FISHERY
SPOTLIGHT
wheeler lake
t ’ s been four years since the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats visited Alabama ’ s Wheeler Lake , and now the fishery will be front and center as the host of the Toyota Series Championship Nov . 7 – 9 . In addition , the best college anglers in the country will be back on Wheeler in April 2025 for the Abu Garcia College Fishing National Championship .
While neighboring lakes Guntersville and Pickwick sometimes overshadow this Tennessee River impoundment , Wheeler is a fine fishery in the midst of a rebound . This should result in great fishing for both championship events .
How it Sets Up
At 68,300 acres , Wheeler is Alabama ’ s second-largest lake . It ’ s only slightly smaller than the largest , Guntersville , which is located just above Guntersville Dam .
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By Tyler Brinks
Wheeler stretches some 60 miles and features tree-lined banks , riverine sections , aquatic vegetation and bridges , each of which attract bass and anglers . It shares some of the same characteristics as its neighboring fisheries but is a unique body of water according to Phil Ekema , the District 1 Fisheries Supervisor at the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources .
Ekema said the lake can be divided into two primary sections , with the area above Decatur being more riverine and everything below it much flatter .
“ Below Decatur , it ’ s much more like a lake and more like a river above it ,” he said . “ Some of the best places to target bass in the fall would be in the current breaks , points and creeks that come into the lake . The fish should heavily relate to the current on the main lake , especially in November as they focus on shad . The lake has an excellent population of both threadfin and gizzard shad .”
Wheeler is also home to several well-known community holes , including the Decatur Flats , located below the Interstate 65 Bridge and downstream to about the Browns
MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2024