This is an archived sample outlook. Members get a fresh 2-week outlook every week for every state they've purchased — this week's calls plus an early read on next week.
| State | Alabama |
|---|---|
| Report Period | August 23 – September 7, 2026 (2-week outlook) |
| Week 1 Moon Phase | Waxing Gibbous → Full Moon (Aug 27) |
| Week 2 Moon Phase | Waning Gibbous → Last Quarter (Sep 3) → Waning Crescent (Sep 7) |
| Season Stage | Summer pattern — deep structure, dawn/dusk bite |
| Regions Covered | North Alabama (Tennessee River); Central Alabama (Coosa, Tallapoosa & Warrior); South Alabama (Alabama River & Eufaula) |
Week 1 — This Week High — inside the reliable forecast window
This report was generated Sunday evening, Aug 23. Sunday's dawn and daytime windows have already elapsed, so nothing is placed on them below.
North Alabama — Tennessee River System
Pickwick, Wheeler, Guntersville, Smith
Best Windows
- Thu Aug 27, 6:00–9:00 AM — Pressure bottoms out on the same day as the Full Moon, with moonset stacked against sunrise and only 6 mph SSW wind; best combination of the week.
- Thu Aug 27, 6:45 PM–dark — Same bottoming pressure, and the Full Moon rises at sunset for a second major period on the same day.
- Tue Aug 25, 6:00–8:30 AM — Nothing but flat stable pressure to work with in the front half of the week, but the building gibbous moon and light 7 mph E wind make this the pick if you can't wait for Thursday.
Days to Avoid
- Fri Aug 28, all day — Pressure rising hard off Thursday's bottom with wind collapsing to 4 mph SE: a textbook bluebird-day setup, and the single worst day of Week 1 up here.
- Mon Aug 24, all day — Stable pressure with a 9 mph NNE post-cool-front feel and no moon major worth timing; nothing on the board to trigger a feed.
- Sat Aug 29, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM — Stable pressure, past the full moon, summer midday heat; fish the edges of the day or don't bother.
Weather outlook & lake-by-lake notes
Weather Outlook
No frontal passage time was provided for this region in Week 1, and no water-temperature trend data was available — so this week's calls run off pressure trend and moon alone. Pressure sits stable Sunday through Wednesday, bottoms Thursday, then rises Friday before flattening again Saturday. Winds stay light all week (4–9 mph), which means boat control is a non-issue and the moon becomes the deciding factor: the Full Moon lands Thursday Aug 27, directly on the bottoming-pressure day. That is not a coincidence you get often — Thursday is the day to take.
Lake-by-Lake Notes
- Pickwick Lake — No TVA generation schedule was provided for this week, and on Pickwick flow matters as much as the weather call; check it yourself before you launch. Plan on ledges and lower-lake grass edges in the 15–20 ft range if they're pulling water, 8–12 ft if they aren't.
- Wheeler Lake — Summer positioning: 14–26 ft on deep brush and creek-channel edges. Bridge pilings and barge tie-offs are the fallback if the Thursday morning window gets away from you — they hold fish through the flat, stable days too.
- Guntersville Lake — No summer-specific depth band is defined for this lake, so work the 20–25 ft ledges for numbers and slide to brush and timber in 10–18 ft during the Thursday low-light windows. Not current-driven, so the pressure/moon call applies cleanly here.
- Smith Lake — Deep, clear and the slowest-reacting water in the state; 10–25 ft general range. With no front to recover from this week, the usual "give it an extra day" caveat doesn't cost you — skip tiny jigs into shaded dock corners and mid-pocket brush, which produces even through Saturday's dead midday stretch.
Central Alabama — Coosa, Tallapoosa & Warrior Rivers
Weiss, Logan Martin, Lay, Mitchell, Jordan, Martin, Warrior River
Best Windows
- Thu Aug 27, 6:45 PM–dark — Bottoming pressure with the Full Moon rising at sunset and wind backing off to 7 mph SW after Wednesday's blow.
- Thu Aug 27, 6:00–9:00 AM — Same bottoming pressure, moonset-at-sunrise major; take whichever end of Thursday fits your schedule.
- Tue Aug 25, 6:00–8:30 AM — Stable pressure and no real moon overlap, but 5 mph E wind and a building gibbous make it the cleanest of the early-week days.
Days to Avoid
- Wed Aug 26, all day — 17 mph SW over flat stable pressure; the moon is strong but there's no pressure change to pair it with, and the wind kills presentation on the brush and pylon bites this region depends on.
- Fri Aug 28, all day — Rising pressure behind Thursday's low with wind dropping to 4 mph SSW — bluebird conditions and the standard 12–24 hours of lockjaw that come with them.
- Mon Aug 24, all day — Stable pressure, 8 mph NNE, no moon major of consequence; a wasted vacation day.
Weather outlook & lake-by-lake notes
Weather Outlook
No frontal passage datetime was provided for this region in Week 1 and no water-temperature trend was available, so the calls below come from pressure trend, wind and moon only. The pressure pattern mirrors North Alabama — stable through Wednesday, bottoming Thursday, rising Friday — but the wind does not: Wednesday spikes to 17 mph SW here while North Alabama stays calm, which is what knocks Wednesday off the board in this region. Thursday's Full Moon plus bottoming pressure with light SW wind is the week. Note that Lake Martin typically runs about half a day behind the Coosa lakes on any weather change, so if Thursday morning is slow on Martin, the evening window there should be the stronger of the two.
Lake-by-Lake Notes
- Weiss Lake — Shallow and the fastest-reacting lake in this group. With pressure falling into Thursday, work the deeper end of the range — 12–16 ft on brush and standing timber — rather than the 6–12 ft post-front pattern.
- Logan Martin Lake — Summer band is 15–25 ft; bridge pylons and docks in 15+ ft are the reliable play and will produce even on Wednesday's windy day if you can find a lee side.
- Lay Lake — No Alabama Power generation schedule was provided this week, and Lay Dam flow matters as much as the weather here — check it before you commit. Fish 10–14 ft through midday and move up to 6–10 ft on brush and dock cover near the dam as light drops Thursday evening.
- Lake Mitchell — Small, current-influenced Coosa pool at 8–16 ft on brush and old-channel timber; no generation data was provided. Being smaller, it'll turn on faster than Logan Martin as pressure bottoms Thursday.
- Lake Jordan — Deep on average, so stay on the target band of 16–20 ft on wood structure and dock pilings; the cypress-cove pattern isn't a summer play.
- Lake Martin — Summer depth 12–25 ft on points and creek arms upstream around Wind Creek and Elkahatchee. Half-day lag behind the Coosa lakes means Thursday evening is the better of the two Thursday windows here.
- Warrior River — No generation schedule was provided; treat flow as the primary planning input and weather second. The Oliver Dam tailrace at 8–18 ft is the one place in this region worth fishing on Wednesday's windy day or Friday's bluebird day.
South Alabama — Alabama River & Eufaula
Alabama River, Lake Eufaula
Best Windows
- Wed Aug 26, 6:45 PM–dark — Pressure bottoms out down here a day ahead of the rest of the state, and it lands the evening before the Full Moon with a fishable 10 mph SW wind.
- Thu Aug 27, 6:00–9:00 AM — Pressure has flattened but the Full Moon major at sunrise plus 7 mph SSW carries the window.
- Wed Aug 26, 6:00–8:30 AM — Same bottoming pressure as Wednesday evening, one moon major earlier; the backup if you can't fish the evening.
Days to Avoid
- Mon Aug 24, all day — 16 mph WSW over flat stable pressure with the moon still three days off full; wind above 15 with nothing else working in your favor is a skip.
- Fri Aug 28, all day — Rising pressure behind the midweek low, wind down to 5 mph SW: bluebird conditions, expect 12–24 hours of shut-down.
- Sat Aug 29, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM — Stable pressure, waning moon, 4 mph SW and full summer sun; if you go, go at first light only.
Weather outlook & lake-by-lake notes
Weather Outlook
No frontal passage datetime and no water-temperature trend were provided for this region in Week 1. The notable difference from the rest of the state: pressure bottoms here Wednesday rather than Thursday, then goes stable Thursday and rising Friday. That's the opposite of the usual two-day southward lag, so don't assume you can just add two days to the North Alabama call this week — fish Wednesday. Both waters in this region are current-driven and no generation schedule was provided for either; the dam schedule outranks everything above if you can get it.
Lake-by-Lake Notes
- Alabama River — Generation schedule was not provided, and here that's the primary planning input, not the weather. Fish 6–16 ft on the downstream side of cover while current runs, and expect fish to slide up to feed when flow slacks — that transition beats any pressure call.
- Lake Eufaula — Summer positioning is 25–30 ft on brush and fallen timber. Chattahoochee flow holds temperature steadier here than anywhere up the chain, so Eufaula reacts less sharply to Wednesday's pressure drop than a small lake would — current moving is what turns this bite on, so fish downstream of cover when it does.
Week 2 — Next Week Lower — early outlook, expect this to shift
This is an early look, not a schedule. Forecast reliability drops off past about a week out, so read these as directional leans — which half of the week to favor — and check next week's report for the confirmed call. Note also that forecast data was only provided through Saturday Sep 5; Sunday Sep 6 and Monday Sep 7 fall inside the report period but no pressure, wind or frontal data was available for those two days, so no calls are made on them.
North Alabama — Tennessee River System
Pickwick, Wheeler, Guntersville, Smith
Best Windows
- Around Wed Sep 2, low light — Pressure is projected to bottom midweek with light 6 mph SW wind; the moon is past full and heading for Last Quarter, so this is a solid but not exceptional setup.
- Mon Aug 31 into Tue Sep 1, dawn — The 24–48 hour post-frontal recovery window behind Sunday's expected front, with pressure settling stable and wind dropping to 5–6 mph.
- Thu Sep 3, dawn — Stable pressure on the Last Quarter, 9 mph SSW; a fallback if midweek doesn't line up for you.
Days to Avoid
- Sun Aug 30 — Front expected to cross around Sunday with pressure already rising and 12 mph NNE behind it; passage day plus a fast pressure spike is the worst combination on the board.
- Fri Sep 4 — Rising pressure off the midweek low with 13 mph W wind; likely bluebird conditions with enough wind to make the deep structure bite hard to work.
- Sat Sep 5 — Stable pressure, waning crescent moon, 8 mph NW; nothing on the board to trigger a feed, though this is far enough out to move.
Weather outlook & lake-by-lake notes
Weather Outlook
A front is expected around Sunday Aug 30 — that timing is rough, not fixed, and could easily slide a day either way. Behind it, pressure settles stable Monday and Tuesday, bottoms around Wednesday Sep 2, then rises Friday. The moon works against you compared with Week 1: the Full Moon is gone, Last Quarter falls Sep 3, and by Saturday you're into a waning crescent with weak majors. No water-temperature trend and no TVA generation schedule were provided for Week 2 — generation schedules this far out usually aren't published, so plan on checking flow yourself closer to the date, particularly for Pickwick.
Lake-by-Lake Notes
- Pickwick Lake — No generation data for next week. If flow is heavy, fish ledges and grass edges at 15–20 ft; if it's light, 8–12 ft. Flow will matter more than the midweek pressure dip here.
- Wheeler Lake — 14–26 ft summer band. Bridge pilings and barge tie-offs are the smart target in the unsettled post-front stretch Monday–Tuesday when fish may not be committed to open brush yet.
- Guntersville Lake — 20–25 ft ledges, with brush and timber at 10–18 ft in low light. Not current-driven, so it should track the midweek pressure bottom more cleanly than the TVA-flow lakes.
- Smith Lake — Slowest lake in the state to recover after a front; add an extra day to Sunday's passage, which pushes the usable window here toward Tuesday rather than Monday. Mid-pocket brush and shaded docks, 10–25 ft.
Central Alabama — Coosa, Tallapoosa & Warrior Rivers
Weiss, Logan Martin, Lay, Mitchell, Jordan, Martin, Warrior River
Best Windows
- Around Wed Sep 2, low light — Pressure projected to bottom midweek with a light 7 mph WSW wind; the strongest-looking window in this region next week.
- Tue Sep 1, dawn — Post-frontal recovery roughly 24–48 hours behind Monday's expected passage, with pressure settled and only 5 mph WSW.
- Sat Sep 5, dawn — Pressure bottoming again at the end of the week, but 10 mph NW and a weak waning-crescent moon cap this one; treat it as an option, not a plan.
Days to Avoid
- Mon Aug 31 — Front expected to cross the region around Monday; expect a wind shift and a dead stretch through the passage itself.
- Sun Aug 30 — Pressure already rising ahead of the region's frontal timing with 10 mph N wind; the pre-passage/bluebird edge of the system, not worth burning a day on.
- Thu Sep 3 – Fri Sep 4 — Flat stable pressure across both days on the Last Quarter moon; no trigger, and this is the weakest stretch of the week directionally.
Weather outlook & lake-by-lake notes
Weather Outlook
Front expected around Monday Aug 31 — one day behind North Alabama, consistent with this region's normal lag, but the timing is an estimate and may shift. Pressure then holds stable Tuesday, bottoms Wednesday, goes flat Thursday and Friday, and bottoms again Saturday. Winds stay moderate all week (5–10 mph), so nothing is wind-limited the way Wednesday was in Week 1. Moon strength is declining through the week toward Last Quarter Sep 3, which is why nothing here rates above a 3. No water-temperature trend was available, and no Alabama Power generation schedule was provided for Lay, Mitchell or the Warrior — expect to have to check those yourself.
Lake-by-Lake Notes
- Weiss Lake — Fastest reactor in the group. Work 12–16 ft as pressure falls into Wednesday, then shift shallow to 6–12 ft on brush and timber in the day or two right after Monday's front clears.
- Logan Martin Lake — 15–25 ft summer band; bridge pylons and docks in 15+ ft are the reliable option through the flat Thursday–Friday stretch when nothing else is triggering.
- Lay Lake — No generation schedule available for next week; Lay Dam flow carries as much weight as the weather call here. 10–14 ft midday, 6–10 ft on brush and dock cover near the dam at first and last light.
- Lake Mitchell — Small, current-influenced pool at 8–16 ft on brush and old-channel timber; being smaller it should respond to the midweek pressure bottom a step ahead of Logan Martin. No flow data provided.
- Lake Jordan — Stay on the 16–20 ft target band on wood structure and docks; deep average depth means it's slow to react and less rewarding on the marginal days.
- Lake Martin — Reacts roughly half a day behind the Coosa lakes, so push the Monday-front recovery here to Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday. 12–25 ft on upstream points and creek arms.
- Warrior River — Oliver Dam tailrace, 8–18 ft, is the one dependable option in this region across the whole week regardless of front timing — but no generation schedule was provided, so confirm flow before driving down.
South Alabama — Alabama River & Eufaula
Alabama River, Lake Eufaula
Best Windows
- Around Tue Sep 1, low light — Pressure projected to bottom early in the week with a light 6 mph WNW wind; the best-looking lean in this region next week.
- Sat Sep 5, dawn — Pressure bottoming again to close the week, but 10 mph WSW and a weak waning-crescent moon hold this down.
- Wed Sep 2, dawn — Pressure stable right behind Tuesday's low, 7 mph SW; a reasonable backup if Tuesday doesn't work.
Days to Avoid
- Mon Aug 31 — Front expected around Monday; passage day, expect a wind shift and a dead period through it.
- Thu Sep 3 — Rising pressure behind the early-week low on the Last Quarter moon; the likeliest bluebird-style shutdown of the week here.
- Fri Sep 4 — Flat stable pressure, 7 mph SW, weak moon; nothing to work with unless the dam schedule gives you moving water.
Weather outlook & lake-by-lake notes
Weather Outlook
Front expected around Monday Aug 31 — the same estimate given for Central Alabama, which is tighter than this region's usual two-day lag, so treat the timing as soft and expect it to firm up in next week's report. Pressure bottoms Tuesday, goes stable Wednesday, rises Thursday, flattens Friday, then bottoms again Saturday. Winds stay light to moderate (6–10 mph) throughout. Both waters here are current-driven and no generation schedule was provided for either week — for South Alabama that's the biggest gap in this outlook, because flow beats the pressure call on both the river and Eufaula. No water-temperature trend was available.
Lake-by-Lake Notes
- Alabama River — Treat the dam schedule as the primary input and everything above as secondary. 6–16 ft, fish positioned downstream of cover while current runs and moving up to feed when it slacks; a slack-to-running transition on a flat pressure day will out-fish a no-flow day on the Tuesday low.
- Lake Eufaula — 25–30 ft summer positioning on brush and fallen timber. Chattahoochee flow keeps temperatures steadier here, so Eufaula muffles the midweek pressure swings — moving water is what makes the bite, so fish downstream of cover whenever they're pulling.
Bottom Line
If you only get one day across this entire two-week span, take Thursday, August 27 in North or Central Alabama, at dawn or at dusk — bottoming pressure landing on the exact date of the Full Moon with 6–7 mph wind is the strongest stack of factors anywhere in the report, and nothing in Week 2 comes close. South Alabama runs a day ahead of that this week rather than the usual two days behind, so if you're fishing the Alabama River or Eufaula, make it Wednesday evening, August 26 instead. The day to skip is Friday, August 28 — pressure rising off the low with wind collapsing to 4–5 mph statewide, a bluebird lockjaw day in all three regions on the same date. Week 2's frontal passage days (Sunday Aug 30 up north, Monday Aug 31 in Central and South) are the other clear skips, though that timing is still soft. Overall, Week 1 is decisively the stronger of the two weeks: the Full Moon and the pressure bottom line up on the same day this week, while next week's midweek dip has to work against a fading moon and a front that hasn't nailed down its timing yet. Fish Thursday.