longear is streaked with an uninterrupted blue band. Green sunfish also have prominent dark blotches on the basal posterior of the second dorsal fin, which are either absent or faint in longears. The fins of green sunfish are white-tipped, and pelvic fins turn white or pink in breeding males.
Green sunfish are undesired sports fish as they are too small to consume, rarely exceeding 6 inches (15.2 cm) long. Additionally, they can outcompete preferred sunfish like redears and bluegills. Though native to central North America, green sunfish have been stocked in almost all states, sometimes due to their false identification as bluegills. With a fast growth rate and adaptability to varying habitats, green sunfish have become invasive in introduced ranges both within the United States and on other continents.
18) Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus)
The name warmouth has a number of possible origins. Some believe the name is a reference to this sunfish’s large mouth, while others suspect the name comes from the similarity of the fish’s striped pattern to the warpaint worn by Native Americans. In Alabama, warmouths go by the name “goggle eyes” because of their profoundly red irises, a trait that becomes even more apparent in breeding males. Warmouths are overall a shimmering, olive-green color with a purple sheen. Their sides are spotted with dark brown, which sometimes forms the appearance of thick, vertical bands, especially near the dorsal fin. 4 – 5 brown streaks radiate from behind the eye to the pigmented operculum, which may develop a red margin during spawning season. Fins are sometimes irregularly striped or spotted with brown markings.
With the abundance of sunfish in Bankhead Lake, anglers may mistake warmouths for green sunfish or bluegills. Warmouths have a characteristic tooth patch on the tongue that is not present in any other member of the true sunfish (except for the green sunfish, in which it occasionally presents). If you can’t see the tooth patch – don’t be afraid to feel for it! Anglers dedicated to identifying this species use a finger to feel for the tooth patch in the warmouth’s large mouth. The principal way to distinguish a warmouth from a green sunfish is by the color – warmouths lack the blue-green spotting of green sunfish.
Warmouths are the ultimate ambush predator – and will almost always be found in muddy water hiding under rocks, vegetation, or submerged logs. In Alabama, Palaemonetes shrimp are an important part of the warmouth’s diet.
19) Chain pickerel (Esox niger)
Chain pickerel are a species of Esocidae, a family typified by streamlined, long-bodied fish. They are the largest species in this family that are native to Alabama waters. Their bodies fade from dark green on top to cream on the bottom, and are covered in net-like green markings resembling the links of a chain. They have a single, dark band painted vertically from the base of the eye to the underside of the head.
Chain pickerel spend most of their time in clear, shallow, slow-moving waters where they take refuge in vegetation, awaiting their next meal. They bite at anything they think is food, and anglers in search of largemouth bass or crappies may instead find themselves reeling in a pickerel! Chain pickerel make for an exciting fishing experience, armed with large, posterior dorsal and anal fins that help them propel through the water with sudden bursts of speed. They also tend to leap from the water when hooked, putting on a flashy show.
