Fishing at State Cattle Ranch Lakes, Hale County, Alabama

• Overview

  This water sits in Hale County, Alabama. The setting is oak and grass on every side. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Alabama listings. Some 7.8 miles away sits Greensboro, the nearest settlement. For a city, Tuscaloosa is 40 miles off. Others worth noting: Sully Ponds 0.7 miles, Sully Ponds after 0.9 miles, State Cattle Ranch Lakes 1.2 miles, Lelia Myers Lake after 1.2 miles and Bryars Junior Lake 1.4 miles. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on State Cattle Ranch Lakes

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Public wildlife records from this area list black crappie, blue catfish, bluegill, cypress darter and redspot darter. Use it to know what is possible here, not what is certain. State Cattle Ranch Lakes repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 81°F and January reads 44°F. Heat sets the pattern from late spring onward. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Anyone fishing State Cattle Ranch Lakes regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Catfish want bait on the bottom: cut bait or worms, a simple running rig, and patience after dark. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Sully Ponds is 0.7 miles distant. For State Cattle Ranch Lakes in particular, ask before you travel.