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Demopolis Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Black Belt water: Demopolis pools the Tombigbee and Black Warrior into 10,000 acres of oxbows, stumps and crappie.

1/5
Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.
Flow
3,590 cfs
Air / High
98 / 98 F
Wind
NE 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 02467000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

1/5Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Demopolis Lake locks in another hot, bright day: the fish know the drill and so should you. The river is running 3,590 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind NE around 5 mph, rising pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 98. Water sits around 84 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Fair

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassSlow

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassSlow

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Similar at 96 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Tombigbee River at Demopolis Lock and Dam.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 02467000.

2,8104,4456,0803,590 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp98 F
High / Low98 / 74 F
WindNE 5-9 mph
Pressure1012.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain9% cloud, 11%
Sunrise / Sunset06:28 / 19:12
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 98/74 F, wind 13 mph, rain 11%

Fair or better. A 13 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Demopolis Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Demopolis Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Demopolis Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 95 F, wind to 8 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 98 F, wind to 5 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 97 F, wind to 5 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Alabama requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Alabama license. Crappie, bass and catfish limits per current ADCNR regulations.

Access

Foscue Park and Demopolis city ramps, plus Corps access along the Tombigbee and Black Warrior.

About this water

A 10,000-acre Corps reservoir at the junction of the Tombigbee and Black Warrior rivers, Marengo County, Alabama.

Fishing Demopolis Lake: the full guide

Two rivers, one lake

Demopolis Lake forms where the Black Warrior meets the Tombigbee in Alabama’s Black Belt, 10,000 acres of river channel, oxbow lakes and flooded timber behind Demopolis Lock and Dam. It fishes like the river system it is: current matters, water color changes with rain, and the fish relate to wood, channel edges and the countless cuts and sloughs off the main run. Crappie and catfish lead, with largemouth and white bass close behind.

Crappie in the cuts

The oxbows and sloughs off the main channel are crappie country: brush, cypress and laydowns in 6-15 feet hold fish, best from late winter through spring and again in fall. Jigs and minnows under floats work the shallow cover, while spider-rigging the deeper cuts covers water. Local knowledge of which oxbow is clearing after rain is worth more than any tackle choice.

Bass and cats

Largemouth work the laydowns, stumps and grass in the backwaters: spinnerbaits, jigs and soft plastics in stained water. Current breaks along the main channel hold fish when the river runs. Catfish are everywhere and grow large: blues and flatheads on cut and live bait along the channel edges, with the tailrace below the dam producing the biggest fish and the strongest current.

Tombigbee logistics

Public ramps at Demopolis, Foscue Park and along the river serve the lake, with the Tenn-Tom Waterway bringing barge traffic through the main channel: stay clear of the sailing line. Water levels and clarity swing with rainfall across a large watershed. Demopolis provides supplies, and the surrounding Black Belt prairie country is worth the drive on its own.

Common questions

Where do I fish after heavy rain?

The oxbows and sloughs clear first while the main channel runs muddy: local anglers chase clearing water rather than fighting it.

Is the tailrace worth fishing?

Yes: the water below the lock and dam concentrates catfish, white bass and stripers in the current, especially in spring.

What is the main species?

Crappie by tradition and catfish by size, with largemouth in the backwaters and white bass running the channel.

Is fishing good at Demopolis Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Tough. Pick your battles. Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Nearby waters

Okatibbee Lake54 miCahaba River61 miBankhead Lake70 miLay Lake90 miWeiss Lake112 miLogan Martin Lake112 mi
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