Fishing Old Lake in Shelby County, Alabama

• Overview

  In Alabama, Old Lake belongs to Shelby County. The surface lies 630 feet up. Surface area runs to about 17 acres — small enough to read in one session. Indian Springs Village is the closest place, 1.9 miles off. Beyond it, Meadowbrook at 4 miles and Chelsea at 5.4 miles. Alternatives close at hand: Lake Gizella just 1.7 miles, Oak Mountain Lake 2 miles away, Lenora Lake just 2.1 miles, Belcher Lake 2.1 miles away and Double Oak Lake just 2.4 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Old Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Fish reported in the area, according to open records, include vermilion darter, bluegill and gulf longear sunfish. Use it to know what is possible here, not what is certain. Old Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 80°F; the cold one sits at 42°F. Winter here means light layers, not lost months. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. That is the shape of the year on Old Lake. The week either side of a change of season often fishes hardest.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. You will be walking about 0.9 miles from the nearest car park. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Lake Gizella is 1.7 miles off. None of that is settled for Old Lake in what we hold.