Part of the lake extends into the Bankhead Natural Forest; Corinth, Clear Creek and Houston National Forest Recreation Areas are also located along the lake.

Smith Lake is renowned for its crystal clear waters, which can be as deep as 300 feet in places. Over 70 species of fish, including bass and trout, abound in these waters, where many professional fishing tournaments are held each year. Besides fishing the lake offers excellent opportunities for other water sports, including swimming, boating, jet-skis, and water skiing, as well as non-water-related activities like camping, picnicking and just plain relaxing.

One of the Deep South’s finest pockets of deep woods, Alabama’s William B. Bankhead National Forest has a potential for adventure and natural beauty you’d expect of a bigger, wilder place. The forest’s 180,000 acres encompass pine-clad and hardwood forest, burbling streams, deep gorges, and an arkful of wildlife. Bankhead is part of the Warrior Mountains, the western terminus of the Appalachian Mountains; before Europeans arrived, the forests here had been hunted for some 12,000 years by the Choctaw and Cherokee peoples.

Bankhead’s jewel is the Sipsey Wilderness, sometimes called the “Land of a Thousand Waterfalls.” A maze of upland ridges and deep, lushly grown canyons, the Sipsey’s irregular topography is the result of a meeting between the limestone geology of the Cumberland Plateau and flowing, falling water — a lot of it. Thread your way into one of its deeper hollows and you’ll find stands of giant, ancient trees; in typical southern Appalachian fashion, they’ll likely be a diverse lot that includes yellow pine, eastern hemlock, and cucumber magnolia all jumbled together. And the music of falling water will almost certainly be heard wherever you go, likely from more than one quarter.

Bankhead is also home to the Sipsey Fork, Alabama’s only National Wild and Scenic River and a fine canoeing stream. The southeast quarter of the forest winds around part of  Lewis Smith Lake, excellent for bass and bluegill fishing and all other types of water fun.

Hike into Bee Branch Canyon
The intense popularity of the Bee Branch area has resulted in its taking a beating over the last decade, but Alabama hikers have good reason to make for this spot. Choked with boulders and canopied by the deep shade of old-growth trees, the canyon is walled by tall bluffs from which numerous waterfalls cascade. It’s a fairly mellow four-mile hike from the Thompson Creek trailhead to the end of the Bee Branch Canyon, but you’ll want to take your time working your way into the heart of this lovely place.

Bushwhack Deep into the Sipsey
While places like Bee Branch Canyon and Thompson Creek see fairly heavy hiker traffic, the Sipsey also has a fair piece of terra incognita within its spacious confines (at more than 25,000 acres, it’s the third-largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi. Hikers with solid backcountry skills can forge off into the relative unknown in the Quillan Creek area, a lush, trailless area where there’s always another waterfall to discover round the next bend. A few days and nights in the Sipsey backcountry will give you a deeper feel for the subtle pleasures of this wilderness: the wildflowers and luxuriant mosses that carpet the understory; the tremendous diversity of tree species in the hollows; the bottomless greens of an old-growth Appalachian forest.

Ride the Owl Creek Trail
Whether you’re pedaling an iron horse or in the saddle of the old-fashioned kind, Owl Creek’s 30 miles of trail fit the bill. Do the whole bit or cut it down to loops of varying length; you can also spend the night at the primitive Owl Creek Horse Camp. It is a moderately paced trail, great for bikers of all levels. There’s more multi-use trail in Bankhead — try the Black Warrior Horse Trail, which explores 25 miles of the northeastern part of the forest. As you pass under hardwood trees and through wildflowers, you will see sandstone cliffs, deep gorges, and quick-moving streams. A great variety of southern birding can be done while on this path.

Fish Brushy Lake
Brushy Lake is a 33-acre lake located within the rustic Brushy Lake Recreation Area. Here you will find a remote lake that offers largemouth bass, catfish, and bream fishing. Several campsites lie nearby to provide a great respite to the tired angler. Fishing at Brushy Lake is open year-round.

Camp at Houston
The Houston Campground is located near Double Springs in the southern part of the forest. At Houston, you are right in the middle of a bunch of forest activities. The sites are situated along Lake Lewis Smith and provide Kentucky spotted bass and hybrid striped bass fishing. Nearby is historic Looney Tavern, Little Natural Bridge, and the Houston Civil War Jail.

The map above is interactive. Use your mouse to zoom in and out.

Your 20 mile canoe trip begins at Winston Outdoors at the southernmost part of the trail indicated above. It ends 20 miles and about 4 hours later at the Sipsey River Picnic Grounds at the intersection Hwy 60 (Cawhill Rd) and The Sipsey River.

Fishing and Floating the Sipsey Fork above Smith Lake

The Sipsey Fork originates at the confluence of Thompson and Hubbard creeks in southwestern Lawrence County. Often referred to as the Sipsey River (a tributary stream of the Tombigbee River) by mistake, the Sipsey Fork is a tributary stream of the Mulberry Fork, which is part of the Black Warrior River. Sipsey Fork flows south southeasterly until impacted by the impounded waters of Lewis-Smith Reservoir. This section, commonly referred to as Upper Sipsey Fork, lies completely within the boundaries of the William B. Bankhead National Forest. Sipsey Fork is Alabama’s only stream classified as a “National Wild and Scenic River.” This classification will insure that Upper Sipsey Fork and its tributary streams will be managed in such a way as to protect and preserve the “…remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural, or similar values, in free flowing condition” for future generations to enjoy.

Floating Upper Sipsey Fork, by kayak or canoe, is the ideal method of enjoying its wonder. The aesthetic value alone makes the adventure worthwhile. Frequent rock bluffs rise straight up from the stream’s edge, some in excess of one-hundred feet.  Lush vegetation drapes the shoreline, while the surrounding country is hilly, heavily wooded, remote and quiet. The music of water cascading over the many cliffs is a guarantee in the Sipsey Wilderness nicknamed the “Land of a Thousand Waterfalls.” However, do not worry; there are no waterfalls in the stream itself, although there is a “Class 1” rapid located south of County Road 60. Other short portages around shoal areas may be necessary, depending on the water level.

Anglers will discover the excellent fishing that the Upper Sipsey Fork has to offer. April-May and October-November are the ideal months. Anglers can expect to catch a variety of fish species such as bluegill, longear sunfish, green sunfish, spotted bass and white bass. Other species possibly encountered are redbreast sunfish, largemouth bass, redeye bass, striped bass (rockfish), and channel catfish. Light-spinning or fly-fishing tackle are the preferred gear. For terminal tackle, anglers can catch bream and bass on small in-line spinners (Rooster Tails, Panther Martins), small crank-baits, plastic grubs, or you may try to “match-the-hatch” while fly-fishing. Anglers should concentrate their efforts to deep pools and current breaks behind boulders or fallen trees.

Three stream expanses on the Upper Sipsey Fork can be float-fished. Equip yourself with a good map prior to casting-off on any one of these floats. The first section extends from the Thompson Creek (iron-bridge) access off Forest Service Road #208, downstream to the Sipsey River Recreational Area at the crossing of Winston County Road #60. This nine and one-half (9.5) mile stretch of stream is within the Sipsey Wilderness where hikers, kayakers, and canoeists can find the solitude and isolation that are part of the wilderness experience. Plan for this float to take ten hours or more depending on the flow and your commitment to fishing. Attempting this stretch should be restricted to the wetter months to avoid having to drag your watercraft over the shoals.

The second float fishing stretch is from the Sipsey River Recreational Area at County Road 60, downstream to the W.T. Mims’ Family Public Access Point at the Highway 33 crossing. This nine-mile length of stream is the most popular and provides excellent sport fishing for both bream and spotted bass. Expect to take about nine hours to float and fish this section. It too can be difficult to float during times of little or no rainfall.

The final expanse would be from the W.T. Mims’ Family Public Access Point off Highway 33, downstream to Payne Creek at Moody Bend, approximately two and one-half (2.5) miles or stretch it to four and one-half (4.5) miles to County Road B15 (Forest Service Rd. 109A) access just downstream of the mouth of Sandy Creek. This stretch of stream will have the slowest current but will provide the angler with the best chance of catching a striped bass (rockfish). To hook that striped bass, fish large baits on medium-heavy tackle in the pools at the tail end of shoal areas during mid-March to mid-April.

Upper Sipsey Fork is one of Alabama’s most precious natural resources. This stream provides recreation to many anglers, canoeists, kayakers, hikers, photographers, primitive campers, and wildlife observers. So enjoy Upper Sipsey Fork, but remember to “Leave It Better Than You Found It!”

• Fishing the Sipsey River
• Fishing Lewis Smith Lake
• Hunting in Winston County

Fishing the Sipsey River

Anglers will discover the excellent fishing that the Upper Sipsey Fork has to offer. April-May and October-November are the ideal months. Anglers can expect to catch a variety of fish species such as bluegill, longear sunfish, green sunfish, spotted bass and white bass. Other species possibly encountered are redbreast sunfish, largemouth bass, redeye bass, striped bass (rockfish), and channel catfish. Light-spinning or fly-fishing tackle are the preferred gear. For terminal tackle, anglers can catch bream and bass on small in-line spinners (Rooster Tails, Panther Martins), small crank-baits, plastic grubs, or you may try to “match-the-hatch” while fly-fishing. Anglers should concentrate their efforts to deep pools and current breaks behind boulders or fallen trees.

Three stream expanses on the Upper Sipsey Fork can be float-fished. Equip yourself with a good map prior to casting-off on any one of these floats. The first section extends from the Thompson Creek (iron-bridge) access off Forest Service Road #208, downstream to the Sipsey River Recreational Area at the crossing of Winston County Road #60. This nine and one-half (9.5) mile stretch of stream is within the Sipsey Wilderness where hikers, kayakers, and canoeists can find the solitude and isolation that are part of the wilderness experience. Plan for this float to take ten hours or more depending on the flow and your commitment to fishing. Attempting this stretch should be restricted to the wetter months to avoid having to drag your watercraft over the shoals.

The second float fishing stretch is from the Sipsey River Recreational Area at County Road 60, downstream to the W.T. Mims’ Family Public Access Point at the Highway 33 crossing. This nine-mile length of stream is the most popular and provides excellent sport fishing for both bream and spotted bass. Expect to take about nine hours to float and fish this section. It too can be difficult to float during times of little or no rainfall.

The final expanse would be from the W.T. Mims’ Family Public Access Point off Highway 33, downstream to Payne Creek at Moody Bend, approximately two and one-half (2.5) miles or stretch it to four and one-half (4.5) miles to County Road B15 (Forest Service Rd. 109A) access just downstream of the mouth of Sandy Creek. This stretch of stream will have the slowest current but will provide the angler with the best chance of catching a striped bass (rockfish). To hook that striped bass, fish large baits on medium-heavy tackle in the pools at the tail end of shoal areas during mid-March to mid-April.

Fishing Smith Lake

Like a diamond that is deep, clear and blue, Lewis Smith Lake is one of Alabama’s treasures. Located in Walker, Winston and Cullman counties, this 21,200-acre lake is different than most other Alabama reservoirs. If you typically fish a shallow, stained body of water, then your first trip onto Smith Lake can be intimidating. Watching your depth finder jump to 200 plus feet can leave you feeling lost. However, like most lakes, the majority of bass, bream and crappie fishing is done by casting to the numerous large rocks and fallen trees along the shoreline. With 500 plus miles of shoreline, it isn’t that difficult to find fish. An hour north of Birmingham or south of Huntsville and just off I-65, the lake is not difficult to find.

The overall population of black bass in the lake is good. According to the April, 2007 electrofishing survey by fisheries biologists with the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, largemouth bass and spotted bass were captured at the same rate. Sixteen percent (16%) of the black bass population exceeded fifteen inches (15″). This is a slight increase above that of 2003. The spotted bass population has responded well to the slot limit and has shown a positive shift towards larger fish, while the largemouth bass population has improved at a lesser degree. For the slot limit to continue to restructure the black bass population, anglers are encouraged to keep bass less than 13 inches. This will result in both increased growth and overall size of the remaining bass. The creel limit is 10 black bass in combination (largemouth bass, spotted bass…) per day. The slot limit is 13 to 15 inches. Anglers must immediately release all black bass in the slot (13″-15″), but may keep black bass over 15 inches (15″). Remember, harvesting bass under 13 inches (13″) is not only encouraged, but also recommended.

Smith Lake also produces monster striped bass. Fish in the 40+ pound range are present, and some anglers feel a 50+ pound Smith Lake record should be caught soon. Anglers have fought several huge fish that broke off. One angler hooked a fish that, “had to go at least 70 pounds;” the big one that got away. Live shad, available locally, are the preferred bait.

Hunting in Winston County

Winston Outdoors offers the following rentals:

• Ski Boats
• Pontoon Boats
• Fishing Boats
• Canoes
• Kayaks
• Pedal/Paddle Boats
• Personal Water Craft (PWC’s such as Jet-Ski’s)

Reservations are highly recommended as supply is limited and demand increases during peak season. Contact us today!

Wild-flowing creeks in northwestern Alabama converge to become the Sipsey River, 61 miles of which has been designated Wild and Scenic. Running below sandstone bluffs that rise 30 to 100 feet above the water, through a forest of often imposing second-growth trees and occasional small stands of virgin timber (some of the last virgin timber in the state), the Sipsey and its tributaries slice neatly through the Wilderness. Sinkholes, small caves, and scenic overlooks are plentiful. Less plentiful is the rare flattened musk turtle, an inhabitant of the Sipsey.

Six established trails, all rated easy to moderate, crisscross the area. Several depart from the Sipsey River Recreation Site on the southern boundary, which has sanitary facilities, drinkable water, no developed campsites, and no fee. From here, Trail 209 follows the river north and joins Trail 206 after about eight miles, ending after about 2.5 more miles at a parking lot on the northern boundary. Trail 200 runs north along Borden Creek to meet an old wagon road that gives access to the heart of Sipsey Wilderness; it, too, ends at a parking lot on the northern boundary. A 13-mile loop is possible by taking Trail 204 from the old wagon road and following Trail 209 for the return to the recreation site. Sipsey trails receive moderate to heavy human use year-round. Wilderness camping, building campfires, hunting, and fishing are permitted. Horsepackers are allowed on designated trails.

Birdwatching

The 25,000-acre Sipsey Wilderness in the Bankhead National Forest is the second largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi. About 150 species have been documented in the vicinity, including the sharp-shinned hawk, American redstart, and black-throated green, cerulean, and black-and-white warbler. Kinlock Falls and Thompson Creek Bridge yield a spectacular landscape of cliffs, gorges, and hardwoods, with excellent birding opportunities.

Alabama leads the South in National Forest restoration, a plan that returns the land to its natural state before it was changed by decades of clear-cut logging. The plan will create open woodlands of mixed pine and hardwoods carpeted with native grasses that are visually appealing and more conducive to camping, hiking and wildlife. Tread lightly on the trails and you’ll find you are sharing the forest with 900 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Quiet areas may reward the hiker or rider with glimpses of deer, wild turkey, waterfowl, and if you are lucky, rare, endangered or sensitive species such as gopher tortoises, flattened musk turtles and the red-cockaded woodpecker.

Spring and Fall are considered the best times for horseback riding; however, in rainy periods there can be trail closings, or muddy trails. Fortunately mud doesn’t bother most horses—they just plod through it.

The Bankhead National Forest on the Cumberland Plateau offers 101,000 acres laced with a labyrinth of long canyons, deep gorges and more than 100 waterfalls—20 of them large—cascading from bluffs that often rise to 100 feet. The forest is also particularly rich in cultural heritage sites including bluff shelters that were inhabited by Native Americans.

Black Warrior Horse Trail System

Located in the William B. Bankhead National Forest, the Black Warrior Horse Trails were specifically designed with input from riders. The 30 miles of horse trails include the Pine Torch Loop, the Brushy Loop and the Key Mill Loop. These trails are laid out in loops of 6, 11 or 12 miles, which provide the option of choosing from short rides easy enough for beginners to those requiring a well-conditioned horse. Wide trails are suitable for wagons and cross-country carriages.

If overnight camping is your style, the Owl Creek Horse Camp is near the Key Mill Loop of the trail. Hikers and Trail riders like Owl Creek Horse Camp for its proximity to sandstone cliffs and native hardwood forests of hemlock, poplar and oak. The horse camp now has potable water and improvements that are supported by modest fees for day use and camping.

Sipsey National Wilderness

Riders in the Bankhead also have the choice of exploring the Sipsey Wilderness area where 13 miles of horse and hiking trails offer solitude and isolation as part of the backwoods experience. It is the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi River and one of the South’s greatest treasures.

Two rivers, the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River and Brushy Creek, flow through this unique ecosystem. Sometimes referred to as “the land of a thousand waterfalls,” the Sipsey supports a vast range of plant life and offers outstanding opportunities for bird watching. Part of the official Alabama Bird Trail passes through the region. Motorized vehicles are not allowed anywhere in the wilderness; however, primitive camping, hunting, and fishing are permitted.

Bring your horses or rent some by the hour. Lessons are available in some areas. Contact Winston Outdoors for more horseback riding information.