Pronounced Lake “El-Yoo”, Lake LU is a 54-acre lake on the University campus that provides facilities for fishing, boating and picnicking. The Lake was opened in 1976 and is currently managed by Robby Limerick. 
 
Lake LU has competitive fees for rentals, pavilions and fishing. It makes a great location for a family reunion, a romantic outing or a Saturday picnic with the family. Reserve your pavilion today if you are planning a larger event. 
 
Make sure you are familiar with the lake hours, regulations and fees. We provide a topographical map, fishing statistics and current weather information to make your fishing trip planning a little easier.  

Click here for the fishing forecast for Lake LU. 

 
UWA students, faculty and staff and one guest admitted free on UWA ID card. Additional rules apply. 
 
Alabama residents age 16 through 64 must have a valid Alabama resident fishing license. All Alabama residents age 65 and older have no license requirements but must show ID. All non-residents age 16 and older must have a valid Alabama non-resident fishing license. 

Would you like to receive the monthly Lake LU Newsletter? Send an email to the Lake Manager

Hours and Fees 

Lake LU’s hours of operation follow the university calendar; it is closed on all university holidays and breaks. Other variables impacting hours of operation are primarily related to the state’s fishing season, daily limits/number of fish caught, etc. General hours of operation are as follows:  

Monday:Lake closed for maintenance
Tuesday:Lake closed for maintenance
Wednesday:6:00 a.m. until dusk dark* — Fishing allowed 
Thursday:12:00 noon until dusk dark* — Picnic and pleasure boating only
Friday:12:00 noon until dusk dark* — Picnic and pleasure boating only
Saturday:6:00 a.m. until dusk dark* — Fishing allowed
Sunday:12:00 noon until dusk dark* — Fishing allowed
*Dusk dark is defined as 30 minutes after sunset. 

Modifications to hours of operation are posted at the entrance gate as they are determined. Closings for university holidays should be posted at the Lake Office at least 1 week before the scheduled holiday. 

Fees and Rentals 

Picnic Area Admission   

$.50 adult 
$.25 child 
Free for UWA faculty, staff and students*  

Fishing 

$3.00 adult 
$1.00 per child (under 13) 

Boat Rental 

$5.00 per day 
$3.00 per day for UWA students with valid ID 

Personal Boat Launch (NO RAMP, NO OUTBOARDS ALLOWED) Owner must carry boat from parking lot to lake.  If trolling motor is used, an Alabama vessel ID number and Valid boat decal are required for use.) 
$5.00 

Vests and Paddles 

$1.00 each 

*Faculty and staff are allowed to bring one other family member as a guest. The faculty/staff member or dependent must accompany the guest and be responsible for the conduct of the guest. All persons (including guest) will be required to sign the logbook at the Lake LU Manager’s Office when entering the lake area.  

Faculty/staff and student dependents and /or spouses should pick up a Lake LU pass from the Vice President of Financial Affairs at the Business Office from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for identification purposes. Passes will be issued only once and will be valid as long as the person is a student or an employee. 

Lake LU Regulations 

Fishing 

The Alabama Department of Conservation has established limits on the amount of fish that can be taken from the lake during the year. The fishing year will be from July 1st to June 30th of the following year. The limit on number of fish caught will be set from time to time in order to comply with harvesting guidelines. After the total poundage of bass and bream has been harvested, the lake must be closed to fishing for the remainder of the fishing year. All Alabama residents age 16 through 64 must possess a valid Alabama Resident fishing license. All Alabama residents age 65 and older have no license requirements but must show I.D. as proof of age. All Alabama non-residents 16 years of age and older must possess a valid Alabama non-resident fishing license. The license must be presented to the Lake Manager to obtain a fishing permit. Persons fishing with a cane pole only and living in Sumter County do not have to possess a fishing license, but must show I.D. to prove the county of their residence. Minors under age 13 must be supervised by a person 16 years of age or older. 

NO SWIMMING WILL BE ALLOWED AT ANYTIME IN THE LAKE. 

Boats 

The University has available 12 flat bottom aluminum fishing boats for rental at $5.00 a day. Students, faculty and staff of the University of West Alabama can rent a boat for $ 3.00 a day. All occupants will be required to provide adequate coast guard approved life jackets (PFD’s) when renting the boats. Vests and paddles may be rented at the Lake Office for $ 1.00 each. The vest and paddle rental fees are waived for all university students, faculty and staff. 
 
Small canoes or small aluminum Jon boats (non-motorized) will be allowed in Lake LU provided the owner can carry the craft to the water. There is a $ 3.00 permit cost to launch your own personal boat. All applicable boating laws of the State of Alabama apply to personal boats. No boat ramping from a trailer will be allowed. No gasoline engines will be allowed in the lake. One battery electric trolling motor not to exceed 2 horsepower will be allowed to be used on rental fishing boats.   Operators of small kayaks, canoes and paddleboards are required to wear their personal floatation devices (PFD) at all times they are on Lake LU.  These operators are also required to pay the $3 boat launch fee. 

  • NO OUTBOARD MOTORS , NO LAUNCH RAMP. 
  • Boats cannot be transferred from one party to another. 
  • Boats will not be rented to individuals under 16 years of age. 
  • After returning a rented boat, the user should clean the boat of any litter and the litter should be placed in a receptacle provided at the boat launching area. 
  • Boats are not to be used as diving platforms. (No swimming allowed) 
  • Any other State rules and regulations applying to the use of boats also apply to the use of Lake LU boats. 
  • Boats must be returned to the designated boat area. 

Instructional Use 

The lake may be used for instructional purposes as requested. Requests should be submitted to the Vice President for Financial Affairs who will forward the request with his recommendations to the Business Office for approval and scheduling. 

Additional Regulations 

All anglers must stop at Lake Office upon leaving and allow Lake Manager to count and weigh all fish that are being removed from the lake. 
Fishermen must carry their gear from the parking area to the boat area. No parking on the grass! 

Boats are issued on a first come, first serve basis. There are no boat reservations. Littering is not allowed in any form. 

  • No live bait is allowed except for worms and crickets. 
  • No marking of fish beds. 
  • Handicap parking on grass versus handicap parking spaces is allowed only to severely handicapped persons. Handicapped persons who need to park on the grass must first get permission from the Lake Manager. 
  • No alcoholic beverages are allowed. 
  • No profanity is allowed. 
  • No loud or disturbing music is permitted. 
  • Occasionally the University Biology Department requests a boat for aquatic studies which is issued at no charge. 

Limits 

Daily Harvest Limit 

Per angler. Per day. 

Largemouth Bass 

BASS HARVEST CLOSED 

Anglers may fish for bass, but ALL BASS must be released unharmed.   

Anglers may keep one bass greater than 22″, per person, per day. 

Bream  

25 per day, any size 

Pavilion Reservations 

Faculty, staff and students of the University of West Alabama may reserve the picnic shelters on a first come, first serve basis by contacting the Lake Manager at (205) 652-9266. For groups of 25 or less a rental fee of $10.00 will be assessed for the shelter . 
 
Groups of over 25 will be assessed $.50 per person for each person over 25. The maximum capacity for each picnic shelter is 50 people. Shelters will be reserved only for use during the posted operation hours of the park. 
 
University functions shall have priority for use of the shelters. University organizations can use the pavilion free, provided the building request form has been filled out and the proper paperwork completed with the Office of Student Life.