Little Bear Creek Reservoir in Franklin County, Alabama

Little Bear Creek Reservoir in Franklin County, Alabama

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Little Bear Creek Reservoir is a 1,560-acre Tennessee Valley Authority flood control reservoir in Franklin County, northwest Alabama, impounded in 1976 by the construction of the 84-foot-high, 2,425-foot-long Little Bear Creek Dam, which was completed in 1975. The reservoir extends eight miles upstream from the dam and features approximately 45 miles of scenic, largely undeveloped shoreline surrounded by forests and woodlands, making it one of the cleanest and most pristine recreational waters in the South. Located approximately 13 miles west of Russellville and 27 miles southwest of Sheffield, Little Bear Creek Reservoir is one of four reservoirs in the Bear Creek Water Control Project, which includes Cedar Creek, Upper Bear Creek, and Bear Creek (Big Bear) Reservoirs, all managed by the Bear Creek Development Authority. The reservoir is part of a comprehensive flood control, water supply, and recreation system built by TVA in the late 1960s and 1970s to protect downstream communities and provide outdoor recreation opportunities in northwest Alabama. Little Bear Creek Reservoir is an infertile reservoir with exceptionally clear water that stratifies during summer months, with adequate oxygen levels restricted to the top 18 feet of the water column during warm weather. The dam does not generate hydroelectric power, serving exclusively for flood control with a flood-storage capacity of 29,000 acre-feet and recreational purposes

Little Bear Creek Reservoir is renowned among anglers for its excellent black bass fishing, particularly largemouth bass, spotted bass, and smallmouth bass, with the lake producing smallmouth bass exceeding 5 pounds and largemouth bass over 15 pounds, making it one of the premier bass fishing destinations in Alabama. The reservoir features a unique protective slot limit for largemouth bass requiring all fish between 13 and 16 inches to be released, while anglers are encouraged to harvest largemouth bass under 13 inches to improve the overall size structure of the fishery. The lake also supports healthy populations of black and white crappie, channel catfish, and bluegill, with Florida strain largemouth bass stocked in 1981 to enhance genetics, and regular channel catfish stockings to supplement the fishery. The Elliott Branch area serves as the primary recreation hub, featuring a campground with 38 shaded campsites (many with direct water access), 11 fully furnished year-round rental cabins situated on a peninsula overlooking the lake, a public swimming area with white sandy beach, camp store, boat ramp, picnic facilities, playground, and basketball court. Additional public access is provided at McAffee Landing and Williams Hollow boat ramps, with the Williams Hollow area also offering a campground. The Bear Creek area attracts boaters of all types, especially canoeists and kayakers who enjoy the Bear Creek Floatway upstream and the Lower Bear Creek Canoe Trail below the dam, which provides a leisurely 34-mile float all the way to Pickwick Landing Dam on the Tennessee River. Visitors to Little Bear Creek Reservoir can explore nearby attractions in Russellville, enjoy wildlife viewing including deer and turkey in the surrounding woodlands, and experience some of the most peaceful and scenic lake recreation in Alabama, with the added requirement of a Bear Creek Development Authority fishing permit in addition to an Alabama state fishing license

Dimensions:

Small: 8"x12"

Medium: 12"x18"

Large: 16"x24"

Extra Large: 20"x30"

XX Large: 24"x36"

Gigantic 30"x45"

Cribbage Boards - 10"x14" - Your choice of Maple or Cherry wood, 2 or 3 runs, and your choice of peg colors.