Tallapoosa River

This stretch of the Tallapoosa River runs free-flowing below R.L. Harris Dam near Wedowee, Alabama, through Wadley and Malone down to Horseshoe Bend — a genuine river reach, not a reservoir, with bedrock and boulder shoals alternating with slower silt-bottom runs. Flow is hydro-regulated by Alabama Power's releases from Harris Dam upstream, so both water level and current change with the utility's release schedule rather than staying constant.

White crappie are specifically documented as a popular catch on this stretch, alongside largemouth bass and flathead catfish. Downstream, the same Tallapoosa system feeds into Lake Martin, which holds the Alabama record white crappie — a sign of how well this river system supports the species, even though catch records for this exact free-flowing reach are harder to pin down.

General Southeast Alabama river-crappie behavior applies here: fish stage near creek mouths and channels as water approaches 60°F, move toward the upper ends of creeks in the mid-60s, and push onto spawning flats once temps reach the mid-60s to low 70s.

In current, crappie hold facing upstream on the downstream side of cover, so work that side first. Small 1/16 to 1/8-ounce jigheads with a plastic trailer, or live minnows, worked tight to stumps, laydowns, and any structure lining the river and creek channels, is the standard approach for shallow spawning fish.

The Tallapoosa River adds a genuine free-flowing river to Crappie Fanatics' coverage alongside Lake Martin downstream — check the reports feed below for the latest conditions members are logging, and consider being one of the first to post a trip here.