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.

Make sure you are familiar with the lake hours, regulations and fees.

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. 

Hours and Fees 

Lake LU’s hours of operation follow the university calendar. General hours of operation are as follows: 

Monday:Closed
Tuesday:7:00 a.m. until dusk dark* — Fishing and Picnic
Wednesday:7:00 a.m. until dusk dark* — Fishing and Picnic
Thursday:7:00 a.m. until dusk dark* — Fishing and Picnic
Friday:Closed
Saturday:7:00 a.m. until dusk dark* — Fishing and Picnic
Sunday:Closed
*Dusk dark is defined as 30 minutes after sunset. 

Modifications to hours of operation are posted at the entrance gate as they are determined.

Fees and Rentals 

Picnic Area Admission

$25.00 Per day / Max 50 People
Free for UWA faculty, staff and students*  

Fishing 

$5.00 Per Person
12 years of age and under are FREE

Personal Boat Launch ONLY (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 Per Boat

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. 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. 

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 

Fishermen must carry their gear from the parking area to the boat area. No parking on the grass! 

  • 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 

5 Bass less than 14” in total length. Only one (1) of the bass may be greater than 22”

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

Bream

25 per day, any size