About Bear Creek Lakes and The BCDA

In the late 1960's, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) began construction in Northwest Alabama on what is known as the Bear Creek Water Control Project. The project was overseen and is now controlled by the Bear Creek Development Authority or BCDA. Over the years, there have been 15 public use areas developed by the BCDA.		Big Bear has become a largemouth lake. It winds through narrow canyons and across rolling farmland, so there are both deep channels and wide, shallow flats. Cover in the lake is plentiful.

These developments have made possible, among other things, public use areas for camping, fishing, swimming, picnicking and boating. An assortment of fish can be found in the Bear Creek Lakes. Large and small-mouth bass, crappie and channel catfish are all abundant in these lakes.		Upper Bear Creek Reservoir is almost like two lakes in one, a huge winding "V" formed by the combining of Bear Creek and Little Bear. Both are long, narrow and winding, leading for miles across Franklin, Marion and Winston Counties. Thousands of quiet coves, channel bends, deep drop-offs, shoreline flats and underwater brush can be found in this area.

Little Bear is often considered the prettiest of the lakes by anglers because of the limestone bluffs, quiet tree lined shores and clear Canadian blue water. Because the water is deep and cool, small-mouth bass thrive there.