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183 km of the Tennessee River navigation corridor, with channel depths from USACE hydrographic survey. The river tops out around 33 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 16,527 acres of water rimmed by 187.3 miles of bank. A development index of 10.4 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 81% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 75.5 mi long by 28.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Wilson Lake, 29 mi northwest of here.
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 33 ft. Top water on the chart: Current seam (mile 0.6), a current seam in the 9 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (9 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (9 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 9 to 33 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (9 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 7 to 33 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 0.6) (9 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 33 ft. Channel bar / point (mile 6.2) is the standout, a point at roughly 18 ft, rated prime for fall smallmouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (9 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (17 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 6.2) (18 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 10 to 33 ft | midday | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (17 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring brown trout on Tennessee River - Reach 1 of 3 hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 10 to 33 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 33 ft. Put Channel current seam (mile 2.5) first on the milk run — a current seam near 17 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run after dark and early morning. The summer box starts with a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 4.3) (17 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 10 to 33 ft | night & dawn | Channel current seam (mile 2.5) (17 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Slackwater eddy (mile 4.3) (17 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 33 ft | dawn | Slackwater eddy (mile 4.3) (17 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
50 pieces of structure are mapped here — Channel bar / point (mile 28.6), around 19 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Alabama waters are set by the Alabama DCNR — and special regulations can apply to Tennessee River - Reach 1 of 3 specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alabama fishing regulations →
Tennessee River - Reach 1 of 3 is about 33 ft (10 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, brown trout on Tennessee River - Reach 1 of 3. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Current seam (mile 0.6) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For rainbow trout, 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 Tennessee River - Reach 1 of 3 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.
Wilson Lake 29 mi, AL · Lewis Smith Lake 39 mi, AL · Madison County Public Fishing Lake 40 mi, AL · Sipsey Fork 50 mi, AL · Elk River 52 mi, TN · Pickwick Lake 54 mi, TN/AL/MS · VFW Lake 56 mi, TN · Laurel Hill Lake 56 mi, TN · Walker County Public Fishing Lake 58 mi, AL · Lake Guntersville 60 mi, AL/TN · Tims Ford Lake 64 mi, TN · Marion County Public Fishing Lake 66 mi, AL
See how Tennessee River - Reach 1 of 3 stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Alabama
Browse all Alabama fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.