Jackson Lake and Jackson Lake Island provided the perfect locale for a fishing
day with local youngsters during CrappieNOW’s 2025 media camp.
Alabama’s Jackson Lake Island: A Hidden Gem for Anglers and Families
Photos and Story by Keith Sutton
Tucked away on a peaceful stretch of the Alabama River, just outside Montgomery and right in the heart of Elmore County, Jackson Lake Island is one of Alabama’s most unique outdoor destinations. This privately owned island, open to the public, offers a little bit of everything: river access, rustic charm and a touch of Hollywood magic.
Best known as the filming site for the Town of Spectre in Tim Burton’s 2003 movie “Big Fish,” Jackson Lake Island has since transformed into a quiet haven for anglers, campers and families looking to unwind beside the water. For a modest entry fee, you get access to a stretch of river that feels worlds away from daily life.
For fishermen, Jackson Lake is the kind of place that makes you want to stay an extra day. You can launch your boat, kayak or canoe directly into calm backwaters that flow into the Alabama River, waters known for producing crappie, catfish, bream and bass year-round. There’s little noise here except for your outboard humming and the splash of fish breaking the surface.
Crappie Fishing: Quiet Water, Steady Action
Crappie anglers love this place for good reason. Jackson Lake, technically an oxbow off the main river, offers structure and cover tailor-made for papermouths. Flooded timber, cypress knees and submerged logs fill the shallows, while deeper holes near the old river channel draw fish when the temperature climbs. The lake stays replenished thanks to periodic backflow from the Alabama River, which brings in baitfish and keeps the population healthy.
Most crappie here run nine to 12 inches, but it’s not unusual to boat a thick slab pushing 2 pounds. The water is fertile, the structure is perfect, and fishing pressure is light. You’ll often have the best brushpiles all to yourself.
Locals fish using a mix of techniques, from simple minnow rigs under bobbers to spider-rigging slow-trolled jigs across deeper channels. Single-pole jigging is deadly around isolated timber and stumps, especially when the fish turn finicky. Patience and precision are key—move slowly, drop vertically and stay alert for the faint thump that says a crappie just inhaled your bait.
When the Alabama River rises and spills into the lake, the bite can get red-hot. High water floods new ground and sends fish shallow to feed. As levels drop, crappie slide back into the deeper timber, and that’s when electronics can make a real difference.
Catfish: Big Ones in the Backwater and Beyond
While crappie are the main attraction, the catfishing here shines as well. Jackson Lake and the adjoining Alabama River support a healthy population of channel, blue and flathead catfish. Channel cats are thick in the lake itself, prowling the muddy bottom for shad, crawfish and anything that smells like food. Blues and flatheads prefer deeper runs and holes in the Alabama River proper, just beyond the island’s launch.
If you’re after big cats, follow the current. Set up near submerged timber, drop-offs or the mouth of feeder creeks where the lake meets the river. Cut shad, skipjack or live bream make excellent baits. Summer nights can be magical here—lantern light reflecting on the still water, the low croak of frogs in the shallows and a rod tip bouncing under the weight of something big.
Flatheads are especially common where current sweeps past logjams. Blues tend to roam more and can be taken on drift rigs or anchored baits along the main channel. The Alabama River below Montgomery is famous for producing trophy blues topping 50 pounds, and the same gene pool swims right past Jackson Lake Island.
The Island Experience
Even if you never wet a line, Jackson Lake Island is worth a visit. The ghostly movie set from “Big Fish” still stands—the weathered houses of Spectre, the moss-covered church and the famous clothesline strung with shoes. It’s a strange and beautiful sight, half-abandoned and half-alive. You can walk among the buildings, take photos or follow the dirt road around the island’s edge for peaceful views of the lake.
Adding to the charm are the goats. Dozens roam freely across the island, greeting visitors as if they own the place. Families love them, and kids especially get a kick out of feeding and petting these four-legged residents.
The island’s atmosphere is laid-back and welcoming. There’s plenty of open space for picnics, a few shaded spots for hammocks and enough shoreline for everyone to spread out. It’s not a resort. It’s more like an old-fashioned country campground where time slows down and people still wave when they pass.
Camping, Access and Visitor Info
Jackson Lake Island is on Cypress Lane in Millbrook, Alabama, about 20 minutes from downtown Montgomery. It’s open daily from sunrise to sunset. Entry costs $5 per person over age 10 (kids ages 3–10 are $3, under 2 are free). Overnight camping is $15 per night for tent or RV sites, with both primitive sites and sites with limited electric hookups available. Clean restrooms, picnic areas and a solid boat ramp are part of the setup.
For information, call (334) 430-7963 or visit their official Facebook page, where the owners regularly post updates about hours, closures and events.
If you plan to stay a while, there’s plenty to explore nearby. The historic town of Wetumpka is just up the road, offering good restaurants, antique shops and kayak rentals from Coosa River Adventures. Outdoor lovers can also visit Fort Toulouse-Fort Jackson Park, another scenic Alabama River site steeped in history. More info is available through the Elmore County Economic Development Authority.
A Quiet Gem on the Alabama River
Jackson Lake Island doesn’t have the crowds or chaos of big reservoirs. It doesn’t have fancy marinas or boat docks stacked with pontoons. What it has is peace, natural beauty and plenty of fish.
It’s the kind of place where you can catch a limit of crappie by noon, grill fresh fillets for lunch, then sit under a shade tree watching goats graze in the golden light. Where families camp together, anglers trade stories and the only schedule that matters is the one the river keeps.
Peaceful. Scenic. Unexpected. That’s Jackson Lake Island, where Alabama’s movie magic meets a fisherman’s paradise. Josh Welch is a prime example.
Keith Sutton is editor of our sister magazine at CatfishNOW.com. He’s been an avid crappie angler for more than half a century, pursuing his favorite panfish on waters throughout the United States. His fishing stories have been read by millions in hundreds of books, magazines, newspapers and Internet publications. In 2021, he was inducted into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame.
