Wilson Lake

About Wilson Lake

Wilson Lake, once known as the "Smallmouth Capital of the World," is appreciated by outdoor enthusiasts for its beautiful scenery, scenic views and excellent fishing.

Named after President Woodrow Wilson, the Wilson Dam was the first dam built on the Tennessee River. Wilson Lake is located in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, about 30 miles south of Birmingham, the Alabama capital. The dam was supposed to supply electricity to a nitrate plant, but construction of the dam began after the United States entered World War I. To make explosives, the United States built two nitrate plants in Muscle Mountains.

After the dam was completed, it was completed in 1924, raising questions about its future, but not long after the construction of a new dam on the Tennessee River took place just a few miles south of Wilson Dam.

Henry Ford and Thomas Edison visited Wilson Lake in 1921, and Ford talked about bringing new manufacturing to the area. Ford offered to buy Wilson Dam for a fraction of what had been spent on construction, but when his offer was rejected by Congress, he founded the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) instead. The discussion of Ford's plan led to economic recovery in the region and the construction of a new dam in 1924.

The Wilson Dam was completed in 1924 and remained in operation until it was taken over by the TVA in 1933 and the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1934.

This is how the Muscle Rials got their name; before the dam and reservoir were built, they blocked shipping on the Tennessee River. Together, the locks and the reservoir opened the river and today allow barges and boats to travel freely.

Wilson Lock was declared a national historic landmark in 1966 and is the largest lock in the USA and one of the oldest locks on the Tennessee River. It has a maximum lift of 100 feet and is the only lock of its kind in North America and the second largest in America.

The view from Wilson Dam is worth a stop and you can drive around the dam, which supplies Muscle Shoals and other areas of the South with hydropower.

There is also a new fishing pier, ADA - accessible, ADA accessible and only a short walk from the dam on the west side of the lake. The deep channels dug into the Tennessee River and the flooded fields make Wilson Reservoir an excellent habitat for fish. The fishing for small-mouth perch is exceptional, as are the fishing for small-mouth perch, large-mouth perch and blue-perch.

Wilson Lake once held the world record for the 10-pound brown mouthfish caught in the 1950s, the largest catch ever made by a fish in a single day.

This is a particularly good place to enjoy the water by boat, jet ski or water ski, and there are nearby campsites. There are many bird watching spots on the lake, as well as a number of picnic areas and picnic tables. This is the tail water of Wheeler Dam, so it is a good place to fish from the shore or by boat. It is one of the most beautiful lakes in the state of Alabama and a great place to camp and fish.

The Old First Quarters is a wildlife reserve established to protect the historic site of Wheeler Dam and its historic site. It is named after the complex where engineers were housed during the construction of the dam. The area provides ideal habitat for ferns and visitors can see a number of species considered rare in the region, such as white-footed fennel.

In Wilson Lake, it's an easy drive to visit Helen Keller's birthplace and see the place where Annie Sullivan taught Helen to sign on the water. The Tennessee Valley Art Center houses one of the largest art collections in the state of Alabama and the world. It is also the only Frank Lloyd Wright building that exists in Alabama today.