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Need Spring Break Plans? Check out these beautiful Alabama Lakes
Did you know that there are over a thousand lakes throughout Alabama? If you’re making Spring Break plans, Bama Buzz is here to help you pick out the best ones for your vacation. Explore one of these seven Alabama lakes for fun in the sun and water🌅☀.
1. Smith Lake
Did you know that Smith Lake, also know as Lewis Smith Lake, is the deepest Alabama lake at a depth of 264 feet? In 1961, Alabama Power Company built a dam that created this lake from the Black Warrior River. It stretches across Cullman, Walker and Winston counties. Cullman County’s Smith Lake park grounds has nine cabins, sixty-one tent sites and a fishing pier for you to enjoy.
2. Guntersville Lake
Lake Guntersville is the largest of Alabama’s lakes at a mind-boggling 69,000 acres. The campus also has over thirty-six miles of trails to hike. Lake Guntersville is a great spot for bird watching—in fact, bald eagles nest here during the winter. There is plenty of land and water to explore, making it perfect for your dogs to visit too.
3. Lake Martin
Lake Martin stretches into Tallapoosa, Elmore and Coosa counties in Alabama. Alabama Power Company also created this lake from a dam on the Tallapoosa River in 1926, creating the largest man-made body of water during its time. Now, boaters come out to watch people jump off of the sixty-foot drop of Acapulco Rock, or Chimney Rock. If you want something entertaining but not as thrilling, check out the nearby Hodges Vineyard and Winery.
4. Walter F. George Lake
Out of the Alabama lakes, this is a favorite of mine. I know Walter F. George Lake as Lake Eufaula—a beautiful spot at sunset that is also a short drive from my hometown of Dothan. The US Army Corp of Engineers built a dam on Chattahoochee River, forming this lake in Alabama and Georgia. Located along the Walter F. George Lake is the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, which is great for birdwatching year round. After you are finished with the lake, explore the quaint city of Eufaula or adventure to Coheelee Creek Covered Bridge nearby.
5. Weiss Lake
Alabama Power Company is responsible for several Alabama lakes—that includes this one too. Weiss Lake (pronounced Wice) is made from the Coosa, Chattooga and Little Rivers in Georgia and Alabama. There are four free public access areas and thirty-seven privately run marinas that provide access to Weiss Lake for fun and fishing. You can find striped bass, largemouth bass and crappie on this lake. If you plan on fishing, visit from February to March for bass fishing and March to May for crappie fishing.
6. Lay Lake
Lay Lake spans St. Clair, Talladega, Shelby, Coosa and Chilton counties. This lake is known for their large population of bass and other fish. In fact, the Bassmaster Classic has been held at Lay Lake four different times. You can find catfish, crappies, bluegills, largemouth bass and stripped bass here. There are seven different access points for visitors to access the lake from.
7. Wheeler Lake
Wheeler Lake in Madison County sits along the Tennessee River in North Alabama. Stretching from the Wheeler Dam to Guntersville Dam, this lake is the second largest out of the Alabama lakes. A nice addition to lake plans is the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, which is a popular fishing spot. The scenic wildlife refuge is home to many animals, including a huge population of cranes that Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge celebrate with a festival every year.
What are your favorite Alabama lakes? Let us know on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
