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69,000-acre Tennessee River impoundment; grass-filled largemouth factory. The lake tops out around 60 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
The drawn water covers 59,966 acres wrapped in 531 miles of bank, with 78 islands in the mix. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 15.5) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 90% of this chart, as modeled. Figure 67.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 12.6 mi at the beam. It sits in Jackson County. Its nearest charted neighbour, DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake, is 13 mi to the southeast.
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Milfoil/hydrilla flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Milfoil/hydrilla flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (20 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deepest basin: a deep basin around 31 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Milfoil/hydrilla flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Tennessee River channel ledge (25 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (20 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deepest basin (31 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Town Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Town Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Tennessee River channel ledge (25 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Tennessee River channel ledge (25 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deepest basin (31 ft) |
When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Milfoil/hydrilla flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Milfoil/hydrilla flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-river grass line (10 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Main-river grass line (10 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | River bar hump (10 ft) | Tiny spoon |
In spring, sauger run shallow here, mostly 4 to 18 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 45 ft. Town Creek inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring sauger. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Town Creek inflow (8 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Tennessee River channel ledge (25 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Tennessee River channel ledge (25 ft) | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Tennessee River channel ledge (25 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
The chart marks 63 structure features on Lake Guntersville; the deepest is Dam-side basin at about 52 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Alabama waters are set by the Alabama DCNR — and special regulations can apply to Lake Guntersville specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alabama fishing regulations →
Lake Guntersville is about 60 ft (18 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, bluegill, sauger on Lake Guntersville.
Milfoil/hydrilla flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Lake Guntersville is regulated by the Alabama DCNR. Check the official Alabama regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake 13 mi, AL · Madison County Public Fishing Lake 24 mi, AL · Nickajack Lake 34 mi, TN · Weiss Lake 38 mi, AL/GA · Tims Ford Lake 41 mi, TN · Elk River 42 mi, TN · Woods Reservoir 45 mi, TN · Neely Henry Lake 57 mi, AL · Normandy Lake 57 mi, TN · Bedford County Lake 60 mi, TN · Tennessee River - Reach 1 of 3 60 mi, AL/TN/MS · Chickamauga Lake 72 mi, TN
See how Lake Guntersville stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Alabama · best crappie lakes in Alabama · best bluegill lakes in Alabama · best channel catfish lakes in Alabama
Browse all Alabama fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.