Fishing

Fishing Forecast

Southeast AZ  |   North Central AZ

Fishing Rating:   Hot  Good   Fair  Poor

Southeast Arizona

Cluff Ranch Ponds – Rating:

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.

A survey in 2016 revealed several largemouth bass ranging from 12-17 inches, which should make for great sized fish this year. Bass activity will pick up as the water temperature warms to 60 degrees, which will likely be happening earlier than normal this year. 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 which depths and locations 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 since that’s what the bass feed on.

Black crappie and sunfish can be caught using pieces of nightcrawlers, 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.

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 in New Mexico and is one of only a handful of 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. Expect fish to be deeper during these warmer months. Anglers should focus their efforts during the coolest times of the day in the early mornings and late evenings. 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 summer months, anglers can expect fishing to slow during the hottest parts of the day. Early mornings and late evenings will be the most productive times during this time of year. With the end of the largemouth bass spawn, bass will become more active feeding to build reserves lost during the spawn. Look for largemouth bass along the shoreline in shallower water at sunrise and evenings and in deeper water during the heat of the day. Rubber worms and plastics are the bait of choice. Top-water action can be found during the early mornings and late evenings with the best action just after sunset. Sunfish remain active during this time of year if anglers fish a bit deeper as fish will seek cooler water temperatures as the heat of the day raises surface water temperatures.  Sunfish anglers should use live worms and mealworms. Vary the depth you fish at until you find where the fish are hanging out. Channel catfish will become more active as water temperatures continue to rise. Expect the best fishing to be at night. The best bait options include prepared catfishing baits, chicken livers and frozen shrimp.

Patagonia Lake –

Summer months means night fishing for the best action.  Plan to be on the water early prior to sunrise and late as the sun sets.  During the heat of the day, fishing can slow as fish seek deeper cooler water.  Anglers should anticipate this and look for fish in deeper water or heavily shaded areas. Largemouth bass can be found along the shoreline holding tight to cover.  Anglers working the breaks in cattails with rubber worms and plastics find the most action.  Flipping into the deep cover of the cattails can also produce fish but getting them out of that deep cover can be challenging. Anglers looking for catfish should focus their attention on the nighttime hours of sunset to sunrise.  For channel catfish, use prepared catfish baits, chicken livers and frozen shrimp.  Anglers looking to catch flathead catfish should be using live bluegill sunfish caught at the lake prior to sunset.  Rig the bluegill with an appropriate sized hook through its body just below the dorsal fin.

Pena Blanca Lake – Rating:

Summer fishing is the best during the cooler parts of the day, meaning anglers should be on the water before sunrise or plan to stay until after sunset. Night fishing can be the most productive time as fish become more active with cooler temperatures. Largemouth bass fishing in June and July will remain productive with fish being found holding close to cover and in shady areas protected from direct sunlight.  July remains a great time to catch bluegill sunfish and anglers should again focus on the shady locations of the lake out of direct sunlight. Live worms and mealworms are the best bait options for catching bluegills. Channel catfish opportunities will pick up during the next several months with the best opportunities during the night times.  Tried and true catfish baits of chicken livers, frozen shrimp, stink baits and other prepared catfish baits are the key to success.

Riggs Flat Lake – Rating: 

Water quality issues continue to create problems with the stocking of rainbow trout. However there is a good resident population of both rainbow trout and brown trout in the lake. When the road to the lake opens in mid–April, expect the fishing to be excellent. Anglers often catch rainbows on PowerBait, or small spinners and spoons. Fly fishing can be very productive as well using nymphs, wet/dry flies, and streamers. The lake also holds some very nice sized brown trout that can be caught with the above mentioned methods. For more ambitious anglers, it is now legal to use the fathead minnows found in the lake as live bait. A small mesh dip net, cast net or minnow trap can be used to catch these minnows. Keep them alive in a bucket of water filled with lake water. Fishing from shore through the thick vegetation can be challenging but there should be empty spots to cast through as well as fishing near the concrete platform and dam.

Roper Lake – Rating: 

Roper Lake is a shallow (less than 15 feet), small waterbody that should heat up quickly this summer. Look for largemouth bass, bluegill and redear sunfish and even some black crappie all seeking structure that provides plenty of shade. As temperatures rise during the heat of the day expect fish to be deeper. The best fishing will be early mornings and late evenings when temperatures are the coolest. A survey in 2017 had a small amount of 12-14-inch black crappie show up and are an exciting fish to catch. Target crappie with light everything! Light line, a small hook and bobber tipped with a mealworm or earthworms can work, otherwise small jigs tipped with various plastics moved slowly will trigger bites. Bass up to 20’ inches have also shown up in surveys throughout the years and can be targeted using crankbaits, jerkbaits, swimbaits and jigs/hooks tipped with various plastics and methods like drop shot, Carolina or Texas rigs. A classic worm and bobber can work also.

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.

Rose Canyon Lake – Rating:

The seasonal stockings of rainbow trout are well underway and anglers should find plenty of fish. Check the website for the stocking schedule at (insert hyperlink here). Anglers wanting to use bait should try earthworms, salmon eggs, various colors of PowerBait, corn, cheese and even marshmallows. However small Kastmasters, spinners and spoons can be even more productive for those anglers willing to give them a try. Expect fishing to be the best during the hours around sunrise and sunset. As temperatures warm in the middle of the day expect fish to go deeper. Anglers should vary their depth and not just place their bait on the bottom of the lake waiting for fish to come to them. Successful anglers go find the fish by varying the depth and trying different baits until they start getting bites. Successful anglers will then focus their efforts at that depth with the appropriate baits.

Arivaca Lake – Rating:

As the fishing enters into the summer, expect fish to become less active during the heat of the day.  Anglers should concentrate their efforts during the early hours around sunrise and the late evening hours around sunset.  Night times can be the most productive during the summer months as fish are more active when the temperatures are cooler. If you do fish midday, look for fish in deeper water during the hottest part of 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 but the top water action early mornings and through the night can be the most productive. Whatever bait you choose, make sure it’s weedless to combat the thick aquatic vegetation.  Bass anglers who focus their search along the edges of the weed line and in the various “holes” in the thick vegetation tend to be the most successful.

Dankworth Pond – Rating:

Summer fishing means hitting the water during early mornings and late evenings.  Plan to be out during the coolest times of the day and expect fish to move into deeper water as daytime temperatures rise. 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. Fishing early in the morning or late in the evening generally will lead to more success.

Look for largemouth bass and bluegill sunfish close to structure and in the shady spots. 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 the summer season. Night fishing is the absolute best time to catch channel catfish. 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, prepared baits (dip, dough, etc.), entrails/heads from cleaned fish, and the list can go on.

North Central Arizona

Editor Chuck Benedict 928 214-1244

Ashurst Lake – Rating:

I expect Ashurst to be the hot spot for early summer trout fishing in 2018! As the weather warms fishing will slow down, but still should remain fair.

Anglers have been catching nice size holdover trout on lures such as Rooster Tails, Joe’s Flies and small spoons.  Fly anglers are catching fish on woolly buggers and bead headed prince nymphs. I would expect this pattern to continue throughout the early summer with folks catching nice sized holdover trout, along with recently stocked trout on lures through mid to late June.  As the weather gets warmer and the water temperature increases, the trout fishing slows down, except for early in the morning and late in the afternoon just before dusk. The trout will be deep during the warmer parts of the day.

As the water warms trout move deep and anglers need to fish near the bottom to catch fish. For shore anglers, fishing on the bottom floating baits such as PowerBait seems to work the best. Garlic “flavored” baits in a variety of colors seems to work best.

Cataract Lake – Rating:

Cataract could be a sleeper spot for trout this summer. Last summer when the hatcheries had small fish they had to stock we stocked Cataract with almost 20,000 8-inch rainbow trout knowing that 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 headed prince nymph or woolly buggers, while traditional anglers should use lures such as spoons or spinners to catch the trout. In the early spring the water temperatures are cold which slows the fish 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.

Fishing for bluegill, crappie and largemouth bass usually picks up as the water warms in late April and May.

Dead Horse Lagoons – Rating:

Largemouth bass fishing is great here. Try using plastics in the morning or evening for bass. Target the bass near the submerged vegetation, which is spread all over the lagoons. If you are using a small boat or float tube, fish the edges of the islands. Channel catfish were stocked in May and will be stocked again in June. Catfish can be easily caught on the standard catfish baits, anchovies, hot dog, mackerel, shrimp, etc.   This is a great place to take kids to catch small bluegill.  They are numerous, but mostly small.  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 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Seasonal hours may apply and will be posted at the entrance.

Dogtown Lake – Rating:

Like most of the lakes in the area, folks using lures such as Joe’s Flies, rooster tails, and small spoons seem to do well. Fly anglers catch fish on bead headed nymphs, with the favorite being bead head prince nymphs, along with woolly buggers.

For the anglers who like to fish with bait, anglers have been catching trout on worms under a bobber during the winter. This method should work most of the spring. For anglers who like to fish with PowerBait on the bottom, garlic PowerBait in a variety of colors seems to work best. PowerBait fishing usually improves as the water temperatures warm in late April and May.

Fishing for bluegill, crappie and largemouth bass usually picks up as the water warms in late May through the summer.

Frances Short Pond – Rating:

Stocking of rainbow trout in the pond ends the last week of May and usually starts up again in mid-September. May and June are the times when catchable channel catfish are stocked. I usually fish with hot dogs for the catfish using a size 1-1/0 hook fished with a slip sinker on the bottom.  Early mornings and evenings are usually the best times for catfish, but I’ve seen them caught in the middle of the day. The largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie also turn on during the summer with folks catching them on worms. Folks using lures such as Joe’s Flies, rooster tails, small spoons, and jigs also do well.  Fly anglers catch fish on bead headed nymphs, with the favorite being bead head prince nymphs, along with wooly buggers.

Fain Lake – Rating: 

Trout are stocked all year long with the exception of July and August. Channel catfish are stocked during the summer.  During July and August focus on the catfish.  There is no fee to enter this Prescott Valley gem.

Goldwater Lake – Rating: 

Trout are stocked 1-2 times a month during most of the year. There is a $2 daily fee for this city of Prescott lake. Trout fishing should continue to be exciting because of the number of trout stockings. As water temperatures rise for the summer, the trout will go deeper. Try orange or yellow Power Eggs or PowerBait on a 12 to 18 inch leader.  The largemouth bass fishing should be good this year following last year’s stocking. You can’t go wrong throwing plastics. If you choose to target bass, remember that the limit is one fish, 13 inches or larger. Channel catfish have not been stocked in Goldwater in years, but the fish that are still in it are large. Don’t be afraid to try to catch some of these behemoths.

Kaibab Lake – Rating:

Rainbow trout stocking usually begins the first week of March on Kaibab Lake and continues through the summer months. Like most of the lakes in the area, folks using lures such as Joe’s Flies, rooster tails, and small spoons seem to catch lots of fish.  Fly anglers catch fish on bead headed nymphs, with the favorite being beadheaded prince nymphs, along with woolly buggers. In the early spring the water temperatures are cold which slows the fish down. Retrieve the lures or flies as slow as you can without snagging on the bottom during the early spring.

For anglers who like to fish with PowerBait on the bottom, garlic PowerBait in a variety of colors seems to work best. PowerBait fishing usually improves as the water temperatures warm in late May.

Fishing for bluegill, crappie and largemouth bass usually picks up as the water warms in the summer. Use jigs under a bobber or worms for the crappie and the bluegill. Fly anglers can really clean up on the crappie using beadheaded nymphs such as prince nymphs.

Kinnikinick Lake – Rating: (but fish will be big)

Trout can be caught on Kinnikinick in the summer, the secret is to fish around the weeds during the early mornings and late evenings. During the day fish on the bottom.  During the summer some big catfish can be caught on Kinnikinick.

Lynx Lake – Rating: 

There is a $5 use fee for Lynx Lake except for Wednesday’s when it is free. Trout fishing can be good well into June. Try fishing PowerBait suspended under a bobber in 10-15 feet of water. Chartreuse and Captain America colors typically work well. Be sure to keep you hook sizes smaller, say #6 to #10 and light lines (4-6 pound test).  Largemouth bass can be a good bet in the middle of the summer. Try fishing in the backs of the shallower coves.  Catfish can be caught on cut hot dogs, anchovies and nightcrawlers in about 25 to 30 feet of water. Catfish are stocked the first weekend in June. Look for the bite to really pick up after that. This lake carries many holdover catfish from previous stockings, so your fishing success is not necessarily tied to the stocking date.

Lower Lake Mary – Rating:

Unless things change Lower Lake Mary will not be a fishery this year.   Water levels have dropped and with no snow to melt and runoff the lake may go dry this year.

Oak Creek -Rating: /

Fly anglers and folks using lures can catch some nice sized brown trout on Oak Creek all summer, especially in the area around Grasshopper Point.  I would use woolly buggers or spinners.

The weekly stockings of rainbow trout have started and continues through the fall. If flows are high, the creek may not be stocked. Areas stocked depend on accessibility to the creek and parking availability for the stocking truck. Bait anglers should drift salmon eggs or worms below a bobber with the current. Anglers drifting flies under a bobber can also catch rainbows.

Remember the reach of the creek between Call of the Canyon Crossing (West Fork parking lot) and Junipine Resort is open to catch-and-release fishing only using flies and lures with a single barbless hook. This reach is not stocked and has some nice brown trout in it.

Upper Lake Mary – Rating:

Early spring is the time to catch northern pike on Upper Lake Mary.  Standard pike lures like large spoons and crankbaits work. Anglers also catch pike using anchovies fished under a bobber. Fly anglers using big streamers also seem do well. Most of the successful pike anglers fish the upper section of the lake.

Verde River (throughout Verde Valley) -Rating: / 

The summer forecast for the Verde is grim.  With the warm dry winter, it is possible the National Forest closures due to extreme fire danger may occur and may make it difficult to access the river. Verde River cities like Cottonwood and Camp Verde will likely allow access.

Watson Lake -Rating:

As water temperatures rise for the summer, the trout will go deeper, but the largemouth will move into shallower water. Try plastic worms or crappie jigs for the bass and you may get lucky and catch a holdover trout with type of bait. The $2 parking fee is very reasonable for this beautiful lake.

Whitehorse – Rating:

Whitehorse Lake can no longer support trout all summer so trout stocking has been stopped. At this time we are planning to change the management of the lake to a warmwater fishery with largemouth bass, bluegill and black crappie. We surveyed Whitehorse in August of 2017. The only fish we caught were black crappie. Only 2 of the 221 crappie caught were more than 8 inches. Most (58%) were less than 4 inches. We stocked small largemouth bass in the lake in March so you may catch a bass while crappie fishing. Since the minimum size to keep bass at Whitehorse is 13 inches, please release all the bass you catch so the species can become established in the lake.

City Reservoir – Rating:

We have been stocking rainbow trout in City all spring and fishing has been excellent.  As the water warms, trout fishing will slow down but we plan to be stocking the lake with channel catfish in May and June. Use hot dogs to catch catfish in the mornings and evenings. In mid-May the Kaibab National Forest temporarily closed the lake to vehicle and foot traffic with no fishing allowed. Check the Kaibab National Forest website for updates before heading here.

Santa Fe Lake – Rating:

We have been stocking rainbow trout in Santa Fe all spring and fishing has been good.  As the water warms trout fishing will slow down but we plan to be stocking the lake with channel catfish in May and June. Use hot dogs to catch catfish in the mornings and evenings. Fishing for bluegill, crappie and yellow perch usually picks up as the water warms up. In mid-May the Kaibab National Forest temporarily closed the lake to vehicle and foot traffic with no fishing allowed. Check the Kaibab National Forest website for updates before heading here.

Perkins Tank – Rating:

Last year seemed to be a down year for Perkins. We stocked 1,000 small brook trout last fall that may be big enough to catch by late spring.  Remember regulations on Perkins are flies and lures only with single barbless hooks all fish must be immediately released. This is managed as a catch-and-release fishery.

Mingus – Rating:

Trout are stocked through June. The bullhead catfish should be biting as it warms. Try the PowerBait or Power Eggs, but have spinners or small split-tail grub if the PowerBait doesn’t work.

Long Lakes – Rating: Unknown

We stocked 36,000 5-6 inch rainbow trout last fall into Long Lake.  Depending on how the fish grew there could be some nice size rainbows caught this spring.

I would fish with lures such as Rooster Tails, Joe’s Flies and small spoons. In the early spring the water temperatures are cold, which slows the fishing down. Retrieve the lures as slowly as you can without snagging on the bottom.

Anglers who like to fish with bait have been catching trout on worms under a bobber during the winter. This method should work most of the spring. For anglers who like to fish with PowerBait on the bottom, garlic PowerBait in a variety of colors seems to work best. PowerBait fishing usually improves as the water temperatures warm in late April and May.

JD Dam – Rating:

This spring folks fishing J.D. were catching some really nice rainbow trout and brown trout with fish up to 25 inches being caught and released. Tiger trout approaching 15 inches are also being caught.  Remember regulations on JD. are flies and lures only with single barbless hooks and all fish must be immediately released.

CC Lake Blueridge – Rating:

Water levels are very low this spring and the lake will not be stocked this year.

Knoll Lake – Rating:

The Tinder Fire has delayed this year’s stocking of Knoll Lake and we hope to stock the lake soon.  Fishing is poor until it is stocked.

Willow Lake – Rating:

This lake has a great largemouth bass population. Early summer you can still fish and do well, but the aquatic vegetation makes fishing this lake in mid to late summer very difficult.