Fishing Report Related Information
- Lake Levels
July 9, 2008 - Stocking Schedule
- Where to Fish
- Urban Fishing
Been fishing at Canyon Lake, Saguaro Lake, or Apache Lake?? If so, we need to hear from you by clicking on the link below: Survey of Anglers at Canyon, Saguaro, and Apache Lake
Been Fishing? Tell us about it. Your comments may be added to the weekly fishing report.
Report editor: Rory Aikens, (623) 236-7214
Regional editors: Pinetop Region - Richard Dreyer, (928) 367-4281 Flagstaff Region - Chuck Benedict, (928) 774-5045 Kingman Region - Andy Clark, (928) 692-7700 Yuma Region - Brad Jacobsen (928) 342-4051 Tucson Region - Don Mitchell, (520) 388-4451 Mesa Region - Diana Rogers, (480) 324-3544
Other ways to get the fishing report: Internet home page: azgfd.gov Recorded public call-in line: (602) 789-3701
Rory's Tip This is it – the cicada bite is on at Lees Ferry. This is some of the most exciting surface action for trout a fly or spin angler can experience. If you don’t know the Ferry, get a guide. If you do know it, just get there. Don’t worry about the air temperatures; the chilly water and deep shadows of Marble Canyon Gorge will keep your goose bumps alive and well, especially in the cooler mornings.
This is the first quarter of a waxing moon, making it a superb time for night fishing in the desert lakes, or the more accessible mountain lakes as well. tip for mountains anglers fishing for trout at night is to consider what trout love to eat – flying insects. If you can somehow have a light positioned just above the water to attract those insects, they will in turn attract trout.
We used to hang lanterns from our boats, inner tubes etc. and then fish from shore (to stay out of the insects). There are so many floating lights available now that you can simply take your pick. I like the LED ones – they don’t ruin your night vision, which is important if you want to watch the stars, satellites and possibly shooting stars in the night sky.
Even with spinning gear you can use casting bubbles or floats and have a leader (even a tapered fly leader) with something like a wooly bugger attached. The old standby, worms, can work well under a bobber. Get the youngsters to catch a container full of grasshoppers and you just might experience hungry trout jumping on hoppers.
By the way, for those of you who are outside on the evening of July 9, Jupiter will make its closest approach to Earth for all of 2008. For more information, visit http://spaceweather.com.
In the desert lakes, the best night fishing is for catfish and carp. You are allowed two hooks per line – with bottom fishing; you’ll want to take advantage of that legal opportunity. Set on hook up with a catfish bait, such as a hot dog or stink bait, and the other with a carp bait, such as corn or dough balls.
Try to find a shallow flat adjacent to the main body of the lake, or a major point. Catfish and carp patrol at night for food. You’ll want to attract them on their rounds. Try chumming with whatever bait you are using. Bottom feeders are attracted by scent.
For boat anglers, I have super reports for night crappie fishing at Alamo toward the dam using live minnows and small jigs. I have mixed reports for crappie anglers at Roosevelt and Bartlett.
This is also the time of year to fish for warmwater species in the high country. For walleye, try Show Low Lake or Fool Hollow; they are both located in the city limits of Show Low. There are bass and crappie in Willow Springs Lake on the Rim.
Upper Lake Mary near Flagstaff also has walleye, but it is usually night anglers who tie into the larger ones. Those heading to Lake Mary will want to take along some frozen anchovies for the huge northern pike.
Speaking of frozen anchovies, one angler recently asked how to keep unfrozen anchovies on the hook. I don’t even try to. Once they become soft and soggy, they take on a different name and function – chum.
By the way, my old friend Mike Walker, of the Walker Agency, an outdoor industry PR firm in Scottsdale, took his grandchildren fishing and provided the following: I took my granddaughter, 10, and grandson,7, on their first fishing trip during all the hoopla about National Fishing and Boating Week. It was around the time of the free fishing day. They both loved it and Abby is quite a caster now. I did all the right things, took them to Sportsman’s Warehouse, bought them their own gear and the right stuff they’d need. I’d explain to them what the stuff was, and then they made their own selections.
I didn’t drop a line, but they sure did and we fished Willow Springs. They experienced nibbles and bait-stealing, but didn’t catch anything. And it didn’t seem to make a difference to either of them. They just loved being outdoors and fishing.
Abby of course had to explore the shoreline where she found a bunch of fishing line, rusty hooks, bobber and one old crankbait. On the way home, she asked if we could stop at Wal-Mart as she wanted to see if they sold the same lure that she found; she was curious about it.
Mike Walker Walker Agency
So follow Mike’s example and get your young relations out fishing, hiking, camping or whatever in the outdoors. They might forget the last video game they played, but they will always remember a camping, fishing or hiking trip. Go catch some memories. Maybe I’ll see you out there.
Crayfish Preparation Tips By popular demand, once again here are some simple crayfish preparation tips.
Bring the water to a boil, take the water off the heat, put in the crayfish. Do not put the pot back on the heat. When the crayfish turn bright red, they are done.
A variation on this theme is adding a packet of crab boil that you can purchase at just about any supermarket.
Crayfish are small and the best meat is in the tail (just like lobster). So select your favorite recipes for using crab, and simply substitute crayfish. If you don’t have crab crackers, use a pair of pliers from your camp tool kit.
A cool crayfish pasta salad (pre-dice your celery and other ingredients at home) provides a delightful accompaniment to a trout dinner in camp.
You might even boil some corn, then add the crayfish to the corn water once you are done. Crayfish typically take less than five minutes to cook, even off the heat. Corn on the cob and crayfish just seem to go together.
Also, you might want to save the corn husks and use them to wrap your trout when placing them in thick tin foil (double layered) for cooking under the campfire coals. The corn husks keep the fish from burning and sticking to the tin foil. Or wrap chicken and vegetables together in corn husks and tin foil -- no pots to clean afterward. Hunt -- use a shovel to put the coals (you can take along charcoal briquettes to make the job easier) over the foil dinners for cooking. I usually dig a small hole and it becomes a ready-made oven.
Bon appétit!
Central Arizona URBAN LAKES -- The last of eight, every-other-week spring catfish stockings was the week of June 23-28. With lake temperatures climbing rapidly towards 90 degrees and air temperatures well above 100, it becomes impractical to haul live fish into Arizona’s Urban lakes. No fish stockings will be scheduled during July, August and the first half of September. Fall catfish stockings will resume in mid-September after lake and weather conditions improve enough to safely transport and stock catfish once again. Anglers can still fish for catfish, bass and bluegill at Urban waters throughout the summer, but the action is generally slower. Urban fishing report: Fishing for catfish should still be pretty good, so the urban lakes provide a good opportunity for anglers who want to avoid high gas prices this holiday weekend.
Anglers are having luck using stink baits or shrimp fished on the bottom. Sunfish continue to bite well on small worms fished under a bobber. The cool weather is keeping lake temperatures low allowing fish to be active throughout the day.
Where:Water Ranch Lake When:07/05/08 Caught:1 catfish 18" (released) Technique:Hotdog Comments:Albino catfish Name: John Richards
Where:Papago Ponds When:06/29/08 Caught:3 Catfish all 12 to 15 inches Technique:Hot Dogs fished on the bottom Comments: Early morning. Bite lasted about 20 minutes
Where:Gilbert Water Ranch When:07/05/08 Caught:Turtle Technique: Rotten Hot Dogs fished on the bottom. Comments:No other bites. Tough 3 hours.
Where:Red Mountain When:06/21/08 Caught:14 channel cats in 4 days! Technique:Chummed water with blended hotdogs/Hot Dogs on bottom Comments: I caught the limit twice and the other two days I lost two nice cats at the shore. All fish caught between 8:30 -10:00 PM Name: Rob Harper
Where:Chapparel When:06/18/08 Caught:5 catfish- 2- 3lb, 1-small, 1 6lb beast Technique:night crawlers- "green monsters" Comments: use green monsters with a split shot 12 inches from the hook. let it sit there and bammm. good fighters! Name:John
Where: Red Mountain When: 06/12/08 Caught: 2 1/2 lb catfish Technique: fished the bottom with a treble hook with chicken liver stink bait. Comments: Fished from 7:30 to 10:00 caught it right around 10:00. The lake was the most crowded I have ever seen it. Name: Ryan Kann
TEMPE TOWN LAKE – Don’t forget when fishing Tempe Town Lake the east end of the lake is more productive and fish near structure. In that lake that means the bridge abutments or piers. I’m not saying that where all the fish are but your chances are a little better there. A couple fishermen reported catching bass on drop shots and spinners. Watch for the shad boils.
Worms are enticing the catfish to bite. Another fisherman stopped by in the evening for a half hour and caught two bass fishing from shore using a green spinner bait. One angler stopped by Tempe Town Lake for an hour one morning and using corn on the bottom caught a rainbow trout and a channel catfish. Angler report:
Where:Tempe Town Lake When:06/27/08 Caught:channel catfish Technique:Used hot dogs dipped in stink bait. Also chumming seemed to help. Fished south shore east of Mill. Comments: Fished from 8 p.m. to 10:30. Landed 5 mostly small with one good 4-pound fish. My son broke off about a 5 pounder at the lake wall. One of the fish had a slightly damaged ketchup packet from In "N" Out burger in its stomach. Also several fish had recently eaten crawdads. Name: Joe Pettinato
Where:Tempe Town Lake When:06/27/08 Caught:NothingTechnique:Fishing for LM Bass from concrete pier and under Scottsdale road bridge. Used Blue Fox and Rooster Tail spinners. Name: David T
Where:tempe town lake When:07/01/08 Caught:12 lb catfish Technique:using cut bait with 1/4oz weight off of drop offs Comments: went to do a few hours of sunset fishing was pretty slow till around 9 then it started to pick up Name: ron lowe
Where:Tempe Town Lake When:07/07/08 Caught:1 Sunfish, 7 catfish from 1lb to 5 lbs Technique:Sunnie caught on a bleeding shad, and catfish caught on hot dogs and chicken liver Comments:We were there for about 5 hours and had tons of catfish bait stolen by the little guys. Loads of fun and a few good catches. All catches from shore. Name: Patrick Cardone
LAKE PLEASANT – Water elevation is 1,682 feet, which is 78-percent full.
Fishermen are reporting real good early morning striper and white bass fishing. Check out the various coves and flats for the shad boils. The boils tend to die down after 8:30 – 9 a.m. The topwater lures that people are having good luck with are the vixens, Rapalas and Rebel Wee R’s.
The stripers are being reported as pretty aggressive. There is no limit on these two species and they are delicious. You have to remove the blood vein in the stripers and it really helps to bleed them out for a tasty treat. The prep isn’t quite as important on the whites. If you keep the stripers the largemouth bass fishermen will sing your praises.
The early morning temperature at Castle Creek is nearly 84 F. A couple anglers did well catching whites and stripers in the northern coves and the northern shelf areas in the early morning. Swim baits worked for them and they ended up catching about 16 fish. The biggest stripers and whites were about 2 pounds.
Another early morning angler had good luck catching stripers with topwater lures in the Aqua Fria. He caught whites near the shoreline on the west side of the lake on topwater lures as well. The clear lures are enticing the fish better than the darker colored ones.
One angler mentioned some striper action using small swim baits when shad would boil near his boat. The boil didn’t last very long so you had to be ready. Several anglers have mentioned that the stripers are eating lots of small shad.
Two anglers report casting (at boils) or slowly trolling small KastMasters (1/16-ounce) across the mouths of major coves at first and last light to catch 60 or more stripers.
We have mixed report from night anglers. Some are cleaning up on stripers using frozen anchovies. Others can’t seem to buy a bite.
Past striper studies have shown that stripers are less prevalent in the large arms of the lake, such as the Agua Fria and Castle Creek areas, than they are in the more open, deeper, more oxygenated waters of the main basin, especially in those areas stretching across the major arms or in front of the major coves. These are natural ambush spots.
Where:lake pleasant When:07/07/08 Caught:striped bass and flat head catfish Technique:anchovy for striper and piece of striper meat caught the flathead; the striper was really small, flathead 5 pounds. Name:andrew althaus
Where:Lake Pleasant When:07/05/08 Caught:7 Stripers, 1 Carp, 1 Channel Cat Technique:Tied up at the tire line around 9 p.m. and fishing until midnight. Cut Frozen Anchovies on the bottom (90 foot of water) for carp & catfish, drop shot in 15-30 feet of water for stripers. Comments: Striper bite was ok but they were hard to catch. I must have missed about 10 of them and ended up spending more time baiting my hook then catching fish. The ones I did land were all under 2 pounds. The carp was a great surprise and weighed in at just under 12 pounds. The catfish was also decent sized at 6 pounds. Great night all in all. Name: Christian Luckock
Where:Lake Pleasant When:06/25/08 Caught:Largemouth Bass, Bluegills & Sunfish Technique:3" White curly tail grub... NOTHING ELSE !!! Comments: More Bluegill & Sunfish than any 1 man should ever have to count. 4 largemouth at 1st light (1-2 lb range) - not bad for shore fish'in. Nothing else ALL DAY !!! Name: Keith
Where:lake pleasant When:06/28/08 Caught:three cat fish and one bass Technique:sardines for cats, and the bass was caught on a bluegill colored deep-diving crankbait Comments: fishing poor all night before and all the next day Name: andrew althaus
Where:Lake Pleasant When:06/26/08 Caught:2 white Bass, 3 Largemouth, 6 Stripers Technique:Trolling...... with worms Comments: Kept the 2 whites and 4 stripers. Others were sent back to grow up. Name: John Cruse
Where:Lake Pleasant When:06/25/08 Caught:16 Stripers Technique:Anchovies and live schad. Fished in one of the channels from 9pm to 2am. Comments: Average size was about 2lbs. Couple of 4 pounders. Baby stripers were chasing the schad around the lights. Had to sink the bait passed them quickly or cast it out and let sink. The bigger ones were hitting more consistantly on anchovies. Name: Russell Mortensen Important notice: DON’T MOVE A MUSSEL. With the discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Lake Pleasant, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders (helps protect your boat as well). Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.
Angler reports: Where:Lake Pleasant When: 06/18/08 Caught: 15 Stripers Technique: Drop shot cut frozen anchovies Comments: Tied up to the tire line in 75 feet of water at 8 p.m. and fished until 11:30. Fish were 20-30 feet down. I finally got a green submersible light and used that instead of a floating white light. What a difference! Most fish were 1-3 lb with one 4 pounder and one 6 pounder to round out the night. Really great night of fishing! Name: Christian Luckock
Where: Lake Pleasant When: 06/19/08 Caught: 1 White Bass, 1 Largemouth, 4 stripers, 1 Flathead Technique: Trolling...... with worms Comments: The Bass were eating size, as long as you weren't too hungry. Flathead was 20 lbs. Name: John Cruse
Where: Lake Pleasant (Humbug) When: 06/16/08 Caught: two largemouth bass 1.5# and 1# Technique: dropshot with Robo worms, Senkos, Luhr Jensen crankbaits Comments: Fished twice in the last week from 6 a.m. - 12. Caught three fish one day and two the next. Found fish in almost every cove just not feeding very aggressively. Still might have a little post spawn blues I guess. Name: rick martin
Where: Lake Pleasant When: 06/16/08 Caught: 10 stripers, 4 white bass, and 1 largemouth Technique: Used crankbaits and top-water lures Comments: Caught most while they were feeding on shad Name: Andrew Peru
ROOSEVELT LAKE – Lake Elevation is 2,147 feet (96-percent full). Tonto Creek runoff is at 17 cfs, while inflow from the Salt River is at 468 cfs.
Topwater fishing seems to be a little slow. Anglers don’t report seeing all those nice early- morning boils. Either they aren’t occurring, or they are happening where our reporting anglers don’t go. Let us know what you see out there.
Curly tail jigs worked pretty well at night, first light and early morning.
The crappie bite seems to be an ephemeral thing. Trolling jigs in and around the submerged trees works real well when the bite is on. If all else fails fish with some live minnows in and around the submerged trees and get some largemouth.
An angler fished in the Tonto arm till about 11 a.m. and caught one slot bass on a Senko and trolled for crappie and caught 7 nice bluegills.
We are hearing rumors of some huge flatheads coming out of Rosey. This is the time of year to fish for them using small bluegill and carp as bait.
Angler reports:
Where:Roosevelt When:07/02/08 Caught:Jack Squat Technique:Crankbait,Senkos,Westly Worms,spinners,buzz bait, jigs all colors and types. Comments: Fished from day break until about 12:30 did see some Big Bass, Gills and a few suckes where the shallow road is. Not even a bite. Better luck next time. Name:Joe
Where:roosevelt When:06/27/08 Caught:big crappies ,channel cats,blugill,white bass Technique:minnows under crappie lights.#6 hook with small split shot. Comments: bite started at 11pm to 3am bite real light. water depth 40 ft.fish caught at varing depths Name: ErnieGallegos
Joel Harris sent an e-mail saying that on Tuesday evening (June 17th), he caught a 6- pound 10-ounce largemouth bass on the surface in the Windy hill area.
Where:Roosevelt lake When:06/20/08 Caught:3 Largemouth bass, 5 Bluegill Technique:The five bluegills where caught with night crawler with a little size 8 hook and slip shot on bottom. The largemouth where all caught on a 1/0 lazer-sharp hook and a watermelon with red flake Senko rigged wacky style. Comments:The bass would just hit and then not keep going for it so I lost about three others on a float tube at Grapevine. when they hit, pull up and hold on. All were slot and released. Name:matthew burch
APACHE – Lake elevation is 1910 ft (96% full).
Cat fishermen are doing pretty well. Trout are still being caught near the marina. Bass are jumping and no reports of any additional die-offs.
Be sure to try the points where the substrate drops off where the yellow bass and walleye hang out. KastMasters is a good lure to use. Catfish, bass and yellow bass will hit worms. Shore fishermen have pretty good luck with worms or minnows. Get your minnows on the way to the lake since they are not sold at Apache Lake.
CANYON -- Lake elevation is 1,658 feet, which is 97 percent full.
Here is a special report from a well-known angling correspondent -- Jim Warnecke -- who retired recently as a fisheries biologist with Game and Fish.
Had to try the 1/8-ounce KastMaster magic at Canyon Lake just to see if the catching patterns held there like at Saguaro Lake.....short answer...... YES!
I joined friend Paul and buddy Joe yesterday at Canyon and started at 7:30 a.m. and ended fishing at 3:30 p.m. We caught fish at nearly all of the seven locations we tried, but some better than others particularly if they were on an outside point or outside shelf.
Best catch areas were Beaver Landing, Teddy Bear Point, a point near the peregrine nest up channel and Beer Can Point (we were up shallow and not over or into the new habitat, sorry).
Tally for the day was 63 fish as such: yellow bass-41 and kept 9 over 10 1/2 inches (see photo of 12 incher), largemouth bass-seven three of which were 4 inches!, bluegills-12 and kept 3 over 8 inches.(photo attached), threadfin shad-2 at 3 inches, channel catfish-1 at 16 inches.
Most fish were in 2-6 feet of water and best catching up to 1:30 in afternoon. We had two fish on that we couldn't even turn once hooked and following with the trolling motor didn't help as we couldn't catch up to 'em before they simply broke off! I said carps; other two buddies said giant catfish although we didn't get to see the Mack trucks that took off with our lures!
Water was algae colored like Saguaro, but few dead fish seen except some that failed to survive our release techniques. The 113F didn't seemed to matter when you're catching fish, AGFD does a good job of fish management! JW.
Where:Canyon Lake When:06/27/08 Caught:Nothing - Not even a Cold Technique:Lures/Live Shad Comments:Still slow. Very little shad this week. Name: Jason
Where:Saguaro Lake When:06/23/08 Caught:2 Channel Catfish Technique:Night fishing, hotdogs and night crawlers. Bite was slow and both cats had all (I think) the hotdogs I had lost all night in their stomachs. Also tried for bluegill and yellow bass in the evening and morning, but nothing was biting. Comments: The water was very murky and a reddish color. Did not see any dead fish. Name: Kristin
SAGUARO -- Lake elevation is 1,524 feet at 92-percent full. Fishing is great at Saguaro in the mornings, especially for bluegills and yellow bass. One fisherman reported catching a 3.8-pound largemouth and the total catch from a morning of fishing by two anglers was about 15 fish. Five were largemouth and the rest were a variety of species, presumably yellow bass and bluegill.
Fish do tend to be finicky with the color of your lures, so try a variety and figure out the color of the day. The fish were hitting drop-shot and Carolina-rigged presentations of anchovies or plastic worms, brush hogs and the like. A couple lures that are working are jerkbaits and old reliable KastMasters.
BARTLETT – Lake elevation is 1,788 ft, which is 85-percent full. A couple fishermen caught some largemouth bass using drop-shot method and crankbait, but no other details revealed except impressive lighting serving up some electrical perturbations. Be careful and cognizant of your surroundings when you are out there watching Mother Nature’s lightning shows. Your fishing pole and metal lures make pretty good lightning rods; not to mention the fact that you are basically sitting in a big pool of highly conductive water.
Where:Bartlett When:06/19/08 Caught:Largemouth, bluegill Technique:grubs, running the bottom. Comments:Caught 8 bass 1 bluegill, two buddies caught another 15 bass between em on the 19th fishing from 5:30-11a.m. The 16th was a lot slower; no wind, real hot, caught 3 in 2 1/2 hours and called it quits. Hope for cooler temps and a slight breeze to break the water. Work the deeper out-crops of rocks real slow, the bite is VERY light Name: John L Dowden
Where:Bartlett Lake When:06/17/08 Caught:largemouth bass Technique:various but best was Carolina rigs fished deep off the islands. Comments: Fished once a week last 3 weeks, friend Bruce beat me the second trip at 6 to my 4, then last week he smoked me with 6 to my 2, again fishing Carolina rigs deep of the islands, I used 5" Senko, Bruce used motoroil and orange tailed worm. Best action was after breeze picked up and stacked shad schools against the island points. Stacked fish seen on graph on front edges of the islands, we picked several out of each school. Name: Harvey Nelson
Where:Bartlett Lake, Rattlesnake Cove When:06/27/08 Caught:Largemouth Bass Technique:Spin-casting, Silver Fox lure, shore casting Comments: Caught a couple largemouth - one 12 inches - right at dusk
HORSESHOE – Lake elevation is at 1,993 feet, which is 35-percent full. They are releasing water at 400 cfs.
VERDE RIVER – Verde River flow at Tangle is 80 cubic feet per second. Release from Bartlett Lake is 400 cfs. SALT RIVER – Salt River into Roosevelt is 0 cfs, and Salt River Canyon is 312 cfs.
LOWER SALT RIVER (below Saguaro Lake) – Flows are 1,125 cfs from Stewart Mountain Dam. Trout were last stocked two weeks ago, but it might be possible to catch some. The best fishing for trout is at first light. However, it's possible to find bass and other warmwater fish in the deeper holes. Don’t forget your Tonto Pass.
Where:Lower Salt River When:06/29/08 Caught:Rainbow Trout Technique:Fly Rod... Comments:Tough fishing this week. Really had to work at it. Heat, oxygen, and water temps a major factor ( both fish and tubers ). Water level up from last week. Some others catching fish on Power Bait. Again, sunscreen highly recommended and really watch out for the tubers. ..., thanks to AZGFD for GREAT spring fishing so close to home and also for the beautiful healthy trout. Thanks again
Where: Lower Salt River When: 06/22/08 Caught: beautiful healthy rainbow trout Technique: fly rod... Comments: A terrific day despite high temps and high fuel costs. Fishing was effortless. ALL fly techniques apply. Water level back up. . Sun screen recommended and Watch out for the tubers...
CREEKS – Fly-fishing has slowed some in the streams.
Haigler Creek – Nymphs and leaches are a good bet.
Canyon Creek – Caddis flies and hoppers are working for the fly fishermen.
Christopher Creek -- Try using a dry dropper with a nymph below, not just in Christopher but other streams as well.
Tonto Creek – Dry flies, Caddis flies, hares ears on droppers are all working pretty well.
East Verde – No reports.
HORSETHIEF BASIN LAKE – Lake level is up, fishing is nominal.
Colorado River Northwest LAKE POWELL – By Wayne Gustaveson (pictured below). Stripers are still slurping in little shad with a vengeance. It is likely that slurping stripers will be seen in every clear water canyon and channel this week. Catching them may be more difficult than locating them.
Stripers feed lazily when little shad are abundant and slow moving. A group of 10 or more stripers pop to the surface and gorge on tiny shad. An approaching boat causes the feeding school to turn in a different direction or to sound only to resurface a safe distance away. Shad are abundant and wide spread so stripers can feed in any direction. The trick is to get close enough to cast into slurping stripers without putting the fish down.
Small spoons may be the most effective presentation but don't be afraid to try a surface lure. The key to both techniques is to work the lures gently. Shad are not swimming much so a fast moving, erratic presentation is not normal to their feeding image. Reel the topwater lure at a slow to medium speed with only limited sideways jerks. Do the same with spoons. Work it just fast enough to keep it in the feeding zone. The real secret is to make long casts with small lures. That takes a good rod and reel with quality matching line. Present the lure just beyond the leading fish or just past the entire school. Splashing into the middle of the slurping fish seldom allows success. It will be much better when shad grow a bit larger and the margin for boating and casting error will increase by one order of magnitude.
Slurps are now common from dawn until 10 a.m. After that fishing is tough until late afternoon. During the heat of the day is a good time to play in the water. Fish early and late for maximum success. Bait fishing is much better in the afternoon when stripers have completed the morning shad hunt and are in deep water planning their next assault.
Bass fishing is still tough and will remain so until the lake starts to drop. Bass love the fresh green habitat now abundant in so many different lake locations. It will take lake stabilization and or decline until bass are able to be caught in a stable summer pattern. Right now they are feeding early in the morning near the stripers slurps but from the comfort of their newly discovered green brush habitat. This may be the most difficult warm water time to catch bass. That will soon change as the lake stabilizes.
Walleye are the bonus fish now and can be caught early and late on the fast falling points that lead into the main channel. Fish shady pockets in the morning and under mudlines on breezy afternoons all along the main channel edge for feisty walleye.
Catfish are hot every evening near your camp. Try scraps from dinner right behind the boat for quick success. My favorite catfish recipe is blackened fillets with Cajun spices. Mmmmm
LEES FERRY – Report by: Ted Welling, Lees Ferry Anglers: CICADAS ARE POPPING, YEAH: Fishing is on fire!!!!!
Fish are all over the surface sipping midges in the back eddies. They are also at the edge of the river looking and waiting for that un-lucky cicada to drop in the current.
We have had some very warm and sunny weather and the midge hatches are thick and are covering the water and the trout are taking advantage of this. You can find these fish under almost any scum line gorging themselves. Just cast a small dry fly with a tiny dropper and let it gently drift into the crowd and bingo: FISH ON!
If you are fishing the cicada a plopping presentation will do the trick count to five, and re- cast if you don’t have a take.
This is some of the most exciting fishing one can experience here at the Ferry. If you have had the chance to fish the cicada hatch, well then you know what I am talking about. If you have not been here for this event, it is a must! To hire a guide call us at the shop 1-800- 962-9755 you will not be disappointed. Hope to see you soon!!! T
Walk in: This area is fishing well. Fish are taking dries and droppers alike. The scud, the San Juan and little midge patterns. The cicadas are buzzing like crazy all over the river, kind-of drives you crazy but, the fishing is great. I expect it to remain this way for the next couple of months. At least………. Hope you can make it up! Spin Fishing: Spin fishing is still great! Stop in and pick up some egg patterns and ask us about the recommended rig and best areas to fish. The marabou jigs are also working. We do have maps available in the fly shop as well.
LAKE MEAD – Lake Mead water levels continue to drop as the elevation is currently at around 1,105 feet above msl. Water temperatures are running between 67 and 72 depending where you are on the lake. Backs of coves are warming up nicely and largemouth bass are in shallow. Nighttime Striper fishing has been really good again. Anglers using artificial lights were catching as many 13 to 18-inch stripers as they wanted to clean.
Catfishing under lights was also very productive using anchovies. Artificial lights tend to be most productive if fished with a new moon.
July 2, 2008 was the new moon so trolling crankbaits during the day may have droped off a little, but the night bite should be great.
Launching conditions at South Cove have continued to deteriorate with the dropping water. The new concrete ramp the National Park Service just completed is one lane with buoys marking the edges. Use caution not to go off the sides of the metal extensions at either side. According to the Bureau of Reclamation, water levels are projected to be at its lowest levels later this month before rebounding slightly by October.
Important notice: With the recent discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.
For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department's web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.
LAKE MOHAVE –The fishing for small striper’s has been pretty good. The lake is running high at 643 feet above msl. The stripers seen in the fall were fat and full of shad, with schools of shad being chased by striped bass. If you can find schools of shad, throw a small crankbait.
Biologists from both Arizona Game and Fish Department and Nevada Division of Wildlife have continued to install fish habitat in both Carp Cove and Box Cove. The largemouth, bluegill, and catfish are really utilizing the new structures. Additional habitat will be added at several locations over the next two years. These structures are fish magnets.
There is a wheelchair accessible fishing pier just south of the main launch ramp at Katherine's Landing. If you fish Mohave and are having luck, please e-mail me at [email protected] so I can share your successes with others.
Important notice: With the recent discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.
For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department's web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.
WILLOW BEACH - Trout are stocked every Friday. The fishing for trout has been good from shore immediately following the stocking. Try using a Jake, Panther Martin, or other spinner’s or spoons. If that doesn’t work you can always use Power Bait. Look for the striper fishing to really be picking up. As the water in the basin of Lake Mohave warms, the bigger fish move into the colder water in the Willow beach area.
Important notice: With the recent discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see. If you fish Willow beach and are having luck, please e-mail me at [email protected] so I can share your successes with others.
For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department's web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.
TOPOCK MARSH –No new reports - Water level is up, but still be careful while launching. The catfish are biting on night crawlers and anchovies. Bass bite is still not bad. Crappies have shut down. Try night crawlers or anchovies for catfish.
Game and Fish biologists surveyed the Marsh starting on the week of Jan. 15. The largemouth bass population was observed to be very healthy, as well as channel catfish. Crappie were also present, but in smaller numbers.
You can access the marsh by boat at North Dike, Catfish Paradise, and Five-Mile Landing. All three also provide plenty of area for shoreline fishing too. For more information on the marsh, contact the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge at (760) 326-3853 or go to http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/arizona/havasu/index.html. Important notice: With the recent discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.
For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department's web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.
COLORADO RIVER BELOW DAVIS DAM –The striper bite is picking up. Trout were last stocked on March 24-25. This was the last trout stocking until next winter.
Water levels on the river fluctuate, so be careful. You can check the Bureau of Reclamation Web site for flow predictions http://www.usbr.gov/lc/riverops.html before you go. If you fish the river below Davis Dam and are having luck, please e-mail me at [email protected] so I can share your successes with others.
Important notice: With the recent discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.
For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department's web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.
Southwestern Arizona LAKE HAVASU – This Report was provided by John Galbraith of Anglers Pro Shop, Lake Havasu City: Striped bass fishing is excellent on cut anchovies or sardines in 35 to 56 feet of water from Copper Canyon south to Standard Wash. Early morning trolling or casting with Pointer 100s and 128s, chrome/blue Chug Bugs and Pencil Poppers are also producing some quality stripers off points and reefs throughout the main basin and south near the Bill Williams River arm.
Largemouth bass fishing is excellent with lots of fish being caught on Senkos, Gitzits and drop-shot worms around artificial habitats in 8 to 15 feet of water. Flipping brown jigs with orange craw trailers in cattail rows north in the river also good early before boat traffic pushes the bass deeper into the cattails.
Smallmouth are being caught on 3/8- or ½-ounce cinnamon brown and green pumpkin jigs throughout the lake on rocky banks and points in 6 to 18 feet of water.
Important notice: Quagga mussels have been found in Lake Havasu so proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please move to the parking lot, DRAIN your live-wells and bilge where the water does not return to the lake. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, INSPECT your watercraft and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.
PARKER STRIP – COLORADO RIVER (PARKER STRIP AREA) – Courtesy June’s Bait Shop in Parker: Water temps along the strip have been averaging in the upper fifties to low sixties, and it's only getting hotter!
Important notice: Quagga mussels have been found in Lake Havasu so proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please move to the parking lot, DRAIN your live-wells and bilge where the water does not return to the lake. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, INSPECT your watercraft and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can be hard to see.
ALALMO LAKE – Report courtesy Mark Knapp (pictured below) with the Alamo Lake State Park. Well folks, in a nut shell the best time for fishing out here is in the evening, followed by early morning. I talked with Scott, Austin, and Karri who gave fishing a thumbs up. Scott said they caught 40 crappies at night, and 25 bass during the early morning throwing topwater and drop-shotting. Austin mumbled something about Karri "beating them" and Karri made it loud and clear "again." Nice job Karri. The thrill of victory.
I had a note stuck in the door from some folks from Las Vegas that said they caught 15 crappies, 20 catfish, 2 bass, and 20 bluegills. I talked with them for a while before they went out and told them to be versatile and move around if they did not see bait fish around the crappie lights. They did and it paid off.
As far as the other guys I mentioned last week that never moved. They stayed on the lake for 3 days, ended up with dead batteries, and I towed them in. Their total score was 4 catfish. They never moved the boat once. There batteries went dead from running the crappie lights for three nights with out charging them. Here's a word to the wise. Don't run trolling motors, crappie lights, or anything like that off the battery that runs the big motor. That's what the other batteries are for. I have allot more to say on batteries but we will get there in minute.
Bob and Cheryl from Kingman stayed for a week and got a dose of the evening bite. The last night they were here they caught 20 crappies, 10 catfish, and 25 bass. Cheryl was throwing some kind of funky minnow imitation made by Storm, and Bob put the hurts on them throwing a shad colored deep-diving crankbait. Like the rest of us they found a brushy point right at sunset and started throwing into the brush.
I've still been averaging 20-plus fish a night throwing a Texas-rigged four-inch lizard. Wolly tailed brush hogs are working too.
No good reports of shore fishing. I'm sending a picture that shows what one looks like at the end of the day, but also what one can catch if you can stand the heat. If you want to catch cat fish, bluegills, and crappie, then minnows and crappie light are the way to go.
If you want in on some killer bass fishing, then sunset till dark using plastics or training wheels throwing at any brushy point should work.
The heat will drain the water out of batteries in no time. I found this out the other day. I started out just fine. The boat fired right up. I was up by the dam and went to start it and "click." When I got home I looked at the battery and there was no water in it. I just got done servicing the batteries at the beginning of summer. That's how fast the heat can kill a battery. Check water levels about once a month.
The lake level is at 1123ish with releases of 50 cfs. Both ramps are in operation but bigger boats are encouraged to use the Cholla ramp. That's all I got Angler report: Where:Alamo Lake When:07/06/08 Caught:Bass (lost count) Technique:Crankbaits, Carolina-rigged worms & lizards (crawfish, pumpkin, and some strange pink/chartreuse color *worm). Really, anything out there seemed to work! Comments: Take the family and bring some sun screen, oh don't forget A LOT of water. Alamo is hotter than Hades but don't let that discourage you from going; this is a great lake to fish right now. Name:Dave Nielson
Where:Alamo When:06/21/08 Caught:4 Large mouth bass, 1 was 4lbs.11oz. Technique:6" robo worm Comments:Bite was on in the early morning! Name: Marshall Hipp
Where: Alamo lake When: 06/16/08 Caught: Large mouth bass Technique: 6 inch lizard Comments: Caught 15 bass in 4 hours, one 6-pound 6-ounce monster Name: Tim
North Central Region Note: Northern Pike have been illegally stocked in Francis Short. If you catch a Northern Pike at Francis Short Pond please REMOVE IT FROM THE POND.
WILLIAMS LAKES:
KAIBAB LAKE -- Campground area is open. Main parking lot and boat launch open for day use only. Fishing was excellent over the weekend. Stocked last week. With 2,700 trout plus incentive-size fish. The water temperature was 73 degrees. Expect the best fishing at first and last light. During the day, try going deeper using slip sinkers and Power Bait or bouncing small KastMasters off the bottom.
Where:Kaibab Lake When:07/04/08 Caught:22 Trout,4 largemouth bass,3 crappie Technique:worms,powerbait Comments:caught 22 trout july 4th and 5th.leave pole sitting and have patience Name: Eric Garcia
Where: Kaibab Lake When: 05/03/08 Caught: Rainbow Trout Technique: Multi Colored Power Bait with glitter 24 inches up from the bottom. Comments: My wife and I caught the 7 trout in four and a half hours. My wife had not been fishing since she was a child. Name: Wesley Peacock CATARACT LAKE — Campground is open. Lake is open for walk in fishing. Fishing for trout and catfish was good. Stocked with catfish.
CITY RESERVOIR — Lake is full. Stocked with catfish. Stocked last week with rainbows.
DOGTOWN LAKE — Campground area is open. No Report Some browns are being caught on lures. Stocked last week with rainbow trout.
Where: Dogtown When: 05/23/08 Caught: 10 trout Technique: worms Comments: Caught more fish when snowing than when sunny. Name: Shiela
JD DAM — Road is open. No reports from anglers.
RUSSEL TANK - Recently stocked.
Where: Russel Tank When: 05/03/08 Caught: Rainbow Trout Technique: Power Bait and spinners. Comments: Average 10 inch, limit out within an hour. Locals were doing just as good. I will be headed back up there for the second opening day for spring turkey; if I can't seal the deal with Mr. Tom I'll just catch some trout. Name: Gilbert
SANTA FE — Lake is full. Anglers are catching trout and yellow perch. Stocked with channel catfish.
Where: Sante Fe Dam in Williams AZ When: 06/01/08 Caught: Rainbow Trout Technique: Worms Comments: When I was a kid I fished this lake every day, but last Sunday pulled the largest trout I've ever seen in Arizona. Wife as my witness. Most fish were small normal trout size. Fished west side off Dam. Name: Ron Bykerk
WHITEHORSE LAKE — Stocked this week with 2,700 rainbows, plus incentives. The water temperature was 73F. Campground area is open. Lake is full.
FLAGSTAFF LAKES:
LOWER LAKE MARY — There has been a fish kill – there might not be any fish left.
UPPER LAKE MARY — The lake is full. Some nice northern pike are being caught on anchovies. This lake also has walleye and catfish. Remember, there are no boat motor restrictions on this lake, so it is a good one to take your bass boat to escape the heat.
Where:Upper Lake Mary When:07/02/08 Caught:One Walleye Technique:Trolling a Rapalla Comments:One other bite but that was all. Fished from daylight until about 1 PM when the lighting moved in and we moved out!!! Bill D. and Eddie G., Strawberry, Az Name:Bill Daily
Where:Upper Lake Mary When:06/26/08 Caught:A small bass & a sunburn Technique:Flylining anchovies, worms, waterdogs, trolling Rapalas, spinners, throwing the tackleboxes overboard Comments: What an absolutely beautiful lake. Fishing was very slow. Was told the bite was on yesterday and shut down today. Still better than working! Name: Jeremy Hoelting
One of our anglers, Dave Nielson, provided the following report on Lake Mary, Ashurst and Marshall: Upper Lake Mary - (It’s all about the narrows) Walleye - We were on the water on Thursday 06/19/08 from 6:30 a.m. until the wind picked up and landed six walleye; all were good sized too (18-22”). The best thing we found that worked for us were worms back-trolled very slowly using a worm harness in 5-8 feet of water. The bite was really good from about 8 a.m. to just after 10 a.m. If you do not have a boat worms off the bottom were also working for many anglers from the shore. You didn’t need to be out there that far to get a bite. The walleye are shallow in the morning and resting on the bottom.
Crappie- We tracked a lot of suspended fish in the middle of the channel of the narrows. The fish were anywhere from 14 feet to 8 feet down and we’re told they are mostly crappie. A few anglers reported catching them with white tubes and grubs in the evening. We did not attempt to fish for crappie while we were out there.
Northern Pike - We found our best success for pike were (like you said) near the east end of the lake in the evening just after dusk. We fly lined frozen anchovies off steel leaders. The bite seems to be best just after sunset until about 9 p.m. During the day time you’re going to need a lot of patience and time if you’re looking for that northern bite; many folks were coming back empty handed during the day time. The cove closest to the dam seems to be the best area for northerns. We landed two nice fish just after sunset back-to-back; both fish were just under 26 inches in length and put up a fun fight!
Ashurst Lake - I wish I could say more about this lake, we were up there for just a few hours on Friday the 20th and decided not to launch the boat because it was just too windy. We fished from shore with worms but didn’t have much luck and were snagged in the rocks almost every time… What a great view though! But you’re not a kiddin’ it’s windy as all hell up there.
Marshall Lake- This was my first visit to this lake and I fell in love with it! What a great view and what a nice place to pitch a tent or pull in a trailer. I only wish I had more time to photograph a sunset while I was up there. Our fishing at this lake was short lived but still pretty fun! The fiancé managed to land a few small trout off a brown/green fly drifted into cover. I did not catch anything but I still enjoyed being on the water for a couple hours!
Thanks again for the tip on Marshall and the info on Mary. We had a great time and hopefully we can get back up there sometime this summer. Hopefully my information can provide some useful tips on what’s working for these lakes. Take Care, Dave
Where: Upper Lake Mary When: 06/20/08 Caught: Northern Pike (just a little one) Technique: daredevil lure, with red & white stripe. Comments: When this 24-inch pike took my line at the far upper end of Lake Mary, I handed the pole to my 6-year-old son to reel him in. What an experience we had! It took a few minutes to get him to shore, as the drag on my reel wouldn't stop spinning. What a fight! And he tasted good too! Now if only we could get people to stop leaving broken glass beer bottles around the lake, this place would be perfect! Name: Steve Wilson
Where: Lake Mary When: 06/20/08 Caught: Walleye Technique: Crankbait w/steel leader Comments: 5-pound 3-ounce Walleye, fished for four days and only caught this guy, bring your sun screen and watch out for jet skis Name: Donny Nelson
ASHURST LAKE — Stocked with 3,601 trout last week. The water temperature was 62 F. The lake is full. Some larger hold-over trout are being caught. Some trout anglers are catching northern pike. Steve at the Ashurst Store reports good size fish ranging from1 1/2 to 2 pounds are being caught on worms at the west and east end of the lake and early morning on the north and south size. Power Bait was not working this past week.
Where:Ashurst Lake When:07/04/08 Caught:Trout Technique:gold/red super-duper, worms about 3' below bobbers on shore Comments: early morning worms about 2'-3' below bobbers at day use area 1 did well. Name: Scott Townley
FRANCIS SHORT POND – A fish kill has occurred caused by a dieoff of an algal bloom which reduced oxygen levels in the water. Some fish survived the kill, but fishing will be tough until the lake gets stocked after water quality improves.
KINNIKINICK LAKE — Scheduled to be stocked this week with 2,700 rainbow trout.
Where:Kinnikinick lake When:07/07/08 Caught:trout, catfish Technique:gold/red super-duper, black and yellow/gold mepps and panther martin spinners Comments: Action picks up when wind dies down. Black and yellow spinners were deadly about 150' in from the boat ramp, from along the reed line to maybe 100' out (towards the dam). Lake is FULL! Name: Scott Townley
FRANCIS SHORT POND – A fish kill has occurred caused by a die-off of an algal bloom which reduced oxygen levels in the water. Some fish survived the kill, but fishing will be tough until the lake gets stocked after water quality improves.
MARSHALL LAKE — No recent reports. Had been good for small rainbow and brook trout, along with grayling.
OAK CREEK — Stocked last week and the water temperatures raged from 59 to 73 F. Scheduled to be stocked this week with rainbow trout. Fishing is generally slow for browns although some large ones have been caught recently, but is okay for rainbows. At the lower end of the creek below Sedona, it is also possible to catch bass and catfish in the deeper pools.
Where:Oak Creek- Catch and Release Area When:06/29/08 Caught:Stocker Rainbows and Small Browns Technique:Fly-fishing w/ Mosquito, Adams Wulff, Elk Hair Caddis, BWO Comments: Nothing until mid-day, a few big browns and rainbows around but not interested in anything. Spent the entire day educating bait fisher people they could not fish in this area being a single barbless hook, no bait, catch and release area!!! Would love to see this get posted in the hotspots just down from parking lots and pullouts and included on this website. Thanks to the one G & F officer that came through late morning to check on people. Too bad he could not be there all day, I am sure all of the fish I saw in this special area will be gone within the week. Name: CP
Editor’s note: There are lots of signs informing people about the special regulation area along the upper end of Oak Creek between Junipine Crossing (starting art the resort) and Call-of-the-Canyon Crossing, where it is artificial lure and fly only and trout must be immediately released unharmed. Unfortunately, people don’t always read the signs and some may just ignore them. Most of the creek, however, is open to bait fishing.
LONG LAKE — Stocked recently with rainbow trout. Some nice fish are being caught near the ditch.
SOLDIERS & SOLDIERS ANNEX — Lakes are open. No report.
BEAVER CREEK — Trout fishing is generally slow, but some anglers are doing okay if they hike a ways. This area also has some fun smallmouth bass, but don’t expect fish of any size. Ultra lights and small Crickhoppers work well. Where:Wet Beaver Creek When:07/24/08 Caught:Brown Trout Technique:Blue Fox minnows, Panther Martins, Mepps Agila Comments: My friend Jim and I hiked the upper part of Beaver Creek from Waldroup Canyon at the beginning to the head waters and down to the Bell Trailhead. A total of about 15 miles. We did this in two days. It meant a lot crawling over boulders and traversing dried waterfalls. There were many spots were we had to drop our packs down with ropes then climb down.
At one point Jim almost fell. He would have if he did not bail out of his pack. He got out of his pack and it landed in at tree, breaking both of his rods. Luckily I had two so we made out pretty well.
We caught a lot of brown trout, which was our mission. We had never been to upper extremely remote part of the canyon where the browns live. It is extremely difficult to get in there and it requires a lot bush whacking. We are both extremely sore, stiff, scraped, have festering cactus needles in our hands and legs. There were about 20 places where we had to swim through some deep holes. We finished the hike at about 12:30 on Saturday morning. It was very difficult to negotiate over boulders in the flowing creek at night. It was one of the most rigorous and most physically demanding hikes I have ever made. But it was also one of the most spectacular. We will do it again soon but over 3 or 4 days not 2.
The second half of the first day we got rained on for about 5 hours. The storm was not predicted but it was welcome relief from the heat. It did however make for a cold night. It is typically about 70 in the evenings so we decided to sleep in only hammocks. They are light to carry, comfortable and keep you of the ground so you don't wake up with scorpions, or worse, rattlers in your sleeping in bag. The evaporating rain that was on the ground and in the trees made for an incredible cooling effect that dropped the night time temp to about 56 degrees according to my thermometer. It was a great lesson in survival which will add to our experience as outdoors men!
We had a blast. In a few days we should be feeling back to normal. I would rate this trip as a 5 out of 5. Anybody want to come along next time? Name: Jim Zint and Mike Wallis
WEST CLEAR CREEK — No report.
STONEMAN LAKE — Low water. NO FISH.
MINGUS LAKE – The seasonal gate across the access road is open. Rainbow trout are being stocked twice a month. Mingus was stocked on June 16, which was the last scheduled stocking until September. The best bait has been white Power Bait, fished on the bottom with a treble hook and an egg sinker. Several 6-fish limits of trout were caught this way. Fishermen using night crawlers under a bobber are also having some success.
Someone illegally stocked yellow bullhead into Mingus several years ago. These fish compete directly with the trout and keep growth rates very low. If you witness anyone, anywhere, moving fish like bass, bluegill, catfish and stocking them, please report it to our Operation Game Thief Hotline. Illegal stockings cost YOU money!
DEAD HORSE STATE PARK –Largemouth bass fishing is fair. Try using small plastic jigs, plastic worms, or small spinnerbaits near deeper cover. Catfish stocked June 9. The catfish bite has been pretty good on night crawlers. The time of day that they are biting varies, so you may need to be patient.
Bluegills are very abundant, but most are small. This is a great opportunity to teach kids how to fish. Try using a No. 8 hook with a small piece of worm under a bobber and you should have success. While the crappie numbers are up a little, most are small. Look for the crappie fishing to be good late this year or next year. Catfish are scheduled to be stocked the week of June 9.
VERDE RIVER (throughout Verde Valley) –Channel catfish action is starting to pick up in the Verde Valley. Most success on catfish is by using night crawlers and chicken liver after dusk. Look for the bass to be biting early morning and in the evening.
LYNX LAKE — Catfish were stocked June 9 and again on June 25. Trout are were stocked the week of June 16. This was the last scheduled stocking until the fall. While fishing has been slow, these two stockings should help. Try using night crawlers or hot dogs for the catfish. The hot ticket for the trout is salmon egg scented power bait.
Game and Fish Biologists installed PVC fish structures on Jan. 3. These structures should protect small fishes from predation. Some 7-inch brook trout were in February and 5-inchers in September. Game and Fish stocked catfish the week of June 4. There were 200 pounds of bluegill stocked on March 29. Game and Fish biologists surveyed Lynx in May and found that the brook trout stocked in September 2006 were still present.
FAIN LAKE — Catfish and sunfish were stocked the week of June 23. Try using night crawlers for the catfish. The sunfish will bite on meal worms or small worms. Fain lake was last stocked with rainbow trout the week of June 16th. This is the last trout stocking scheduled until September. For trout try using spinners or bright colored power bait. Fain lake was stocked with brook trout on Feb. 25.
GOLDWATER LAKE — Trout are scheduled to be stocked this week, the week of July 7. Fishing success should be good following the stocking. Recently one angler reported catching a 13- and 14-inch trout in two hours of fishing. While there is no shortage of fish, most people report catching only one or two fish. Try using KastMasters. If that does not work you may try worms or Power Bait. Early in the morning and in the evening the bite may be a little better. Some days the fishing seems to be better than other days as well. The next trout stocking is scheduled for the week of July 21. The water temperature is 71?F. If the temperature continues to increase we will postpone scheduled stockings until the spring when the water cools. Bluegills were stocked Feb 25. Game and Fish biologists weighed a 22-pound channel catfish that was caught at Goldwater in March.
Game and Fish Biologists surveyed Goldwater during the middle of May 2007 and found the trout and sunfish plentiful. While the number of catfish and bass was low, the quality was exceptional. One 16-pound catfish was sampled and released. The bass averaged about 3.5 pounds. On March 29, 2007, there were 400 pounds of bluegill stocked. These fish were hand-sized and should be easily caught. Try using worms or mealworms on a bobber. Small spinners may work as well. If you fish Goldwater and are having luck, please e-mail me at [email protected] so I can share your successes with others.
Mogollon Rim CHEVELON LAKE – Fishing is poor to fair for fly and spin anglers. This is a hike-in lake via a steep slope. There is not a lot of shore access. It is best fished from a float tube, inflatable or canoe.
The lake is open to artificial lure and flies only, trout between 10 and 14 inches may not be possessed, and the bag limit is six trout. Try lures such as Z-rays, Super Dupers, spinners, and Rapalas, and flies such as wooly worms, wooly buggers, peacock ladies, prince nymphs, zug bugs, and other small nymphs. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10 hp. gas motors.
Where:Chevelon Lake When:06/20/08 Caught:Rainbow Trout Technique:Dry fly from inflatable with tan cadis(16/18), red/yellow humpy (16/18) Comments: Fished from 5 to 8 p.m., and was the only angler on the water. Fish were extremely active everywhere on the lake, and caught 1 about every 10 casts. Fish were in the 10" to 16" range. Name:Steve Prokopek
BEAR CANYON LAKE - Fishing is fair for rainbow trout. The best bite is at first and last light. The lake was stocked last week with catchable size rainbow trout. The water temperature was 72 degrees last week. The best times are first and last light.
This is a hike-in lack down short but steep and winding paths. There is pretty good shore access. This deep canyon lake is great for those with float tubes.
Try worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs, lures such as spinners, Z-rays, Super Dupers, and Rapalas and flies such as wooly worms, wooly buggers, Yeager buggers, peacock ladies, prince nymphs, zug bugs, hares ear and pheasant tail nymphs. The lake is open to electric trolling motors only.
Angler reports:
Where:Bear Canyon Lake When:06/23/08 Caught:3 13" trout Technique:worms and lures, worms work the best, off shore fishing. Comments: Your report was right when you said the little hike down was worth it, we fished at all five lakes around the rim from the shore and loved Bear Canyon and Willow Springs the best, worms and lures worked the best. This will be a yearly trip for us. The little cafe in Forest Lakes is the best; try the apple walnut carmel pie and fish fry on Friday night. Loved it. Linda Emmett, Prescott, AZ Name: Linda Emmett
Where:Bear Canyon Lake When:06/28/08 Caught:Rainbow Trout Technique:A bobber with a half of a worm 2-3 feet below. Comments: Tried spoons first and had no action. Bobber fishing is not as fun, but at least we had dinner. Name: Graham
Travis wrote that he went fishing at Bear Canyon Lake 6/28/08, arrived at 9 a.m., within 20 minutes we saw a bald eagle being chased by a crow, did not catch anything but seeing the eagle was worth the drive.
Where:Bear Canyon Lake When:07/05/08 Caught:Crawdads! Technique:Stick, fishing line, small hook and some bait! Comments: My wife Tracy and I were not having any bites, so we went after crawdads, we must have caught 50 crawdaddys. We had a great crawfish dinner that night. Mighty tasty! Name: BJ Johnson
Where:Bear Canyon Lake When:06/21/08 Caught:Rainbow stockers Technique:float tube and olive wooly buggers Comments:30+ a day. only 2 hold overs Name: Tony
BLACK CANYON LAKE –- Fishing is fair. The lake is down about one foot and the boat ramp is accessible. The water temperature last week was 72 degrees. The best bite is at first and last light. Boat anglers have been catching trout on green and yellow Power Bait.
Try worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, lures such as spinners, or flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms and wooly buggers, and Yeager buggers.
BLUE RIDGE – Fishing is fair to poor. Fish at first and last light. This is a deep canyon lake that is tough for shore angling, but great for small boats and canoes, or float tubes. In fact, trolling is probably the most effective method right now
KNOLL LAKE – Fishing is good at first and last light. There is a launch ramp, and fishing from a boat is best right now, but it's a long, dusty road to get here.
Where:Knoll Lake When:06/29/08 Caught:Rainbows Technique:Fly fishing from a float tube Comments:Caught 6 in a couple of hours in the morning. All on black ants in the shadows near the shore Where: Knoll Lake When: 06/15/08 Caught: three rainbow trout Technique: worms under a bobber and a floating bait leader where the weight goes to the bottom and the two hooks float. Comments: Trolling was working really good.Lots of people were catching fish. Name: Chase Barrett
WILLOW SPRINGS LAKE - The fishing is fair to good, with the best bite at first and last light. The lake is down about two feet and the boat ramp is accessible. Scheduled to be stocked this week with catchable size rainbow trout. The water temperature last week was 70 degrees. Anglers have been catching trout using cowbells with attached worms, lures, and flies. Trout have been active at the surface down to 15 feet during early morning and evening hours.
Try worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs, lures such as Z-rays, spinners, and Rapalas, and flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms, wooly buggers, Yeager buggers, and nymphs in black, brown, or green colors. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10 hp. gas motors. This lake also has largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and small crappie. The best fishing for these warmer water species is in the early afternoons after the trout bite typically slows to nothing.
Where:Willow Springs Lake When:06/27/08 Caught:Rainbow Trout Technique:Worms on the bottom Comments:The bite was great first thing in the morning, tapering off about 10 a.m.. Worms were the only thing working for me that day. We released many small ones, but easily got our limit of some very nice ones, including 13" rainbow. We would have stayed all day but were forced to leave due to a HUGE thunderstorm. Still, it was a great way to spend my birthday! Name: Lori Firestone
Where:Woods Canyon Lake When:06/21/08 Caught:Rainbow Trout Technique:drifted my inflatable all along the northern shore with dry fly yellow hopper (#12) Comments: Caught about 6 fish from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. Fish really active in narrow section on west side of lake. Cast into the shaded areas about 5 to 15 feet from shore. Name: Steve Prokopek
WOODS CANYON – Fishing is fair to good. Stocked weekly. The lake is full. The water temperature last week was 72 degrees.
Boat anglers are catching trout by trolling KastMasters and Panther Martins. Also try trolling cowbells with attached worms, lures, and flies. Trout have been active at the surface down to 10 feet early in the morning and late in the evening.
By the way, this lake has plentiful crayfish -- bring along a bucket and get a passel of crayfish to augment your trout dinner and turn your camping adventure into a five-star dining experience. For rainbows, try worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs, lures such as spinners, small spoons (Super Dupers, and Z-rays), and Rapalas, and flies such
White Mountains NOTE: State Highway 261 is open to Big Lake and Crescent Lake, as well as most main Forest roads, including the road to Reservation Lake on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. State Highway 273 on the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest is undergoing reconstruction and realignment and the following closures are in effect from the Fort Apache Indian Reservation boundary to Crescent Lake, which is closed to all traffic, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will remain closed until the road construction project is complete.
BECKER LAKE -- Fishing is fair to good, but is best at first and last light. The lake temperature last week was 70 degrees. The lake is a little lower now but the boat ramp is accessible. The lake is open to artificial lure and fly only, barbless hooks, and a two-trout limit. Try small lures such as Super Dupers, spinners, and Z-rays. Fly-Fishers have been catching 10- to 18-inch rainbow trout. Try small nymphs such as zebra midges, scuds, pheasant tails, zug bugs, prince nymphs, wooly worms and wooly buggers, dragon fly patterns, peacock ladies, and brown Montana stone nymphs. Fish deep and slow. The water temperature on May 4 was 63 degrees and the pH was 8.8. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10hp. gas motors.
BIG LAKE – Fishing is fair to good with the best bite at first and last light. Anglers have been catching rainbow and brook trout on worms, Power Bait (yellow) and salmon eggs. Boat anglers are doing well using cowbells with an attached worm, lure or fly. The store is open and there are boat rentals here. The launch ramps are in the water, but Railroad Cove may still be fairly shallow for launching larger boats.
By the way, Big Lake is not stocked during spring and summer – it is stocked in the fall with a couple hundred thousand fingerling trout. The trout you catch here are close to being wild. On any given day, Big Lake can be the best trout lake in the state. There is a store and boat rentals available and some of the prettiest scenery in Arizona.
Main access roads are open, including Highway 261 from Eager/Springerville. State Highway 273 from the Forest and Fort Apache Indian Reservation boundary to Crescent Lake is closed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will remain closed until the road construction project is completed. Fishing is good. The lake is up about 3 feet from last year, but still 3.4 feet below spill. All boat ramps accessible, however, Railroad cove may still be fairly shallow for launching larger boats.
Anglers have been catching rainbow and brook trout on worms, Power Bait, and salmon eggs. Also try lures such as spinners, Z-rays, Super Dupers, spoons, and Rapalas, and flies such as Peacock ladies, wooly worms, wooly buggers, and Yeager buggers, prince nymphs, and zug bugs. The lake is open to electric trolling motors or up to 10 hp. gas motors.)
Where:Big Lake When:07/04/08 Caught:Rainbows, Cutthroat, Brookies Technique:Power Bait off the bottom from the shore and a boat, as well as a spinners from shore. Comments: Fishing was great from the shore during the morning hours. The bite stopped around 10 a.m. Fishing in the evening from a boat was also great as long as there was cloud cover. (this goes for the bank fishing also) When the sun came out the fish stopped biting. Name: David Taylor
Where:Big Lake/West/East Fork When:07/01/08 Caught:Brown Trout Technique:Lures Comments: Went up to Big Lake and fished there from the shore and fishing was poor only thing caught was crawdads, everyone i spoke with said that they had never seen it where the fish was poor to fair, then went to the West Fork and the river was low fish again bad caugt four keepers between three of us next day Big Lake using a boat with cowbells and spinners one fish all day two other boaters and one in one boat of two and three fish in another with four fishing. next day went to East fork river was running with good depth and the fishing was poor only four keepers others in the area had one to three fish. this was between July 1st thru July 4th river was not stock during that time. fishermen were at the cleaning station at Big Lake with nice catch but they left the Big Lake area and went to Sunrise, Cresent. The trip still turned out to be an enjoyable one since my grandkids had a great time catching crawdads that in its self is more enjoyable to watch then catching my limit. Name: Bobby Castaneda
CARNERO LAKE – Fishing is fair for stocker rainbows with the best bite at first and last light. Carnero Lake experienced a winter kill, however the lake was re-stocked in April and May. The lake is very weedy. Try fishing open water areas. As summer progresses, weeds will become a problem for anglers.
The lake is open to lure and flies only, barbless hooks, and a two-trout bag limit. Try small lures such as spinners and spoons (Super Dupers and Z-rays), and flies such as wooly worms, peacock ladies, small nymphs such as hares ear, pheasant tails, prince nymphs, zug bugs, damsel fly and dragon fly nymph patterns, and midge patterns. The lake is open to electric trolling motors only .
Where: Canero Lake When: 06/12/08 Caught: Lot's of Rainbows,larger than stockers in the 2# rnge Technique: Mostly spinners of any kind. Comments: Took our Boy Scout Troop on a fishing activity. This lake did not dissappoint. Between 7 of us we caught 150-175 fish in two days.Even caught some on a yellow crappie jig with a spinner. Name: GW
CLEAR CREEK RESERVOIR - Fishing is fair. The lake was stocked with catchable size rainbow trout in mid-May. Fishing for warmwater fish such as bass, sunfish and catfish should also be picking up. The east side boat ramp is accessible and the only ramp to use. The old boat ramp is blocked off and no longer usable. Try worms, Power Bait, Salmon eggs, and lures such as spinners, Z-rays, crankbaits, and Rapalas, and flies such as woolly worms or wooly buggers, and peacock ladies. There are no motor restrictions on Clear Creek Reservoir.
CONCHO LAKE - Fishing is fair. The boat ramp is accessible. The lake was stocked catchable size rainbow trout in early April and another load in the first week of May. Try worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs, lures such as spinners, Z-Rays, and Super Dupers, and flies such as wooly worms or wooly buggers, peacock ladies, and small nymphs. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10hp. gas motors.
CRESCENT LAKE – Fishing is fair for stockers. Crescent Lake experienced a winter kill; however the lake has been restocked with over 14,000 catchable size brook trout in the last week of April and first week of May. Crescent was also stocked with almost 5000 catchable rainbow trout in mid-May. .
Highway 261 to Big and Crescent Lakes is open. Highway 273 from the Forest and Fort Apache Indian Reservation is open to Forest road 87 but is closed beyond the 273/87 junction to Crescent Lake 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, due to continuing road construction.
Try worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, lures such as spinners, Z-rays, Super Dupers, and flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms, wooly buggers, Yeager buggers, and small nymphs like prince and zug bugs. The lake is open to electric trolling motors or up to 10 hp. gas motors. The only boat ramp accessible is the south boat ramp.
FOOL HOLLOW LAKE – The lake is down about 1-1.5feet and the boat ramps are accessible. The water clarity is slightly turbid. Fool Hollow Lake has been stocked with sub catchable and catchable (1.5-2 pound) channel catfish. Anglers have been catching smallmouth and largemouth bass and walleyes on lures (crankbaits, plastic jigs with attached worms, and Rapalas) at the dam and along the east arm of the lake. Fish around structure such as rocks, trees, stumps, and fishing piers.
For kids, try fishing one of the fishing piers for bluegills. Use a small piece of night crawler on a small hook and small weight straight down and fished just above the lake bottom. Kids have been catching bluegill and crappie using this technique.
Shore anglers are catching rainbow trout on worms and Power Bait (chartreuse green and pumpkin colors) in the southwest area of the lake. Channel catfish are being caught on worms and stink baits. Bluegills and black crappies have been caught around the fishing piers on worms and small flies.
GREER LAKES -- Fishing is fair to good. All reservoirs are down. All boat ramps are still accessible. All three reservoirs were last stocked with catchable size rainbow trout the week of June 23. The water temperature last week at Bunch Reservoir was 68 degrees; Tunnel Reservoir was 66 degrees; and River Reservoir was 68 degrees
Anglers are catching rainbow trout on worms and Power Bait (green and yellow) at Bunch, Tunnel, and River Reservoir.
Try worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, lures such as spinners, Z-rays, Super Dupers, and Rapalas, and flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms, wooly buggers, and small nymphs. Bunch and Tunnel Reservoir are open to electric trolling motors only. River Reservoir is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10 hp gas motors.
Where:Little Colorado at Greer When:06/27/08 Caught:Apache Trout Technique:Worms CommentsMy kids and I caught about 15-20 fish in the creek. They had a great time!
HULSEY LAKE -Fishing is fair. Try worms fished deep under a bobber or on the bottom. Hulsey Lake is open to electric trolling motors only, but small boats would have to be carried down the short hiking trail to the lake. During the hot summer months, try fishing early in the morning and late in the evening. Try worms fished deep under a bobber or on the bottom. Hulsey Lake is open to electric trolling motors only, but small boats would have to be carried down the short hiking trail to the lake.
LEE VALLEY RESERVOIR - The roads to Lee Valley Lake are still closed. Highway 273 from the Forest and Fort Apache Indian Reservation is still closed due to continuing road construction and is closed just north of the junction of Highway 273 and Highway 261. Lee Valley Lake probably has some ice cover, although it should be considered unsafe.
LUNA LAKE - Fishing is fair. The lake is down about 1 foot and the boat ramp is accessible. The lake has been stocked with catchable size rainbow trout during April and May. Anglers have been catching some nice sized trout at the dam on worms, lures, and flies. Boat anglers have been catching trout on Panther Martin spinners and yellow Crickhopper lures. There is an algae bloom present in the lake.
Try worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, lures such as spinners, Z-rays, Super Dupers, and Rapalas, and flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms, wooly buggers, and nymphs. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10 hp gas motors. The water temperature last week was 50 degrees.
LYMAN LAKE - Fishing is fair to good for catfish. The lake level has come up quite a bit, catching a lot of water with snowmelt runoff. The water is turbid. Anglers have been catching channel catfish on worms and stink baits.
Try worms, Power Bait, catfish stink baits, and lures such as spinners, crankbaits, and Rapalas. The Lyman Lake recreation area is managed by Lyman Lake State Park and camping is available. There are also some new cabins for rent. There is fish consumption advisory here, so check with the State Parks Office at the lake for details. Also contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Region 1 Office at 928-367-4281. There are no motor restrictions on Lyman Lake.
NELSON RESERVOIR - Fishing is fair to good. The lake was stocked with catchable size rainbow trout in May. Use the boat ramp near the dam, as the ramp at the upper end of the lake will put boaters into thick weeds.
Try worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs, lures such as spinners, Super Dupers, Z-rays, and Rapalas, and flies such as wooly worms or wooly buggers, and peacock ladies. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10hp. gas motors. The water temperature last week was 50 degrees.
NELSON RESERVOIR – Fishing is fair. The lake is down about 1 foot and the main boat ramp by the dam is accessible. The lake was stocked with catchable size rainbow trout in May. Use the boat ramp near the dam, as the ramp at the upper end of the lake will put boaters into thick weeds. Try worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs, lures such as spinners, Super Dupers, Z-Rays, and Rapalas, and flies such as wooly worms or wooly buggers, Prince nymphs, Zug bugs, and peacock ladies. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10 hp. gas motors. During the hot summer months, try fishing early in the morning and late in the evening. There is an algae bloom present in the lake.
RAINBOW LAKE - Improvements to the parking area at the boat ramp are scheduled this summer and will require a short closure (2-3 days) during the construction. Signs and notices will be posted when the construction dates are set. Fishing is fair. Sub catchable and catchable (1.5-2 pound) channel catfish were stocked in early June. The lake is full and the boat ramp is accessible.
Try worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs, lures such as Z-rays, spinners, crank baits, and Rapalas, and flies such as wooly worms or wooly buggers, and peacock ladies. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10hp. gas motors. The water is clear. The water temperature last week was 74 degrees.
SCOTTS RESERVOIR - Fishing is fair to good. The water temperature last week was 73 degrees. Anglers have been catching trout, bass, and channel catfish on worms. The lake is nearly full and the boat ramp is accessible.
Try worms, Power Bait, and salmon eggs, lures such as Super Dupers, Z-rays, spinners, and Rapalas, and flies such as wooly worms or wooly buggers, peacock ladies, and prince nymphs. The lake is open to electric trolling motors only. Recent surveys revealed good numbers of rainbow trout (average size, 11 inches), fair number of largemouth bass (average size, 12 inches), and some nice sized channel catfish (average size, 25 inches). The lake is open to electric trolling motors only. The water is clear. The water temperature last week was 73 degrees.
SHOW LOW LAKE - Fishing is fair to good. The lake is about 18 feet to accommodate bridge construction over Show Low Creek, but the boat ramp is still accessible. Show Low Lake has been stocked with catchable size rainbow trout and sub catchable size channel catfish.
Boat anglers have been catching trout and walleyes trolling cowbells with and attached worms, lures, and flies. Try worms, Power Bait, and salmon eggs, lures such as spinners, rubber lead head jigs, crankbaits, and Rapalas, and flies such as wooly worms or wooly buggers, and peacock ladies. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10hp. gas motors. Recent surveys revealed good numbers of large walleyes (average size, 23 inches), including two 12-pounders, good numbers of rainbow trout (average size 14 inches), largemouth bass (average size 14 inches), and small black crappie. The water is slightly turbid. The water temperature last week was 52 degrees.
WOODLAND LAKE - Fishing is fair. The lake is full and the boat ramp is accessible. Weeds are present along the shoreline. Try worms, Power Bait, and salmon eggs, lures such as spinners, Super Dupers, and small spoons, and flies such as wooly worms or wooly buggers, peacock ladies, prince nymphs, zug bugs, and Hares ears nymphs. The lake is open to electric trolling motors only. Recent surveys revealed nice sized largemouth bass (average size, 14 inches), and 1 channel catfish (21 inches).
WHITE MOUNTAIN STREAMS:
West Fork Black River: Fishing is good. The West Fork was stocked at the campground with catchable size Apache trout last week and will be stocked again this week.
Wild brown trout are also present in the lower portion of the river. In the campground area, try worms, salmon eggs, small lures such as spinners, and flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms, small nymphs like hares ear, pheasant tails, zug bugs, prince nymphs, and caddis imitations.
The upper portion of the river, upstream of the confluence with Hayground Creek and including the Forest Road 116 crossing, is open to artificial lures and flies only, with catch and release regulations.
East Fork Black River: Fishing is good. The East Fork was stocked with catchable size Apache trout last week and will be stocked again this week.
Wild brown trout are also present throughout the river. Try worms, salmon eggs, small lures such as spinners, and flies such as Peacock ladies, woolly worms, small nymphs like hares ear, pheasant tails, zug bugs, prince nymphs, and caddis imitations.
Sheep’s Crossing: Highway 273 is closed for the year due to road construction and an area closure is still in effect around Sheep Crossing, 24 hours and 7 days a week.
Little Colorado River Greer: Fishing is good. The LCR in Greer was stocked with catchable size Apache trout last week and will be stocked again this week. Try worms, salmon eggs, small lures such as spinners, and flies such as peacock ladies, woolly worms, small nymphs like hares ear, pheasant tails, zug bugs, prince nymphs, and caddis imitations.
Silver Creek: Fishing is fair to good. The stream is clear and will be stocked this week with catchable size Apache trout. Silver Creek on the Arizona Game and Fish Department property is now open to bait fishing and statewide fishing regulations are in effect until Sept. 30. The upper section is closed to fishing.
Try small lures such as Mepps, Rooster tails, and Panther Martin spinners. Fly-fishers may want to try wooly worms, wooly buggers, peacock ladies, prince nymphs, zug bugs, shrimp patterns, midge patterns, and small bead head nymphs. Try small dry flies such as Adams, parachute Adams, midge and caddis fly patterns. Bait fishermen should try worms, Power Bait, and salmon eggs.
Southeastern Arizona URBAN -- LAST STOCKING OF SPRING CATFISH SEASON was JUNE 23-28. The last of eight, every-other-week spring catfish stockings will take place the week of June 23-28. With lake temperatures climbing rapidly towards 90 degrees and air temperatures well above 100, it becomes impractical to haul live fish into Arizona’s Urban lakes. No fish stockings will be scheduled during July, August and the first half of September. Fall catfish stockings will resume in mid-September after lake and weather conditions improve enough to safely transport and stock catfish once again. Anglers can still fish for catfish, bass and bluegill at urban waters throughout the summer, but the action is generally slower.
Angler reports: Where:lakeside lake When:07/07/08 Caught:channel catfish, bluegills Technique:nightcrawler a foot under bobber. Comments:Fishing was very slow for most folks, but I managed to catch 4 cats and several bluegills. Lots of dead fish lining the lake shore. Name: yosh packard
RIGGS FLAT — Fishing is slow but a few fish are being caught. Due high pH levels the lake will not be stocked until these values come down.
Where:Riggs Flat Lake When:06/28/08 Caught:2 Rainbow trout about 12" Technique:Small spinners Comments:I know it hasn't been stocked but the water is very clear and lot's of catchable fish can be seen swimming around. There is about a 10' ring of weeds around the bank making it difficult to fish lures...they didn't seem interested in worms /baits. Name: Tom Matthew
CLUFF RANCH — No recent reports of success. For lake information call (928) 485- 9430.
ROPER LAKE — No recent reports of success. For lake information call (928) 428-6760.
DANKWORTH POND — No recent reports of success. For lake information call (928) 428-6760.
FRYE MESA RESERVIOR – A few fish are being caught in the very early morning and late evenings.
KEARNY LAKES — The lake remains fishless due to golden algae problems.
ARIVACA — Anglers wanting to catch some trophy sized redear sunfish should definitely visit this lake. Recent surveys show outstanding numbers of large redear’s at this lake.
A few bass are being caught in shallow water using swim baits. The lake level has a dropped a bit but launching is not a problem and the aquatic vegetation is not a factor.
Jan. 1 marked a change in the motor restrictions at this lake. Motors 10 horsepower or less are legal for use at Arivaca.
Anglers are encouraged to please be aware of your wake so as not to disrupt other anglers fishing from other boats and the shore.
Remember that all bass must be immediately released back to the water.
PENA BLANCA – Be aware that the lake will be drained and renovated late this summer to remove mercury contaminated sediment form the lake bottom. Anglers wishing to comment on the proposed dredging of this lake should contact the U.S. Forest Service at (520) 281-2296.
The fishing is slow. Aquatic vegetation is becoming a problem. Recent storms have filled the lake and there should be no problem launching please be aware of debris floating in the lake and use caution.
The lake now has a 10 HP limit but be aware of your wake so as not to disrupt other people fishing in boats or on shore.
The mercury advisory for all warm water fish is in effect. Bass less than 13 inches long must be immediately released. The daily bag limit for bass is four. Jan. 1 marks a change in the motor restrictions at this lake. Motors 10 horsepower or less will now be legal for use at Pena Blanca.
PATAGONIA — The catfishing is doing well using everything from worms to commercial baits for channels. Smaller ones in the 12-14 inch range are being caught all day and larger ones at night.
Flatheads are biting on rigged live bluegill and red ear mostly in the dark hours. Bass fishing is fair to good using almost any crank baits or worms. There are lots of bluegill and red ear being caught on any bait. Most are pretty small but great fun for kids.
PARKER CANYON — Warm water fish are biting in the early a.m. and late p.m. including bluegill and bass, it seems the later in the morning the deeper you need to fish near the weed lines. Worms seem to be the best bait for the bluegills, and deep water lures for the bass. Bass at night is better with top water lures and buzz baits. Trout are very slow, in deep water only.
Where:Parker Canyon Lake When:06/27/08 Caught:I caught 5 bass and Chuck Caught 5 or 6 bass Technique:Topwater, and split tail. Just off the weeds at the drop offs. Slow retrive. Comments: Arived at the lake at 7pm, fished til 9pm. Lots of fun, until the rain moved in. Name: Chris Clutter and Chuck Dean
Where:parker canyon When:06/27/08 Caught:3 nice bass Technique:Texas-rigged Power Worms next to sunken trees before lightning ran me off Comments: heavy water grass make sure to fish weedless Name: Jon Mahler
PICACHO RESERVOIR — No Report at this time.
ROSE CANYON LAKE — The fishing continues to be outstanding and anglers are encouraged to get up there and try their luck.
Where:Rose Canyon Lake When:06/29/08 Caught:Rainbow Trout Technique:fly fishing with a adams fly Comments:2 of us caught 9 fish in an hour and a half. Name: Liam Giffin
The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Deputy Director, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Deputy Director as listed above.
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