One of the most popular smallmouth fishing areas is the "Shoals" reach directly downstream of Wilson Dam to the end of Seven-Mile Island. Generation discharge from Wilson Dam creates a strong current in this area that smallmouth bass love. The lower reaches of Pickwick provide excellent habitat for both largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. The majority of the crappie angling here occurs during the spring on Bear Creek and Second Creek embayments. Most of the successful anglers drift jigs and minnows along the creek channels to find concentrations of crappie.The tailwaters of Wilson Dam provide excellent opportunities to catch sauger during the winter months when they migrate upstream to spawn.
From Florence, AL, go northwest on Highway 14. From Iuka, MS, go north on Highway 25. From Savannah, TN go south on Highway 128 to Pickwick Dam. Pickwick Lake reaches into portions of three states: Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. A canal links Pickwick to the Tombigbee Waterway, which provides access to the Gulf Coast. Spanned by the historic Natchez Trace Parkway, Pickwick is 55 miles long and has 47,500 acres of surface water. Smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass, white crappie, and sauger are among the prominent sport fish in the lake. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass are the most sought after species by anglers.
Pickwick Lake is the reservoir created by Pickwick Landing Dam as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority. The lake stretches from Pickwick Landing Dam to Wilson Dam.