Belated 6/9/17 Big Alabama
 

A little late, but took a day off a couple Friday's back to do alittle fishing. Decided to hit Big Alabama Bayou (Sherburne WMA for those unfamiliar with the name) in the pirogue. The water was still pretty high from all the recent rain, and the water was stained. This was my first time fishing Big Alabama, so the water clarity may be pretty normal for that area.

Fished for about 3 hours from 6:30ish to 9:30 or 10. Gnats were horrible!! The bite was pretty slow on both bass and bream/sacs. I managed one bass on a black/red speed craw, and got a few more bites on a black/red lizard (including one that took the tail off of it). Also got a few good hits on a black/chartreuse grub under a cork (fished for bream). One took it, and I had it all the way to the boat before it spit the bait out.

All in all, it was a fun trip. I definitely plan to fish there and Little Alabama more. For anyone that does fish this area, is there a way to monitor water level besides just making the trip out there? Any USGS/ACE gauges out there?

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Little Alabama
 

You may want to try:

http://rivergages.mvr.usace.army.mil...9365&fid=&dt=S

Typically, Little Alabama water stays a little clearer. Little Alabama is not a "flowing" body of water.... just rain run-off. The very south end does connect to Big Alabama, but under normal water level, only the northern couple miles of Little Alabama is fishable because of logs block the water and the bayou is mostly dry on the southern end.


Water level at Sherburne is effected by rain and water that can back up from the Atchafalaya river. When the Atchafalaya rises up above about 9 feet, about a week later the water starts to "back-up" south of Sherburne. By the time the Atchafalaya river gets up to 14'+ the lower areas of Sherburne start to flood.


Typically, the water starts dropping my mid Summer and gets very low by September. Then usually by November the water starts to come back up. Any major rain can bring the water level back up 1 to 2 feet.