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Lake Martin Fishing Report

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

Alabama's clear-water playground: 44,000 acres of pine-and-granite islands where spotted bass school deep and stripers run the lights.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~84 F est.
Air / High
96 / 96 F
Wind
NE 8 mph

Sources: 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.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Lake Martin locks in another hot, bright day: the fish know the drill and so should you. Today brings clear skies, wind NE around 8 mph, rising pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 96. 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

Striped bassGood

Deep and early: live bait on downlines over the river channel at first light, or downriggers along thermocline depth.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

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

Largemouth bassFair

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.

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. 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.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp96 F
High / Low96 / 75 F
WindNE 8-10 mph
Pressure1013.5 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain22% cloud, 5%
Sunrise / Sunset06:20 / 19:04
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, 96/75 F, wind 8 mph, rain 5%

Fair or better. A 8 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Lake Martin: 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.

Striped bass illustration

Striped bass

Best: spring and fall

The reservoir heavyweight. Follows shad and herring schools in open water year-round. Deep and early: live bait on downlines over the river channel at first light, or downriggers along thermocline depth.

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.

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.

When to come: the Lake Martin 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
Striped bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
Crappie
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 Lake Martin 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. Striped bass led the card at good. High of 96 F, wind to 8 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Striped bass led the card at good. High of 97 F, wind to 8 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Striped bass led the card at good. High of 96 F, wind to 7 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. Striper 2/day over 22 inches; spots liberal: check ADCNR.

Access

Wind Creek SP, Kowaliga, Blue Creek, Madwind ramps around the lake.

About this water

44,000 acres on the Tallapoosa, Tallapoosa/Elmore/Coosa counties, AL. The clear-water flagship.

Fishing Lake Martin: the full guide

The Tallapoosa jewel

Martin spreads 44,000 clear acres through east Alabama's pine hills: the state's recreation flagship and its premier spotted-bass water. Granite islands, bluff walls and herring schools set a fishery that fishes more like Georgia's blueback lakes than the stained Coosa: electronics, finesse and topwater mornings over open water.

Spots on the herring clock

The lake's spotted bass ride the blueback economy: wolfpacks over 20-40 ft brush and rock (drop shots at marks, spoons under the schools), dawn schooling flurries wherever bait pushes up (keep the walking bait tied on), and winter's damiki season on the channel bluffs. Four-pound spots are the daily currency: sixes show every season.

Striper nights

Martin's stripers built the night culture: summer's lighted docks pull herring and the linesides follow: freelined live bait in the glow from Kowaliga to Blue Creek. Winter gulls mark the daytime schools: umbrella rigs between shows. The 30-pound class swims here: Alabama's quiet trophy fishery.

Big-lake practicalities

Wind Creek State Park (the country's largest state campground) anchors access: ramps ring all arms. Summer weekends roar: the sailing and wake fleets own midday: fish dawn or the winter drawdown's calm (Martin drops 7-10 winter feet: scout the exposed structure). Kowaliga's bridge and the church steeple mark the signature water every local names first.

Common questions

What is Lake Martin best known for among anglers?

Spotted bass on herring patterns: deep marks, schooling mornings: and the summer night-dock striper game. It is Alabama's answer to Lanier, with granite scenery.

When is the night striper bite on Martin?

May-September under the dock lights: freelined herring in the glow after midnight. Winter flips to daytime gulls and umbrella rigs on the schools.

Is fishing good at Lake Martin right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Tallapoosa River29 miWeiss Lake31 miWest Point Lake42 miLay Lake44 miLake Harding47 miLogan Martin Lake49 mi
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