Sipsey Fork gets its Oct. 15 rainbow trout plant below Smith Lake Dam

Alabama’s only year-round trout water has an October plant on the calendar. Outdoor Alabama’s Sipsey Fork page says Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, through agreements with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Alabama Power, stocks about 3,000 rainbows of 8 to 14 inches every month into the cold tailwater below Smith Lake Dam. Fish go in on the third Thursday of each month, unless a posted update changes the day.

The 2026 schedule lists Oct. 15 as 7- to 13-inch fish, 1,100 pounds. The Sipsey Fork is a put-and-take fishery. Creel and possession are five fish. There is no size limit, no closed season, and no trout stamp, as long as the method is legal. Anglers may release fish, but culling — taking a trout off a cooler, livewell, basket, or stringer — is unlawful from Smith Lake Dam downstream to the Mulberry Fork.

Generation is the safety note. When the powerhouse runs, the tailwater can rise 12 to 15 feet and get dangerously fast. Sirens sound when generation starts. Call 1-800-LAKES-11 for the schedule, and treat it as subject to change. After a release, it takes several hours for the river to fall back to a wadeable flow.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Outdoor Alabama — Sipsey Fork Trout Fishing below Smith Lake.