Wheeler Lake
Wheeler Lake is a 67,100-acre TVA impoundment on the Tennessee River, closed by Wheeler Dam in 1936 and built for crappie, largemouth, and tailwater smallmouth, with Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge wrapping much of the shoreline.

Wheeler Dam Tailrace
Tailrace chunk rock, deep eddies, current seams below Wheeler Dam · Hair jig on current seam for smallmouth; jigging spoon for sauger; small crankbaits on chunk rock · Winter + Spring

Guntersville Dam Tailrace (upper Wheeler)
Current break below Guntersville Dam, deep hole, rip-rap — upstream boundary of Wheeler pool · Deep crankbait and jighead minnow on the break; Alabama rig for winter bass · Year-round — peak late winter through spring

Decatur Flats
Expansive flats with scattered grass, shell bars, and main-river channel saddles · Topwater over shell saddle at first light; ChatterBait + swim jig on grass edges · Spring + Fall

Ingalls Harbor Area
Main-river harbor mouth with rip-rap, bridge pilings, grass edges downstream · Shaky head on bridge pilings; lipless crankbait on grass-to-channel transitions · Year-round

Limestone Bay
Large bay with standing timber, stumps, and shallow crappie cover · Minnows and tube jigs on stumps for crappie; spinnerbait for largemouth · Spring (crappie spawn) + Fall

Round Island / Wheeler Refuge Creek Arms
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge creek arms with flooded timber, backwater sloughs · Jigs in timber for crappie; frog and soft plastic in back sloughs for largemouth · Spring + Fall

Flint Creek Mouth
Major creek mouth with channel drop, standing timber, rip-rap near Hwy 31 · Jerkbait on staging points; crappie jigs on channel timber · Pre-spawn + Fall

Elk River Mouth
Tributary confluence with deep channel, gravel bars, and bluff rock · Rooster tail and spoons for white bass; drop-shot for smallmouth on bluff rock · Spring (white bass run) + Summer

Joe Wheeler State Park / Wheeler Dam Cove
State park shoreline with marina, rip-rap, fishing pier, and deep water at dam · Crankbait on rip-rap; live bait from pier for catfish and crappie · Year-round

Mallard-Fox Creek WMA
Backwater WMA with timber, flooded vegetation, shallow grass flats · Frog over mats; spinnerbait on grass; crappie jigs on flooded timber · Spring + Summer

Wheeler Lake — Lake Center