Lay Lake

Lay Lake is a 12,000-acre reservoir located thirty-five minutes south of Birmingham off I-65 and fifteen miles south of Columbiana in east-central Alabama. Lay Lake borders St. Clair, Talladega, Shelby, Coosa, and Chilton Counties. The primary uses for this reservoir are hydroelectric generation and recreation. Lay Lake is popular for tournament fishing and boating recreation. There are seven public access areas with bank and boat access to the tailwaters.

Lay Lake is best known for its spotted and largemouth bass fishing. There is a good abundance of largemouth bass up to 18 inches and with moderate numbers of larger bass. There is a very good abundance of spotted bass up to 18 inches with moderate numbers of larger fish. Crappie, 9- to 12-inches are moderately abundant and are found throughout the lake associated with woody cover and weed beds. In 1993 a 9-inch minimum length limit was implemented on crappie to help protect younger fish. Anglers have supported this length limit overwhelmingly. Bream fishing is also very popular in Lay Lake. Bream offer a good summer fishery in creeks with woody cover and around weed beds. The best fishing for largemouth bass, crappie, and bream occurs in creeks and shallow water sloughs. A high quality largemouth and spotted bass fishery exists at Lay Lake Reservoir. Anglers targeting spotted bass should fish riverine portions of the lake.

The tailwater fishery below Logan Martin Dam is excellent for hybrid striped bass and catfish. Striped bass are also present. The tailwater area is also popular with anglers who enjoy fishing for largemouth and spotted bass when shad are running along the banks. This is an extremely high use fishery, which is very popular with local anglers.

Abundance of weeds

Stump rows, standing timber, ledges, drop-offs, humps, roadbeds and main-lake points, piers, boat docks.

Like during the day, most nighttime anglers concentrate their fishing around the weed-lined banks. But the knowledgeable anglers can find bass around lighted piers, boat docks, marinas, causeways, and on creek flats.

Some anglers cast, flip or pitch their lures around man-made structures at night, while others cast small finesse worms, grubs and jigs around well-lit piers and boathouses.

Fishing weedy areas around marinas will produce bass that have been released during the many tournaments held each week. Back-lit spots like these are also good for fishing weed less topwaters, as bass are always looking up for an easy meal.

* Darker model lures are suggested for after dark fishing.

Lure action, noise, flash and adding fish attractants, all aid an angler in enticing bass. Bass that must first find the lure, before even striking. Slow retrieves, sharp hooks and paying close attention on every cast, will help avoid missed strikes.

Some bites are merely a gentle slurp, but can be a bass over 5 pounds, slowly engulfing your lure.