Fishing

Decatur has played host to many national fishing tournaments, including the Bassmaster Top 150 Tournament, the Bassmaster Invitational, the Crappie USA National Championship, and the Wal-Mart FLW Tournament. Wheeler Lake, on the Tennessee River, presents a mixture of deep drop-offs and shallow banks, narrow tributaries and wide-open spaces. There are flooded timber, grass beds, and seemingly bottomless depths, quiet coves, brushy sloughs, and wave-washed cliffs. The quality sport fish are just as varied as the lake. Wheeler is the southern-most point for the natural habitat of smallmouth bass, making the area home of many lunkers. Largemouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, stripe, catfish, and sauger are all popular game fish.

“In my book, it’s [Ingalls Harbor] No.1, and I’ve seen them all. If we drew up the perfect fishing tournament facility, it would look just like Ingalls Harbor.”
- Chris Jones, FLW Tournament Director

"Thank you for helping to make our 2007 State Championship a huge success! The weigh-in site at Ingalls Harbor was great! Many of our anglers commented that your facility is the best in the state! We will definitely return to Ingalls Harbor in the future.
– Eddie Plemons, President
Alabama B.A.S.S. Federation Nation, Inc.

“I love the new marina and boating facilities at Ingalls Harbor. I fish all over the world and this is the best I've ever been to."
– 2006 FLW Stern Series Tournament Participant
Longview, TX

Decatur has a place they can be very proud of because this [Ingalls Harbor] is definitely one of the best, if not the best, that we’ve been to and we go to a lot of places.”
–Trip Weldon, 2008 BASS Tournament Director

Click on Facilities & Venues for details.

Download the entire Wheeler Lake Fishing Structure Map (PDF)