Book Your Fishing Charter in Bear Creek, AL

Before the Civil War, Bear Creek was once known as Allen's Factory after one of two nearby textile factories. Early in the 20th century was the heyday of Bear Creek's economy. A fire in the downtown area in 1903 caused severe damage, but it was restored. The area formerly housed several shops, a gristmill, a livery stable, a cotton gin, a hotel, a blacksmith shop, and three practicing doctors. The community progressively collapsed as it lost customers and residents to nearby Haleyville, where the Illinois Central Railroad had constructed a route that avoided Bear Creek. The local economy was supported in the latter half of the 20th century by surrounding manufacturers that built mobile homes.

Bear Creek is the place to be for anglers when it comes to fishing. Popular fishing spots around Bear Creek are the Upper Bear Creek Reservoir, Upper Bear Creek Dam, Bear Creek Lake, and the Little Bear Creek Reservoir, which the Bear Creek Development Authority manages. There are plenty of fishing tours around Bear Creek, like BRD Outdoors Guide Service.

Bear Creek Fishing: A Nature-filled Experience

Bear Creek, which flows through the southern part of the municipality before turning north and entering the Tennessee River at the Mississippi state line, is the source of the area's name. The eastern portion of the community is home to Upper Bear Creek Reservoir. A TVA flood-control lake, it offers a range of outdoor recreation opportunities.

Bear Creek is home to a variety of species with its natural resources. Commonly caught fish species among anglers in Bear Creek include crappie, catfish, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, bream, and striped bass. For striped bass lovers, one of the striped bass fishing charters you can join near Bear Creek is the Ocean Cat Charters. 

In 1969, Big Bear, also known as Bear Creek Reservoir, was impounded. At full pool, it can hold 670 acres of water, and in the winter, it is ten feet lower and located in Franklin County, about 20 miles southwest of Russellville.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources stocked several fish species to complement the naturally reproducing populations after the reservoir was filled in 2009 to aid in reviving the fishery. In an effort to introduce the Florida gene into the largemouth bass population, more than 13,000 channel catfish, nearly 154,000 bluegill fingerlings, and approximately 284,000 Florida strain largemouth bass fingerlings were stocked between 2009 and 2011.

As a whole, Alabama inshore fishing is an experience to behold, and any fishing enthusiast should delve into it with help from professional guides like Reel Fishin' Charters. Anglers who love road trips and wish to explore places beyond Bear Creek can make the five-hour drive to Mobile and fish there with the guidance of fishing charters in Mobile, Alabama, like Killin Time Fishing Charters.

Explore Bear Creek and Beyond

Bear Creek and its surrounding areas are rich in natural resources. Find out some hidden gems you shouldn’t miss in the area.

1. Explore the Rock Bridge Canyon Equestrian Park

This 14.0-km loop path can be found close to Hodges, Alabama. It takes an average of 4 hours and 1 minute to accomplish this course, which is typically considered moderately complex. You'll usually run into many other people while exploring this trail, which is excellent for equestrian riding. The route is lovely to explore anytime and is open all year.

2. Watch a Movie at the King Drive-In: Movie Theater

Near Russellville, there is a vintage drive-in theater called The King Drive-In. It is Alabama's oldest continuously operating drive-in cinema. When neighborhood children and teenagers were out of school during this period, the cinema would typically show movies all summer. The drive-in has opened earlier in the Spring and has been open later into the Fall in recent years.