Fishing

Fishing Forecast

Southeast AZ | North Central AZ

Fishing Rating: Hot Good Fair Poor

Southeast Arizona

Arivaca Lake – Rating:

As the fishing enters into the fall time, anglers can expect water temperatures to begin to cool and fish to become more active throughout the day. While early mornings and late evenings are still going to be the most productive times, anglers should find fish active throughout the day. Arivaca can be tough to fish if you’re not accustomed to the aquatic vegetation that grows thick at this lake. Plastics and rubber worms are a good choice this time of year. Whatever bait you choose make sure it’s weedless to combat the thick aquatic vegetation. Bass anglers that focus their search along the edges of the weedline and in the various “holes” in the thick vegetation tend to be the most successful.

Both the bluegill sunfish and redear sunfish populations are in good shape and anglers should see a rise in their activity as well as water temperatures begin to cool off. Fly fishing is a popular approach for anglers hunting for good-sized sunfish this time of year. Live worms and mealworms can also be productive.

Cluff Ranch Ponds – Rating:

Trout stockings will begin in November. Various baits and lures will catch trout, such as: Powerbait, salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, mealworms, and corn. Lures proven to work include: small spinners (size 0-1), spoons and even small jigs tipped with various plastics imitating worms, minnows or creatures. A good rule of thumb for all fish is having a variety of baits/lures in different sizes and colors, placing it in different depths and retrieving it a different speeds. Continue to change until you find a combination that works. Fishing early in the morning or late in the evening generally will lead to more success.

Anglers searching for warm water species should still find plenty of action as temperatures cool. Largemouth bass can be caught using nightcrawlers or several types of artificial baits and methods. Using lures is a good way to cover a lot of water in a short time, allowing you to locate the depths and locations that are holding fish. Try crankbaits, jerkbaits, swimbaits and jigs/hooks tipped with various plastics and methods like drop shot, Carolina or Texas rigs. Colors and lure shapes that look similar to a sunfish may work as that’s what the bass feed on.

Black crappie and sunfish can be caught using pieces of nightcrawler, mealworms or small plastics. If you’re using a bobber, remember to only use one large enough to float your weight and hook. Often too large of bobbers are used and fish feel the resistance of the large bobber and steal your bait without you ever knowing.

Dankworth Pond – Rating:

Rainbow trout stocking will begin in November. Various baits and lures will catch trout, such as: PowerBait, salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, mealworms, and corn. Lures proven to work include: small spinners (size 0-1), spoons and even small jigs tipped with various plastics imitating worms, minnows or creatures. A good rule of thumb for all fish is having a variety of baits/lures in different sizes and colors, placing it in different depths and retrieving it at different speeds. Continue to change until you find a combination that works.

Bluegill can be caught using pieces of nightcrawler, mealworms or small plastics. If you’re using a bobber, remember to only use one large enough to float your weight and hook. Often too large of bobbers are used and fish feel the resistance of the large bobber and steal your bait without you ever knowing.

Channel catfish may also be a target and success will pick up as the water warms through spring. The standard method is to fish on the bottom using bait. Try using a “slip” sinker instead of one fixed to the line. The “slip” sinker functions like a fixed weight except the line is able to pass through the weight with little resistance, which should equal better success at hooking the fish. To use this method, start with the slip sinker, barrel swivel and a short 1-2’ leader to a hook. Baits vary widely but several nightcrawlers on one hook, chicken liver or prepared stink baits are excellent choices.

Frye Mesa Reservoir – Rating:

Frye Mesa Reservoir presents a unique opportunity to catch a native Gila trout. The reservoir receives fish from Mora National Fish Hatchery and is one of only three places in Arizona to catch this rare species. Gila trout can be caught with similar methods used for rainbow trout. Fly fishing with nymphs or wet/dry flies is productive. If using a spin casting reel, small spoons and spinners as wells as PowerBait or worms can work. The small reservoir did receive a load of catchable sized Gila trout over the summer along with a load of smaller Gila trout so there are fish available to be caught. The road to the reservoir is rough and a higher clearance all-wheel drive vehicle is recommended.

Parker Canyon Lake – Rating:

As the fishing enters into the fall, anglers can expect water temperatures to begin to cool but the action can still be hot. Trout stockings will begin in October at this lake which is a month earlier than other lakes in the area. Various baits and lures will catch trout, such as: PowerBait, salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, mealworms, and corn. Lures proven to work include: small spinners (size 0-1), spoons and even small jigs tipped with various plastics imitating worms, minnows or creatures. A good rule of thumb for all fish is having a variety of baits/lures in different sizes and colors, placing it in different depths and retrieving it at different speeds. Continue to change until you find a combination that works.

Sunfish will continue to be active much of September but expect that fishing will slow as cooler water temperatures drive fish into deeper water. Live worms and mealworms fished with light tackle are an angler’s best option. Vary the depth you fish at until you find where the fish are hanging out.

Channel Catfish are still active and actively feeding even though water temperature are cooling off. Anglers using prepared catfishing baits, chicken livers and frozen shrimp.

See the pdf file for the remainder of the lakes in the Southeast Arizona region:

Patagonia
Pena blanca
Riggs flat
Roper
Rose canyon

North Central Arizona

Editor Chuck Benedict 928 214-1244

Ashurst Lake – Rating:

Fishing at Ashurst picks up as the temperature cools in the fall. October and early November are usually the best time to catch fish.

Anglers can catch nice size holdover rainbow trout on lures such as Rooster Tails, Joe’s Flies and small spoons. Fly anglers should be successful using woolly buggers and bead-head prince nymphs. Folks using flies and lures might also catch a nice brown trout.

For folks using bait, try fishing Garlic “flavored” PowerBait in a variety of colors, especially in September while the water is still warm. Once water temperatures cool worms under a bobber should also work.

Cataract Lake – Rating:

Cataract could be a sleeper spot for trout this fall. Last summer when the hatcheries had small fish they had to stock, Cataract was stocked with almost 20,000 8-inch rainbow trout since they usually grow fast in the lake when it’s full. This spring, more trout were stocked and the lake has had very little angling pressure, meaning there should be lots of fish to catch. Fly anglers should try a bead-head prince nymph or woolly buggers, and traditional anglers should use lures such as spoons or spinners to catch the trout. As water temperatures get colder, the fish will slow down. Retrieve the lures or flies as slowly as you can without snagging on the bottom. You might also catch a nice sized largemouth bass while you are fishing for trout.

Anglers had been catching nice sized bluegill all summer on the lake. Bluegill should be catchable until the water starts to cool down during late October.

CC Lake Blueridge – Rating: Closed

C.C. Cragin is closed for the season. Forest Road 751 from Rock Crossing campground to C.C. Cragin (aka Blue Ridge) Reservoir is closed to vehicles beginning Sept. 10 to protect the public from construction traffic. The closure will prevent access to the parking for Rock Crossing Trail as we make improvements to the boat ramp. These projects are providing a safer and more efficient access to the reservoir for recreational boaters. The closure is expected to remain in effect until April. Water levels are very low this fall and the lake was not be stocked this year. For more information please contact the Mogollon Rim Ranger District at 928-477-2255.

City Reservoir – Rating:

We have been stocking rainbow trout in City this year and fishing should be good this fall. In addition to trout, catfish were stocked this summer and I have had reports of folks catching some nice sized crappie.

Dead Horse Lagoons – Rating:

Channel catfish were stocked during August and will be stocked again toward the end of September. They can be easily caught using shrimp, nightcrawlers, hot dog or anchovies. Largemouth bass action should be fair to good using plastic worms and jigs. Small bluegill can also be easily caught. While they are small, this is a great place to take your kids fishing if you just want them to catch something. Trout stocking will resume in November.Look for the fishing to really pick up following any of the stockings.

There is an entrance fee at Dead Horse Ranch State Park which is currently $7 per vehicle (1-4 adults) and $3 for an individual (walk in/bicycle) and the hours are 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Seasonal hours may apply and will be posted at the entrance.

See the pdf file for the remainder of the lakes in the North Central Arizona region:

Dogtown
Fain
Frances short
Goldwater
JD damn
Kaibab
Kinnikinick
Knoll
Long lakes
Lower lake mary
Lynx
Mingus
Oak creek
Perkins
Santa fe
Upper lake mary
Verde river
Watson
White horse
Willow