Lake Mitchell Overview

One of Alabama’s top recreational destinations, Lake Mitchell, is in Coosa and Chilton Counties. Just 20 minutes from Clanton, Alabama, it sits on 5,850 acres with 147 miles of shoreline. It is part of the Coosa River, one of Alabama’s most developed rivers.

Lake Mitchell Essentials

Close to Lake Mitchell, Clanton provides essentials from groceries to pharmacies and restaurants. For medical emergencies, Clanton also has Ascension St. Vincent’s Chilton. For flights, Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport is just an hour away.

A Tumultuous Beginning

Before Lake Mitchell was there, the area was originally occupied by Native American tribes. However, the Coosa River ownership has traded hands multiple times throughout history. Spanish explorers briefly held it after Hernando de Soto landed in America. Then in the 1600s, England established settlements along the river to manage trade relationships with the indigenous peoples. This led to conflict with France, who had also set up shop along the river. The tension eventually brought about the Seven Years’ War, when Britain defeated France and forced them to forfeit their territory. It was occupied by the British until the American Revolutionary War.

After the Revolutionary War, Native American tribes largely populated the area around Lake Mitchell again. Then by the 19th Century, it was almost entirely occupied by American citizens. The area was valued for its farming and transportation potential. The Coosa River was largely used to transit riverboats until the early 1900s.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Alabama Power began to build dams along the Coosa River. Their goal was to bring electricity to the rural areas of Alabama. By 1928, the company had brought electricity to over 400 communities, when they had only served 72 almost two decades prior. One of those dams was Mitchell Dam, which would consequently create Lake Mitchell.

Mitchell Dam finished construction in 1923. James Mitchell, the president of Alabama Power at the time, is the namesake of the dam and lake. He helped design and construct the gravity concrete dam. The facility produces energy that is fed into the Southern Company power grid, serving countless communities. Water levels are consistent year-round due to Lake Mitchell’s “run-of-the-river” status. This makes it a great lake for recreational activities.

Recreation on Lake Mitchell

Lake Mitchell has excellent fishing. The leftovers from the construction of Mitchell Dam create a fertile environment for fish. A stunning variety of fish are found here, including several bass, catfish, and crappie, as well as bluegill, sunfish, and shad. Anglers find fishing here especially effective during spring and fall. Lake Mitchell offers a vast array of fishing spots, from dense water willow stands, points, humps, ledges, rock piles, and more. This offers a diversity of fishing tactics depending on which fish you are looking to catch. The most popular type of fishing on Lake Mitchell, however, is bass fishing.

Based on which fish you are looking to catch on Lake Mitchell, various bait types are more effective than others. Spinnerbaits, topwater chuggers, jerk-baits, Carolina-rigged centipedes, and walking baits are useful for bass. The lake hosts several bass tournaments, including both night and day fishing tournaments. You can also try your hand at jug fishing. There are multiple marinas and boat launches around the lake where anglers can get their boats on the water. There are four marinas dotted around the shoreline. They sell bait for anglers preparing to fish. Watersports are another popular activity enjoyed by many here.

Many people enjoy watersports such as wakeboarding, waterskiing, jet skis, tubing, swimming, and more on Lake Mitchell. The marinas around the lake provide boat services such as boat rentals and refueling. There are also campgrounds, hiking, and more opportunities for fun around this lake.

A Watersports Haven

Lake Mitchell provides top-of-the-line recreational entertainment on the water! For anglers and watersports enthusiasts alike, it is one of Alabama’s best lakes.