by:  Eric Reutebuch, Director, Lake Watch
 Appeared in August 2026 issue of Lake Magazine

Did you know that Alabama ranks number one among all states in the US for aquatic biodiversity? We are truly blessed to live in ‘America’s Amazon!’ Alabama rivers and streams have 340 freshwater fish species, more than any other state ( encyclopediaofalabama.org/fishes-of-alabama)! We also have more freshwater turtle species, more freshwater snail and mussel species, and more crayfish species as well. Who knew?

The Tallapoosa River Basin is home to Lake Martin, which lies in the Middle Tallapoosa River Basin. Lake Wedowee is in the Upper Tallapoosa Basin upstream. Lakes Yates and Thurlow are in the Lower Tallapoosa Basin downstream. The Tallapoosa Basin is a big contributor to our state’s number one status in freshwater fish diversity , home to134 species of fish (tinyurl.com/LMWatershed2012). In fact, we have some species that are only found in the Tallapoosa Basin and nowhere else in the world, four of which are mentioned below!

The rivers and streams of Alabama contain rainbows of color. The stunningly beautiful rainbow darter inhabits waters of north Alabama in the Tennessee Basin.  Closer to home, the waters of the Tallapoosa Basin have their own rainbows. Have you heard of the Tallapoosa Darter (shown, source: htnacifin.com/fish/tallapoosa-darter)? You probably haven’t seen one unless you’ve done a lot of wading and snorkeling in local streams. They are small, only growing to a maximum of around 2.5 inches long (outdooralabama.com/darters/tallapoosa). They spend their lives darting along the stream bottom (thus the name) eating aquatic bugs. What they lack in size, they make up for with their brilliant coloration. They are little swimming rainbows of color, rivaling the beauty of tropical reef fish.

Other beauties in the Tallapoosa Basin include the Tallapoosa Shiner, the Speckled Darter, Lipstick Darter, Longear Sunfish and the Tallapoosa Redeye Bass (shown, source: Drew Morgan). The Tallapoosa Basin is the only place on the globe you’ll find the Lipstick Darter and Tallapoosa Redeye Bass (outdooralabama.com, search Tallapoosa redeye bass) , as well as a not-so-pretty fish, the Tallapoosa Sculpin (tpimediagroup.org/lakemagazine/nature-of-the-lake/tallapoosa-sculpin/article_9d00843c-1bcd-5fa7-9707-0ab29b85fd0b.html).  The Tallapoosa sculpins (shown, source: TPI) are tiny, approximately the same size as the Tallapoosa darter.  They also live on the bottom of rivers and streams, eating aquatic insects, crayfish and other small fish. They are extremely hard to see due to their camouflage coloration.

As you can see, there’s a whole lot more to the aquatic community than bass, bluegill, catfish and crappie. The game fish get nearly all of the attention, of course, since they are fun to catch and quite tasty. The biggest game fish that anglers hook in the Tallapoosa Basin lakes are the Saltwater Striped Bass, ranging up to around 50 pounds. They are stocked into the lakes by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources nowadays, whereas they used to have massive runs up the river from the Gulf before the rivers were dammed. These Stripers would be considered minnows compared to the monsters that swam up the rivers beside them in pre-dam days, the Gulf Sturgeons, growing to over 13 feet long and over 300 pounds (shown, caught near Tallassee by Leander Ward in 1933, source: Tallassee Tribune).

This article is just a brief snapshot of the many fishes in the Tallapoosa Basin. For a good overview of aquatic critters in the basin check out the Alabama Extension blog article titled ‘Native Aquatic Species of the Tallapoosa Watershed ‘ at aces.edu, search Tallapoosa aquatic species), a book by Dr. Bill Deutsch, ‘Alabama Rivers: A Celebration And Challenge’ at alabamarocksandrivers.com, and a publication by Alabama Water Watch, ‘Citizen Volunteer Watershed Stewardship of Alabama’s Reservoirs-Special Lakes Worth Protecting, Lake Martin Watershed’ at tinyurl.com/LMWatershed2012.

Consider joining Lake Watch of Lake Martin to help us protect our lake, streams and the Tallapoosa River, and all of the amazing creatures that call this basin home. Go to www.lakewatch.org or scan the QR code and come onboard!

Eric Reutebuch has worked to protect Lake Martin and its watershed since the 1980s.  An Auburn University researcher and former Alabama Water Watch outreach director, he has served as Lake Watch of Lake Martin water monitor, past president and board member since 2015.