Demopolis Reservoir is a 10,000-acre lake near Demopolis, Marengo County. It is the second largest lake in the Black Warrior-Tombigbee system, extending 48 miles upriver on the Black Warrior River and 53 miles up the Tombigee River. The lake is popular for fishing, especially for largemouth bass and crappie, as well as hunting on public lands managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. There are many camping and public access areas available. Contact the Fisheries Section’s District III office for specific questions.
Demopolis Lake is downstream of the towns of Eutaw in Greene County on the Warrior River and Gainesville on the Tombigee River. There are modern campgrounds, many day use facilities, as well as primitive camping areas and numerous public access areas with bank and boat access to the tailwaters available on Demopolis Reservoir.
The region around Demopolis Reservoir is excellent for hunting. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has public lands that are available for hunting. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources manages the Demopolis Wildlife Management Area. Different permits are required to hunt each areas.
Since being impounded in the early 1950s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Demopolis Lake has become best known for it’s excellent largemouth bass fishing.
Crappie are another great source of recreational fishing in Demopolis Reservoir. Some other good fisheries located in the Demopolis Reservoir include hybrid striped bass and bream. Bream provide a good summer fishery in creeks with woody cover and around weed beds.
The tailwater fishery below Warrior Dam, one upstream arm of Demopolis Reservoir, is excellent for hybrid striped bass and catfish. It is very popular with local anglers, primarily boat anglers. The upstream tailwater area below the Gainesville Dam is also popular with bank and boat anglers from Alabama and Mississippi, who enjoy fishing for catfish, drum, and hybrid striped bass. This is a high use area with access to both banks.
