Pay lakes in Alabama

Usually not. Guests and patrons of a permitted Alabama commercial fee fishing pond may fish its ponds without a fishing license; at an unpermitted pay pond the normal license rules apply.

Alabama licenses pay lakes through its Commercial Fee Fishing Pond letter permit (Code of Alabama Title 9, Chapter 11, Article 17, §§ 9-11-450 to 9-11-457), run by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. The license rule depends on the lake holding that state license, so ask the lake if you are unsure.

"Holders of the letter permit issued pursuant to this article, their guests and patrons may, when fishing under the provisions of this article, fish from the ponds on the approved site without an approved fishing license. The letter permit shall be displayed prominently adjacent to the place where the fish taken from said site are checked and weighed."

Source: Code of Alabama § 9-11-454 (Fishing license not required; letter permit prominently displayed), reproduced in ADCNR 2025-2026 Regulation Book (Title 9 appendix). Wording taken from a third-party code reproduction; the official site alison.legislature.state.al.us could not be fetched. § 9-11-53 also cross-references the exemption for persons fishing at commercial fee fishing ponds., checked November 2026. Compare every state on our pay lake license rules page.