Guntersville Dam Question

For the guys that have been there a lot. I own a 19 foot Triton and have recently took an interest in fishing some below the dams and targeting big catfish. So for those that know and fish Wheeler below Guntersville Dam, how close to the dam can I get in my glass boat? Is it shallow and rocky or will it float my boat fine. Obviously I didn't want to knock a hole in the bottom of my Triton and I'm a newb to Guntersville Dam. I normally catfish Wilson and fish the flats downriver and I wouldn't try to take my boat up to Wheeler Dam for nothing. I'm switching to the the bottom of Guntersville Dam because the fishing is just as good and it's about 70 miles closer to the house.

Any help will be appreciated.

I been fishin there for about 15 years with a boat. I have never come close to hitting bottom or shallow objects. Sometimes id get too close to the rocky edges, especially where the boat ramps on each side curve outwards. Up close to the dam walls is 8ft deep at normal pool. Headed away it gets deeper from 12ft to 22ft id say. Then carries out steady around 15-22ft. There are some pilings for barges that you could slam into. I wont get in to fish it if they have a flood gate open or pulling a ton of water, Close to the dam. It can get rougher in seconds. There are some real fools out there. I have been one of them in my younger days.

I've been going to Guntersville Dam since I was about 4 years old, so 56 years now. There are no shallow areas nor rocky obstructions on the Wheeler side of Guntersvile Dam. Be aware there is not a pier at either boat launch so it's best to fish with a buddy so you don't have to beach/retrieve your glass boat on the concrete ramp to park your truck.

I dont like parkin on the north side at boat launch. Never had a problem but looks like a good spot for someone to give you a problem. Secluded. The water is a lot calmer on that side. I call it the huntsville side. I always used that ramp. Bad though cause the ramp only allow room for one launch at a time. Either side. I caught a 7lb smallie there years ago.

If your worried about the launch at the dam go put in at Ditto. Only a 10 minute run up river.

Or madison county boat harbor. But yeah, no shallow spots. Might hit a 60ft tree with the full tree top and root ball. Seen them barely stickin out if water. You cant tell me that you can see that going 60 or 70 across the water. Man 30mph is enough to rip your motor off. We aint on the interstate. Why go that fast? I thought it was a relaxing hobby? See what i seen floating and you wont do that again

Thanks for the input. Sounds like I can safely navigate close to the dam to begin the drift without hitting any rocks. I'm pretty up to speed on the water flow/safety thing. I was more or less just worried about navigating the terrain. I'm pretty excited to fish it. I'm probably going to take the kids up there Sat morning to check it out and try to catch some skips for cutbait.

I go all the time. Check the water release before going. Best times to catch is when they start releasing in the 30's. Last Saturday, I got there at 8am and didn't catch anything because the water release was around 12k. At noon, they kicked it up to 33k and the catch rate kicked into high gear.

Check the schedule here.

TVA for Guntersville

I got a ticket while actually tied to the dam back in the 70s so, yes, you can get as close as you want, or dare.

Also be sure to have everything in your boat required - PFDs, potted meat and saltines, fire extinguisher, etc.

I've been so close I was up inside the dam.

We once went inside the turbine doors in a glass boat. Calm going in. An hour later it got rough in there. Had a hard time throttling out of the entrance. The water was really boiling up wards and flowwing backwards into the dam rear wall. Pushing us back inside. Everytime my partner accelerated the boat would cut off. We would be pushed back inside and fixin to slam into the rear concrete enclosure. I had to stand up at the rear of boat and push us off the rear wall. After 4 times of it cranking and stalling out at the front entrance and pushing us back to the wall, it finally cranked and acceleratted outside. The water inside had risen to the point our heads were hitting the ceiling. The bow of the boat was inches off the ceiling and water still climbing. We got out rite before it was too late. He thought i had been in there before so he wanted to try it. I thought he had been in there before. Turns out neither of us had been in there. I will never go in there. We didnt hear an alarm. We did see the water start to boil and over time the pool was rising. When we decided we better get out it was almost too late. Our heads were leaned over so we wouldnt hit the roof it had risen so much. Turned out it was my parteners brothers boat that had not been taken out in 3 years. I had no idea. Never trust anyone elses boat. I really thought i was gonna drown that morning. About 7 years ago

Man that's crazy lol. Glad that worked out for y'all. I won't be getting THAT close.

Back in the 60s my Dad and a couple of his cousins used to go under the dam in the turbine discharges to snag. Snagging was a very popular sport back then and some real big spoonbills, carp and drum were brought out from time to time. The TVA hydro operator would actually come out and yell down to anybody that was in thee that he was about to start generating, meaning that water would be released to the turbines and cause the violent boiling that Jake described. I clearly remember the tale as it was later told. My Dad wasn't with his cousins on this trip. Somehow they didn't hear the hydro operator and the turbines were fed with water. They were in a 12 or 14 foot flat bottom, wooden boat with an 18hp Johnson (my Dad's dream motor) and the boat was slammed against the roof of the turbine discharge. Seems like there were 3 in the boat but I don't remember the name of the 3rd guy (could have been Herbert or Pete as they were all about snagging and I remember going with my Dad and these guys when they snagged from the 'Wall'. ). John and Larry and the 3rd guy were thrown in the water, the boat sunk and Larry got a bunch of the big treble (snagging) hooks all in him. They all 3 floated downstream with other boaters trying to rescue them. Now, remember this was the early 60s and most boats were flat bottom, wooden boats with a max 30hp motor. I can't remember for sure but it seems like this was at night which made it worse. Anyway, they were finally rescued downriver and brought to the boat ramp on the south side. I don't think any of them ever went back under there again and I sure as Hell wouldn't.

My dad worked for TVA and formed all the concrete to construct the last lock and welcome station.

NEVER go under the dam with the turbines off and you won't have this issue.



I got a ticket while under the dam. That damn life jacket was hot and I needed to cool off. That warden that pulled up to the dam, in his boat, and saw us under there, without our life jackets on, wasn't impressed.

I'm not brave enough to venture into the caves. I messed up once and got caught in the backdrift and slammed the nose of my boat into the dam.

The dam will tear up your boat in a hurry up there if you decide to go under it. Personally the dam for me isn't the best place for big cats. Make sure to have your PFD on at all times, it can get dicey real quick.

When I say get close to the dam I'm meaning driving up there about 20 yards from the wall and begin my drift down. I'm not crazy enough to drive up in it.

Make you some noodles to go along with drifting the bottom. You will catch fish and kids love it.

I'm going to do that. Thanks for the heads up.

I'm looking to fill a freezer more than catch the elusive big one. I think this is going to be a lot of fun and provide a lot of dinners.

The news said to stop eating all fish in our waters. Mercury was too high. Last month they said to only eat one fish a month! Now they are sayin not any. Local news. I think it was 48 news

When you approach the dam, look for the wall that separates the spillways from the turbines. Stop about 20 yards from that wall and try to position the boat on the edge of the current. Done right, you will get into an eddy that will slowly spin your boat 360 degrees. That is where I usually get my first bite. The bigger fish are closer to the anchor towers. The biggest ones I've seen are caught by the brave ones that fish the caves closest to the turbines.

Properly anchored right there with a decent amount of generating and you could catch a 10lb plus stripe every cast with a big plastic sassy shad a decade ago. Make sure you have a BIG float on your anchor so you can cut it loose if things get squirrely. I used an old air tank.

Done right you will be looking directly up that wall from downstream and not quite be able to cast onto it. On your right will be a sure enough rip and on the left will be slack. Where the fast and slack water meet will hold serious fish if there's plenty of bait present and there usually is.

BC put in at Ditto landing it's a great area with plenty of room. Short boat trip to the Dam.

I will check it out brother. Thanks.

I have been trophy catfishing there my whole life. It is some of the best fishing I've ever seen for big cats. My favorite way to fish for them is to pull up into one of the holes going under the dam and tie off with the nose of my boat sticking out. Use a 6oz weight and a big chunk of skipjack and get ready. Anchoring on the edge of the current is really good in spots. Just look for a hole, a big rock, or any structure that might break the current and anchor just above it. 50lbers are pretty common and have caught a lot much bigger than that. I'm actually going in the morning to give it a try. I always photo and release anything over 10lbs. Good luck. You'll have a blast.

Well I made my first trip to Wheeler below Guntersville Dam today. Brought home about 15 eater cats between 2 and 8 lbs and thought I had a giant on about mid afternoon but it turned out to be a 15 lb drum. Ran a few jugs to the left of the turbines by the spillway after dark but only wound up catching one about 5 lbs.

Man you lose a lot of tackle up there. I left a pile of lead and 6/0 circle hooks on the bottom today. Is there any trick to not losing so much tackle lol? I started vertical drifting with a heavier weight and when I felt it hit bottom I would crank the weight off the bottom. It helped some.


My little buddy Jackson.

Use a 3 way swivel & old spark plugs for weight. There should be plenty at your local auto repair shop. Many years ago when I drifted below Wilson we wouldn't use any weight, just a hook & bait.

Looks like a fun time. BC, we call that "Bumping Bottom" and you'll always lose tackle. Some of my cousins have been fishing like that at least since the dam was built. I know of 3 generations that are cat fishing machines. They know where a few holes are and will anchor to fish those holes. Even while anchored they bump bottom. These guys catch everything from 5lb to 100lb fish and are good at it.

Yep, doesn't matter how good you are or how long you've done it, you'll lose tackle bumpin bottom for cats.

I ordered me two molds (no roll and bank sinkers) so I can mold my own. I can get lead for a little of nothing. Better than paying 8-10 bucks for 6 bank sinkers and losing 15 in a day.

I quit bottom bumping a long time ago. Now I keep my weight about 3' off the bottom.

Tell me more.


You using a big bobber? Getting better results? I thought about drifting in the swift water about 10-12 feet deep but never did it.

When I start my drift, I let the weight go all the way to the bottom, then crank the reel three times. Rod goes into the rod holder and I set the clicker and leave the spool open (Abu 6500's). Catfish will rise to the bait and I rarely snag anymore. That clicker going off is the best music I can listen too on the boat.

Next time I go I'm trying that. I've got clickers on several of my reels.

I like to drop the trolling motor or put motor in gear and slow my drift down enough to bump straight down during the drift.

Anyone ever tried a slip float there? I'm thinking that's another viable option and you can make a dozen or so with $2 worth of pool noodles and coffee straws. Set the depth to 12 feet and you are good to go.

Like this one?





I didn't weigh him but he was probably closer to 35 or so. Caught another one in the 12-15 lb range.

Dang it. I knew with the water being released I should have went this weekend and not scouted for deer. Good job!

BC, what bait are y'all using?

Skipjack steaks about an inch wide.

Bite was slow today. We only caught three and the smallest one was 15 lbs. my son broke one off that would probably have been the biggest one of the day.

Nice fish , I went Saturday morning and only caught a few dinks. , I did take everyone advice and launched at ditto landing. That's the best $5 dollars I ever spent . We used chicken liver without much luck . Do you think the skip jack is a better bait ?

Don't overlook nightcrawlers. They will wear them out

Chicken liver is too easy for them to pull off. Years ago rooster hearts was a good bait but historically I can remember my Dad and his cousins getting baskets of skipjack and big shad minnows off the wall in what they called 'wall baskets' and using them for bait. That was in the 60s

Stop on a sand bank, get out and scrounge up some smaller mussels in shallow waters. .02

Skipjack is good for your bigger fish from what I've found. If you want to bring home a livewell full of 1-2 lb eating fish then stick with the livers. Shrimp, squid, and hot dog cut into 1 inch sections and soaked in garlic work well. I like to tie a snap on my line and use a treble with the hot dog weenies and just take the hook of the snap and push the hook shaft through the bait. It's harder for them to pick it off the hook like that.

If I'm targeting 2-10 lb cats I take a skipjack steak 1 inch thick and cut it in half. Then I put it on a 6/0 Gamakatsu hook. If I'm fishing for the real big ones I use an 8/0 hook and put the whole steak on there.

That's what I do so far but I'm relatively inexperienced at it and still learning.

This is solid advice.

Next time I go, I'm throwing my cast net for shad. Hopefully, I won't fall out of the boat while attempting this. When it cools off, I'm trying a new bait. I'll post my results afterwards.

Several years ago I catfished with a friend on the Grand River in Oklahoma. We used big shad minnows about 4" long and they had a round, black spot about 3/4 of the way back toward their tail. We ran the hook in the mouth, out the gills and hooked the point into the black spot. I don't remember how many fish we brought in 2 mornings but they were eating size, from 2 to about 6 pounds, and we filled 2 coolers both mornings.

Nice.

I'm going again Sat night around midnight and throw out some jugs and fish with a reel and rod until daylight.'

Midnight is usually when they turn off the turbines. Fishing goes downhill after that. But heck, it's fishing!

BC, did you go Saturday night?

I wound up not going. Got called in on Sat for a half shift on a project and when I got home around 8 I just unplugged the boat and decided to take a day off. I'm going to Wheeler this Saturday and Wilson on Sun to make up for it.

I went yesterday and bait was hard to come by. I did catch my new PB flathead though. I didn't have scales with me so don't know what he weighed but he was a toad. My previous best flattie was 45lbs and he was quite a bit bigger than that. Like always, took a few pics and turned him loose for someone else to catch.

Nice!

He measured at 50" length and 35" girth. If anyone knows a good way to estimate weight let me know. Curious as to what it weighed. Got to get me some new scales.

59 using catfish weekly's chart - 67 using in-fisherman's chart.

We got up this morning and drove up to Guntersville Dam to chase some cats. Threw out a dozen jugs by the spillways and went and got in the swift water and did a long drift. Came back up and run down the jugs with fish on them, rebaited and did another drift. Repeated that until 1 pm. Wound up bringing about 25-30 channels and blues home and got 4 full gallon freezer bags of filets.


Heading to Wilson in the morning for some more quality tIme with my sons and more catfishing. Trying to get the most out of this 3 day weekend with them before hunting club planting season begins.

I knew I should have went! Maybe next weekend, if The Boss will give me a day off (or I don't go dove hunting).

Going to be there at daylight in the morning to see if I can't find a couple of big boys. Should be a great morning with these cooler temps coming.

I stupidly went to Wilson on Sunday after slaying them on Wheeler on Sat. Wound up having to go to the tailrace and catching a dozen 14-15 inch channel cats just before we left to bring any fish home. The blues on the flats weren't hitting worth a crap.