However, this is prime catfish angling time, either from shore or from a boat. Channel catfish are plentiful in all our desert lakes, and even in some of our high country ones such as Upper Lake Mary. Chicken liver, hot dogs, corn or prepared stink baits are good, generally on treble hooks, heavy line and slip sinkers so you can fish the bottom. Catfishing is fairly simple. Catfish are sometimes more active on moon-bright nights.
Note: For the complete stocking schedule (including maps), visit 2012 trout stocking schedule .
CENTRAL WATERS Note: If you have a fishing report or good fishing pictures to share (JPEG), send them to raikens@aszgfd.gov. Rory can also be reached at (623) 236-7214. URBAN LAKES --
At Green Valley Lakes (Payson), fishing for trout is slowing down since stockings wrapped up on May 11. However, fishing for bass, bluegill and crappie is good. Anglers using worms and meal worms under a small bobber are enjoying plenty of action. Also try small plastic or marabou jigs, plastic worms, and dark-colored nymphs or streamers. TEMPE TOWN LAKE – Fishing is fair to good, with the best bite at first and last light for bass and sunfish. This is a good time to try for channel catfish and carp using corn or dough baits after dark. Keep in mind that although this fishery in in the city, it is not part of the Urban Fishing Program, but you will need the regular state fishing license. LAKE PLEASANT - Striper fishing is still going great guns in the main basin using frozen anchovies as bait. Use little or no weight. Keep in mind there is no limit on stripers at Lake Pleasant and you are encouraged to catch and keep all you can to help the aquatic environment. Fishing is also very good for bluegill and good for channel catfish. Haven't had many reports recently of the largemouth bass fishing, but it should be good as well. You might even encounter bass chasing shad at the surface, especially in the northern coves at first light. Typically, once the sun comes up, try the main points, islands and reefs in the large basin of the main lake for topwater action. You might even find some striped bass and white bass while working topwater. This is a good time to fish for bluegills in the backs of more rocky coves. Try meal worms or night crawlers two or three below bobbers. It's a lot of fun for kids. Don't ignore the plentiful channel catfish. You should be able to load up on channel fishing any of the major lake points or flats using stink bait. Hot dogs, chicken liver and corn can all work well. If fishing from shore, consider using dough bait for the plentiful carp.
Hi Rory, Your Friend Bass and crappie fishing has become more sporadic, but is still rated as good. With a full moon on June 4, this is probably not the time to try for crappie at night under lights, but black poppers at night can be good for bass. Expect a decent topwater bite at first light, and then off-and-on throughout the day. This is the leading edge of the great catfish angling for both channel catfish and huge flatheads. For channels, think sink bait. For flatheads, live bait such as bluegills or small carp work best. APACHE - Lake elevation is 1,907 feet (93 percent full). Bass fishing is good. You might also find bass chasing shad at the surface, especially at first light. Try working the major points using soft plastic crayfish like lures worked along the bottom. Crankbaits can also work well at times. A few good sized smallies are being caught -- please practice catch-and-release on these fish, which are in the comeback mode. Walleye fishing should be decent at first and last light using night crawler rigs, or jigs tipped with worm. Apache is also full of some really nice yellow bass. Try gold KastMasters or yellow/gold Rooster Tails. Catfishing should be good. Carp fishing is very good. You might even catch one of the monster buffalo fish (see picture from Canyon Lake). Angler report: Hi Rory; We spent Mother's Day weekend and beautiful Apache and the fishing was awesome!! The mornings were all about topwater, a white rico popper and a baby torpedo landed us several fish over 4 pounds and one 10 pounder! CANYON - Lake elevation is 1,657 feet, which is 95 percent full. While Canyon is the land of the lunkers, it can be tough to fish, especially for novice anglers. Catch rates are typically low and even veteran anglers get skunked here. But the possibility of catching a hawg keeps many anglers coming back time and again.. This is a pretty good lake for bluegill and yellow bass. Try small crappie-like lures, such as 2-inch curly tails, along the rocky shoreline. Shore fishing for channel catfish and carp can also be viable both day and night right now. As the season progresses, the better fishing for bottom dwellers will transition to the nighttime hours.
Bass are in their aggressive post-spawn mode, but the bite is a little more sporadic right now. Keep an eye out for surface boils -- it's topwater time. Recreational boating congestion is also increasing significantly -- get on the water at first light, or fishing at night. As you will see in the angler report below, this is a good time to load up on spawning bluegill. Saguaro is also a quality channel catfish lake. Try stink baits, hot dogs, chicken livers and the like. Also try chumming with corn. Fishing is generally good for 1- to 2-pound largemouth bass and is also doing well for crappie at times. Square-billed crankbaits are working well, or anything that resembles a crayfish from soft plastics to small crankbaits. Expect to find active post-spawn bass in the shallows, especially the major lake points, islands and reefs. Drop shots, crankbaits and jigs are all working at times. Curly-tailed grubs on jig heads are a good bet here. There can also be sporadic topwater action for bass. The night fishing for crappie last weekend as decent. Although most crappie are small, there are just enough slabbers to keep it interesting. Try live minnows fished under submersible lights. It's also possible to catch crappie during the day, especially at first light. This is the leading edge of the really good flathead catfish bite. Try live bluegill or small carp as bait. Look for the deeper holes, especially uplake where there is a little current. Bluegills are spawning. Try the backs of rocky coves using night crawlers or meal worms on light tackle.
Rory: Thanks, Buck J. Yee Kyle Where: Bartlett
HORSESHOE - Lake is empty. Trout fishing should still be decent at first light on night crawlers, small spinners, casting spoons such as KastMasters and flies. This is a unique desert river trout fishery in the Upper Sonoran Desert. It's a great place to catch some excellent memories. The following creeks are being stocked weekly right now: *Tonto Creek *Haigler Creek *East Verde River Don't forget we have a new interactive 2012 trout stocking schedule that actually shows the locations we stock along the creeks. Note: If you have a fishing report or good fishing pictures to share (JPEG), send them to raikens@azgfd.gov. Rory can also be reached at (623) 236-7214. LAKE POWELL – By: Wayne Gustaveson, May 15. Lake elevation: 3,636; Water temperature 65-72 F In most other years there is an overabundance of stripers and not enough shad to go around. That makes fish hungry and easy to catch. Seldom do we see healthy stripers completing a spring cycle in perfect habitat and forage conditions. The current population is composed of young (2-yrs and younger) fish that survived by eating plankton during an adult die-off in fall of 2010. These young fish have since lived in high forage and perfect habitat conditions. Now as mature 4-years-olds they have shown us what their activity cycle would be under ideal conditions. In early spring, day length and first warming trigger male stripers into activity. Females are not yet ready to spawn but males are anxiously waiting from early April until spawning finally occurs sometime in May. Anglers were able to find and catch ripe males but females were missing from the creel. In late April ripe males went nocturnal providing excellent fishing morning and evening but then went dormant during the day. Big mature females were only caught at night. With more warming in late April, yearling (12-inch) stripers became active and schools could be found and caught over the brush forests in the backs (15-25 feet bottom depth) of many canyons. Then this past weekend as water temperature increased into the 70s another portion of the striper population burst onto the scene as immature (2 year-old) stripers became active during the day. Anglers now were suddenly catching 2-3 pound stripers in unlimited numbers. The long awaited spring striper extravaganza has now arrived. It is interesting that this feeding spree coincided with the sighting of abundant young shad schools in the backs of many canyons. Apparently this specific portion of the population has been dormant and living off fat reserves accumulated during past good times. The activity trigger was warming water temperature which also related to forage being available when feeding commenced. The next step will be surface feeding boils which will follow the spawning event which is imminent. In my long association with striped bass this spring has been truly unique. We now know what the cycle would be like in Lake Powell under ideal forage conditions. Ideal conditions may not happen again for a very long time but this has been very gratifying to witness and record. Back to fishing. Striper schools are found in close association with brush. Look for a brush covered point in proximity to deep water. Troll over or adjacent to brush with shallow running crank baits where bottom depth is 15-30 feet. This is the same advice that has been given all spring. The difference is that trolling is only used to locate the school. When the hooked striper is brought to the boat the hungry school follows and stays near the boat. Fish are often visible and aggressive. Toss your favorite lure to the waiting fish and catch as many stripers as possible before the boat drifts into the shallows or separates from the school. Then simply troll again to relocate the school and then cast to catch many more fish. Striper fishing is now equal to the other incredible fishing that has been found at Lake Powell this spring. Largemouth catch has declined but walleye, smallmouth and crappie fishing is still superb. Smallmouth are found and readily caught on virtually any rocky shoreline using plastic tubes and grubs and deep diving crankbaits. Crappie and bluegill are in the backs of canyons where they can be caught on live worms and small marabou jigs. Walleye are found on the deep water side of brushy rocky flats. Fish for them with tube jigs, bottom bouncers, and crankbaits in low light and under muddy wind-washed areas of low visibility.
Current flow forecast call May flows to be near the same flows that we saw in April, with a low of 7,000 cfs occurring in the morning then a slow rise to 13,000 cfs in the afternoon. These are perfect flows for fishing Lees Ferry. We have been mixing up wading and also drifting midge rigs from the boat which is a great way to get to the feeding fish in the deeper water. This is also a terrific way to cover lots of water and show fish that get very little fishing pressure a fly. The trick is to know where the fish are and then set up your drift do that the boat drifts through the area that contains the most fish. There have been some recent comments regarding our fishing report not being updated more often. I have personally taken over the duties of writing the report so that I can guarantee the information is accurate and to the point. We all know that fishing can vary from day to day but what I look for are trends and you can rest assured that I post a new report as soon as I see a trend developing or changing. If the report is a week or more old just assume that it is status quo and nothing of importance has changed since the posting of the last report. If you need more information feel free to pick up the phone and talk to a live person at 800-962-9755, we are here 363 days a year, 15 hours a day. To help understand why midges are so important to our fishing success it’s good to know more about the lifecycle of midges and their importance to the trout diet. The adult midges contribute very little to the trout diet. It is rare that you will see an adult trout rise to feed on an adult midge; the reason is that the amount of energy expended is not worth the food intake. The adult midges breed then release their eggs into the water. The eggs sink and hatch into a tiny caterpillar (larvae) that lives on the bottom of the river for an extended period of time. At some point the larvae pupates and forms a chrysalis. The midge pupae will release in mass, and countless pupae will begin slowly drifting to the surface. This in turn flips the feeding switch for the trout and the fish will move into the shallow riffles where the pupae are concentrated by the shallow water. This is when the trout are feeding so heavily that they get careless and will eat our fly if it has a close resemblance to the midge pupae that they are feeding on. The bigger the hatch the better the fishing; this is why the best fishing always occurs during big hatches and why the midge hatches are so important to the trout diet. The biggest midge hatches always occur in the lower water flows. During the lower flows trout are not eating worms or scuds because these food items are not available; the only time that worms and scuds are available is during the high water flows when the higher velocity water moves the suds and worms around. If there are no midge hatches in the lower flows the fish will not be feeding and the fishing will be slow. I go into a lot more detail on fish feeding behavior here: http://www.leesferry.com/main/area-information/fishing-101 Be sure to stop by the shop to see the flies that are currently working. The flies change on a daily basis and every day the LFA guides let everyone at the shop know the top producing flies and how to use them. The streamer fishing has been picking up and will likely get hot when the water flows increase this summer. The reason for this is that the higher flows move larger food items around (scuds, worms, etc.). Walk-In Fly Fishing Report: by Dean Windham 05-01-12 The walk in has been fishing really great again this week. All areas have been seeing many fish and some with good size. The flows have been the same as the past few months. The weather has been good but there was a low pressure front that came through last week that slowed down the fishing for a day and a half. Other than that the fishing is excellent. The upper boulder field has been the most productive area on a consistent basis all week. The pocket water has been holding some nice 18 to 20 inch fish. Midges have been doing well. The San Juan worm has also been doing much better the past few days. I have not heard of many anglers using streamers in this area but in the afternoon they should be productive. From the big boulder down to the Paria is fishing really good in the morning and then on and off until 4 or 5 pm. Midges are the hot fly here also. But streamers have been working better here all day and have been producing some larger fish, The inner seams have been where the fish are holding. You don’t have to wade very far to get into fish. The first seam is only about 5 feet from the shore. Watch how the bubbles and foam float and put your offering in the same area at the same speed. Long drifts can be done here but are not necessary to get fish. A good drift of 20 feet or so should be enough. At the area where the Paria enters the Colorado, a number of larger fish were taken this week. I was catching at least one fish every day in the 18-20 inch range. Most of the fish in this area are fat and really fight hard. San Juan worms with midges are working really well here. Glo bugs work at times but don’t appear to produce a consistent bite. Streamers also work very well here especially in the evening. So if you have not been up here recently, what are you waiting for? The weather is great and the fish are biting like crazy. Hope to see you on the water soon. Spin fishing walk-in report 5-1-12 The spin fishing has improved somewhat this week. The best area to fish is the area below the Paria riffle in front of the Paria Beach parking lot. If you spin fish in the upper walk in area, the afternoon is best when the flows are up. Kastmasters in the gold color and 1/4 oz have been working the best. However, 1/4 oz jigs are working if you can find a deeper hole and are able to get it down to the fish. Remember to use a jigging action with whatever spin bait you are using. Fishing with spinners can be real exciting if you are able to get some action in your offering. Don’t be afraid to experiment but you will need to have some patience. 4lb test line and 1/4 oz lures work the best . Hope to Spin fishing is just OK. The reason that it has slowed down is due to the fact there is so much algae floating in the river that it is difficult to get a good drift. LAKE MEAD – The current elevation is 1,123 feet msl. The water level will continue to drop approximately one foot per week. Be careful boating because structure previously submerged may be at the surface and watch for floating debris. The striper fishing is starting to take off on the east end of Lake Mead around South Cove. Couple of tournaments have already produced 40-fish stringers that weighed over 74 lbs, which is great for this end of Lake Mead. Our big granddaddy of them all, Stripe-R-Rama XXI is on June 2. Applications can be found by going to the Internet and typing in Stripe-R-Rama 21 and an application will come up. This tournament is one where every person on every team ends up with a prize no matter where the team finishes! Last year we finished 12th place and I got a $500 color fish finder off of the prize table! Last year, Nick Olivas of Kingman caught a 52 + lb striper during this tournament Anglers can contact the tournament director Johnnie Hoeft at 928-716-2616, or via e-mail at hunterguide@hotmail.com Capt. Don Martin There seems to be an abundance of shad currently which may be the reason for the lack of bite. Cut anchovies are still the bait of choice. Check the moon phases before you go. The next new moon will be May 20. Dark nights work best when fishing under light. Fishing for stripers in 50 plus feet of water will normally find the larger fish. If you can locate the shad, the stripers are not far behind. Trolling usually works best in areas were shad are found and best done in the early mornings and evenings. The bite for largemouth and smallmouth was reported good using plastic worms and crawdads with purple and browns in them. Several fishermen said that top water lures were working for them. All the fishermen contacted were hopeful for the coming years with rising water conditions and the abundance of baitfish they have seen this year. Launching conditions at South Cove have improved as the water level has gone up. There are currently four lanes. As the water raises logs and other debris can become hazards, so be careful boating. Important notice: With the 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 lake level has maintained about 642 feet above msl. The black bass are hitting soft baits when worked slowly especially on grass beds in 20 to 30 feet deep. Trolling with anchovies in 30-50ft has been producing some stripers, while catfish are on the bottom. While the number of stripers in Mohave has been decreasing, the quality of the fish caught has increased. The local bass club held a tournament on April 15th and all ten boats brought in the limit of 5 fish with the average weight of 2.53 lbs. and a big fish of 3.64 lbs. Submersible lights fished during the new moon are an effective way to catch stripers. Next new moon is April 21st. Cut anchovies usually work the best. Biologists from both Arizona Game and Fish Department and Nevada Division of Wildlife with the help of volunteers, National Park Service and Bureau of Reclamation personnel have continued to install fish habitat in Carp Cove, Box Cove, Shoshone, and Arrowhead. Fish habitat consists of PVC structures, wood pallet structures, tamarisk bundles, and some Christmas trees. The largemouth, smallmouth, 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 gcummins@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others. Important notice: With the 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 www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/. WILLOW BEACH – Willow Beach is stocked every Friday with 3,000 13” rainbow trout. Rainbow, peach, garlic and yellow Power Baits and Powerworms were being used most for trout. Jakes original and Jakes Juniors, Panther Martin and Rooster Tails are also usually effective. Fishing is usually best near the fishing pier after the Friday stocking. Most of the nice stripers and trout are seem to be caught between river mile 49 and 53. A picture of a large striper was sent in and was caught around mile 52. Willow Beach can be hit or miss bait fishing. Try different baits including swim baits when nobody seems to be hooking anything. Important notice: With the 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 gcummins@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others. COLORADO RIVER BELOW DAVIS DAM – Trout continue to bite in the casino area with some larger fish in the deep holes. Several folks have called and spoke of very large trout being caught in the Laughlin area. Rusty from Riviera Marina sent a picture of a nice 5-plus pound channel catfish and some pictures of trout some folks caught near the Rotary Park area. Overall the fishing is great on the river with large rainbow trout still being caught. Rainbow trout are stocked by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service monthly during the winter. The fish are normally stocked in two locations; Davis Camp and near The Riverside. Stocking at Rotary Park has made another access point to the river for fishing and has made many people happy. Trout fishing at the stocking sites is great immediately following the stockings, then the fish move out and you need to find them. Rainbow trout are located throughout the river below Davis dam, but anglers typically report catching trout on the Arizona side across from the Riverside, off the shore of Davis Camp and in the big bend area. This year we have received multiple reports of larger holdover trout being caught. Remember to fish for trout, you need a trout stamp on Class A and Lifetime fishing licenses. TOPOCK MARSH – The action at Topock Marsh has been steadily improving. Night crawlers and live minnows have been tempting catfish from North Dyke. Bass can be hit and miss but live bait has been reported to work the best now. Stripers appear abundant from the February AZGFD survey. Small crappies are being taken throughout the marsh. You can access the marsh by boat at the 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 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 www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/. Capt Doyle's Fishing Report: Thanks, TOPOCK MARSH – The action at Topock Marsh has been steadily improving. Night crawlers and live minnows have been tempting catfish from North Dyke. Bass can be hit and miss but live bait has been reported to work the best now. Stripers appear abundant from the February AZGFD survey. Small crappies are being taken throughout the marsh. You can access the marsh by boat at the 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 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 www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/. Note: If you would like more information on southwestern waters, visit http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/where_fish_southwest.shtml. Our Yuma Regional office has recently updated all the information to provide you more insight into these fisheries. For more information, visit the updated "Where to Fish" pages at http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/where_fish_southwest.shtml. If you have a fishing report or good fishing pictures to share (JPEG), send them to raikens@aszgfd.gov. Rory can also be reached at (623) 236-7214. Flathead & Channel Catfish bite is good using live bluegills or cut Marckerel from 7pm to 2a.m. Standard wash area north to Copper Canyon holds a big population of larger Catfish. John Wildlife Manager Suzanne Ehret patrolled Havasu on Memorial weekend and talked with various anglers, including one who caught two stripers along Windsor Beach. She said people have been having luck with sunfish at both Mesquite Bays. One woman caught a few using night crawlers. She said the striper derby went well a few weekends ago and the average weight per fish brought in had increased from last year's average. ALAMO LAKE -- Fishing Report courtesy Mark Knapp at Alamo Lake State Park.
Mark
COLORADO RIVER (PARKER STRIP AREA) -- Fishing for smallmouth bass over two pounds in size is expected to be good to excellent. In addition, redear sunfish should also be good in the pound-plus sizes. The Parker Strip is well known for its smallmouth bass fishing, especially in the area from the dam to several miles downstream. The Parker Strip is also home to some really impressive, dinner-plate sized redear sunfish of two pounds or larger. Channel and flathead catfish fishing is always fair in this section of the Colorado River. Below the dam, striper fishing should also be fair, using live shad or anchovies. Largemouth bass are abundant, especially in the downstream portions of the Parker Strip. Channel and flathead catfish fishing will be fair to good in this section of the Colorado River as the weather warms up. Take precautions to make sure your boat and equipment are clean before leaving the water to make sure you don’t spread quagga mussels to other water by accident. COLORADO RIVER (Picacho State Park to Imperial Dam, including backwaters and Martinez Lake) Largemouth bass fishing is generally best in the backwaters or near the mouth of the backwaters. There are many different techniques used for largemouth bass. As a general rule, most people will use topwater lures such as buzzbaits or spinnerbaits in the early morning and then switch to jigs, crankbaits, or swimbaits as the day progresses. Using plastic baits that resemble worms, crawdads, frogs, or lizards often work well. It is generally best to fish around structure such as weedbeds, emergent vegetation, tree stumps, brush, or boat docks. Fishing picks up as the water temperatures warm up in the spring and summer but largemouth can be taken any time of the year. Flathead fishing is generally best in slack water areas, deep holes, or near overhanging vegetation along the main channel of the river. Flatheads prefer live bait such as bluegill or small carp and fishing is best at night during the summer months. Channel catfish are wide spread in the main river channel and backwaters and will bite on night crawlers, chicken liver, stinkbait, or about any other “smelly” bait. They can be caught year-round but probably bite best at night. Bluegill are also widespread but are most likely to be found around structure in the backwaters or slackwater areas. Bluegill will bite on meal worms, night crawlers or small crappie jigs. MITTRY LAKE -- Mittry Lake is located just above Laguna Dam, and supports a good population of largemouth bass and channel catfish, and even some good-sized flathead catfish. There are shoreline fishing opportunities at this lake in the form of about a dozen rock jetties, but you’ll probably have the best success in a small boat. Mittry Lake can be frustrating, as the bite seems to be real variable, but the fish are there. It is just a question of getting them to respond to your presentation. The water tends to be very murky most of the year, except for the upper end of Teal Alley where the lake inflow comes in, so play to the fish’s sense of hearing and smell, rather than sight. There are also crappie and sunfish to be caught, although they tend to average relatively small in size. Mittry Lake is well-known locally for the quality largemouth bass it produces, and fishing during the spring spawn will increase your chances of success. YUMA AREA PONDS -- The Department has stepped up efforts to encourage the recruitment of new anglers, and retention of existing ones. To this end, the Department has increased stocking efforts in a few ponds in the Yuma area that are easily accessed without a boat, within a short distance of the urban center. Those ponds are the Yuma West Wetlands pond, located in the City Park, and Redondo and Fortuna ponds, located about 10 miles northeast of Yuma. Access to Redondo Pond was recently improved with the addition of an ADA-compliant fishing pier, and thick cattail growth was removed at Fortuna Pond this summer, improving shoreline access by many orders of magnitude. All of these waters received multiple stockings of rainbow trout in the winter months; Redondo Pond will be stocked with channel catfish during the spring, and the Yuma West Wetlands pond will receive channel catfish and bluegills. We may be able to stock Fortuna Pond with channel catfish in the future, pending the outcome of the statewide sport-fish stocking consultation with the USFWS that is hopefully nearing completion. Depending on available funding, we hope to continue regular stockings into all three of these shoreline-accessible waters, and perhaps add additional waters to our stocking schedule. These ponds provide an ideal place to take the family. All three waters now are provided with restroom and trash facilities. Special regulations on fish limits are in effect for these waters, so be sure to consult the Regulations before you take fish. REGIONAL HOT SPOTS -- Alamo Lake will continue to be a hot spot for plentiful largemouth bass and channel catfish, although trophy-sized fish will be uncommon. Lake Havasu is probably currently the premier lake in our Region (and perhaps the State) for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and redear sunfish. Numbers caught will likely be lower, but the quality of the fish much higher. The Parker Strip should remain excellent for smallmouth bass and redear sunfish, and the Colorado River below Walter’s Camp down to Imperial Dam the best bet for large and plentiful flathead catfish. Our spring surveys indicate that there is a very impressive population of flathead catfish in the lower Imperial Division between Picacho State Park and Imperial Dam. Expect many in the 5- to 10-pound size class, but we know of at least one state record lurking in those waters. Backwaters in the Imperial Division above Imperial Dam will continue to yield impressive largemouth bass, up to and exceeding 10 pounds. If you need any additional information or assistance, don't hesitate to contact the Yuma Regional office at (928) 342-0091, and we will be happy to give you whatever information we have. A very good resource for local fishing information in the Yuma area is the website and forum at http://www.yumabassman.com/. Note: The summer trout stocking schedule can be accessed at http://www.azgfd.gov/pdfs/h_f/fishing/stocking/2012SumTroutStockSchedule.pdf Note: If you have a fishing report or good fishing pictures to share (JPEG), send them to raikens@aszgfd.gov. Rory can also be reached at (623) 236-7214. CATARACT LAKE — Campground is open. Fishing for trout and largemouth bass was slower last week. Fly anglers were catching both bass and trout on bead head prince nymphs. Please try to leave the larger bass in the lake to spawn. Stocked last week. CITY RESERVOIR — fishing was good using powerbait under a bobber. Some incentive trout up to 4 lbs were stocked last week. Stocked last week. DOGTOWN LAKE — Campground is open. Lake level is low. Fishing is not very good (see angler report).
Lake level way down (see picture on left). I fished for an hour on Sunday, May 27, and 1 1/2 today, the 31st. Using worms and power bait. Caught 0 trout. One nibble today. Bill Sweet, Mesa
JD DAM — fishing was good in the evening. Remember the lake is managed as a catch and release fishery. RUSSELL TANK - The lake is to shallow to stock. SANTA FE — fishing was good last week. Stocked last week. WHITEHORSE LAKE — Campground is open. Fly fishermen were catching a lot of small crappie over the weekend on bead head prince nymphs. FLAGSTAFF LAKES: UPPER LAKE MARY — Had a report to the office of a large black crappie, a 20 lb channel catfish and a 15 lb northern being caught in the last couple of weeks. ASHURST LAKE — Fishing is fair to good primarily with worms under a bobber but Power Bait is working as well. Most fish from the shore are this year’s stockers but occasionally a holdover is caught. Those who get out in boats and troll or throw spinners are doing very well and seem to be getting more of the bigger fish. FRANCIS SHORT POND – Fishing was good last week. Stocked last week. Scheduled to be stocked this week. Incentive fish were stocked last week along with catfish. Catfish were being caught on hotdogs. Trout were being caught on green powerbait. KINNIKINICK LAKE — Road is open. No report. A lot of nice brown trout and channel catfish were caught during fish sampling. Stocked last week. This lake typically gets less fishing pressure, so it can be a good place to get away from the crowds. Although there is plenty of shoreline access, anglers in float tubes, kayaks or canoes often do better. MARSHALL LAKE — No report low water OAK CREEK — Stocked weekly. Fishing should be okay at most spots. We routinely stock more than a dozen sites along this popular creek, and fishing varies from pool to pool, often depending on fishing pressure and other activity. Angler report: Just letting you know - My brother-in-law and I fished Oak Creek Sunday of Memorial Day weekend and caught our limit of rainbow trout - 12 fish in just about 2 hours. Almost a fish every cast. All about 12" or so. The same occurred the day before at another location on the creek - total trout between 3 people was 13, 5 in a morning hour, 8 at sunset in about 2 hours. My 9-year-old daughter caught her first fish then 3 more all in a 30 min period. Sincerely, Howie Liu
LONG LAKE — There have been some reports of huge pike caught out of this remote lake, but wind can make it tough to fish at times. Angler report: Rory, We made our first trip out to Long Lake this weekend. The fishing was slow but well worth it. Our son landed this 17lb. Northern. One of the three we caught after a weekend of fishing. Thanks for the tips. Mike Street DEAD HORSE STATE PARK – The catfish and largemouth bite has been fair. Catfish are still being caught on nightcrawlers, chicken liver, and stinkbait. The bass are being caught on small plastic worms and Gitzit-type plastic grubs, bounced slowly along the bottom. Sunfish have been doing well on worms, salmon eggs, or small piece of Power Bait under a bobber. They bite best in the early morning hours and the evening.
OAK CREEK -- Will be stocked weekly throughout the spring-summer fishing season. Expect fishing to be good for rainbow trout, and fair to poor for brown trout. VERDE RIVER (throughout Verde Valley) – Trout were last stocked the week March 26. Carp fishing has been good using corn or dough baits. Always check your regulations before fishing this area with live bait. Game and Fish Commission Rule requires anglers to only use live bait that has been caught in the river. No transporting of live baitfish or crayfish is allowed. WET BEAVER CREEK – Stocked in early May. Fishing has likely slowed down in the lower end, but anglers willing to hike might do better in the deeper pools along the upper end in the Wet Beaver Creek Wilderness. This is rugged country and might require some wading to access the upper pools.
WEST CLEAR CREEK- Stocked in early May. Like Wet Beaver Creek, the lower end fishing is probably pretty slow right now, but in the steep, rugged canyon of the West Clear Creek Wilderness (bighorn sheep country), it's possible to catch some larger trout in the deeper pools, but it's physically challenging to get to them. FAIN LAKE — Stocked last week with rainbow trout. The reports from regulars at the lake say the trout are biting, but the morning bite is the best. Anglers are having luck throughout the day using Power Bait and Berkley Gulp. Rainbow and yellow seem to be the popular colors. Fishermen using their fly rod gear are having the best luck. Brown trout and rainbows are hitting the flies very well. Flies are less likely to get swallowed so releasing the fish is much easier. GOLDWATER LAKE — No recent reports. GRANITE BASIN LAKE – The bass are biting now. Michael sent in a report of catching 4 largemouth in two hours with the biggest 3.5 pounds. He was using a rubber trout with a spinner tip and a rainbow trout spinner. Thanks for the report Michael! If you fish Granite Basin and are having luck, please e-mail me at gcummins@azgfd.govso I can share your successes with others. LYNX LAKE –Rainbow trout were last stocked the week of May 14. Fishing has been a little slow. The best bite will be at first and last light. Try Power Bait or night crawlers fished on the bottom using a small slip sinker. But small spinners might work well at times. Cut anchovies, night crawlers or hot dog are your best bet for catfish. Lynx also can be an exciting place to fish for carp. Common carp are very strong fighters and will provide an excellent table fair. A quick search on the internet will produce tasty recipes for these robust fish. Corn and an assortment of other baits will attract these fish. Lynx can be difficult to fish, if you are not catching anything try moving to a new spot. There are some good spots on the north end of the lake that don’t get fished as heavily as the south end does. MINGUS LAKE – Stocked the last week of May. For trout the best bait is usually orange, pink, or white Power Bait, fished on the bottom with a treble hook and an egg sinker. Fishing can be really good at times, because angler use is lower than other lakes in the area. This lake is more remote than the other Prescott area lakes and not very big. The lake is open as weather permits. Forest Road 104 is relatively impassable when wet. The lake is still open to foot traffic. 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 at 1-800-352-0700. Illegal stockings cost YOU money! WATSON – No recent reports. Fishing should be decent for largemouth bass or small crappies. WILLOW CREEK RESERVOIR – No recent reports. If you fish Willow and are having luck, please e-mail me at gcummins@azgfd.govso I can share your successes with others.. Trout Stocking Schedule Week of May 21-25 Week of May 28-June 1 MOGOLLON RIM LAKES BEAR CANYON LAKE – Fishing is good for stocked trout. Bear Canyon Lake was stocked two weeks ago with rainbow trout. The lake is full. BLACK CANYON LAKE – Fishing is good. The lake has been stocked with rainbow trout in the last several weeks. The water level is very low. Launching a boat will be difficult. BLUE RIDGE RESERVOIR (CC Cragin) -- Has been stocked. No recent reports. This deep, steep-sided reservoir is best fished from a canoe, kayak, float tube or small boat. Due to the steep canyon sides, there is not much potential for shore fishing. CHEVELON LAKE – Fishing is fair to good. The lake is full, but no longer spilling. This is a hike-in, hike-out lake. The steep sides of this deep canyon lake limits shore-fishing opportunities, but since you have to hike in and pack out, it is best fished from a float tube, small kayak or light canoe. KNOLL LAKE — Fishing has been good for both holdover trout and stocked trout, but with the hotter weather the bite will mostly likely be at first and last light. Stocked last week. Scheduled to be stocked this week. WILLOW SPRINGS LAKE – Fishing is good to excellent for trout and smallmouth bass. Willow Springs Lake was stocked heavily for the last several weeks, with another 6,075 rainbow trout to be stocked this week. Some huge rainbow trout, weighing 5 to 8 pounds, have also been stocked. The lake is full. The boat dock was damaged by ice over the winter and only a part of the dock is usable at this time. It is still okay to launch boats. WOODS CANYON LAKE – Fishing is good to excellent. The lake was stocked heavily last week with 4,500 rainbow trout. Some huge rainbow trout, weighing 5 to 8 pounds, have also been stocked. The lake is full. The store is open and boat rentals are available. WHITE MOUNTAINS LAKES BIG LAKE – Fishing is excellent. Anglers are catching fish all over the lake. The store is open and boat rentals are available. Big Lake was not impacted by the Wallow Fire last year. Anglers are catching trout by trolling cowbells with worms, Power Bait, lures (Crickhoppers and Z-Rays), and flies in 10-15 feet of water. CLEAR CREEK RESERVOIR – Fishing is fair. The lake was stocked last week with rainbow trout. Some anglers are catching a few trout and bass. CONCHO LAKE – Fishing is fair to good. It was stocked several weeks ago with rainbow trout. CRESCENT LAKE – Fishing is fair to good. Anglers have been catching some brook trout and a few large rainbow trout. One angler reported catching a 3-pound rainbow trout which was weighed at the Big Lake store during the Memorial Day weekend. The lake was stocked last week with 1,350 rainbow trout and 2,268 brook trout. The lake will be stocked this week with 800 brook trout and 2,700 rainbow trout. FOOL HOLLOW LAKE – Fishing is good. The lake was recently stocked with 1,000 large, one-pound rainbow trout and will be stocked again this week with 1,500 stocker rainbow trout. Anglers are catching the large stocked trout with night crawlers and Power Bait in 10 to 15 feet of water near the fishing piers on the southwest side of the lake. Bluegill, smallmouth bass, and channel catfish are also being caught. Bluegill are starting to congregate around the fishing piers. GREER LAKES – Fishing is good. River, Bunch and Tunnel Reservoirs are full. All three lakes have been recently stocked. Bunch Reservoir was stocked with 350 super-catchable and show pond size rainbow trout. These fish are big, averaging 1.6 pounds each; with some up to six pounds. Fish with lures (1/8 to ¼-ounce Kastmasters, Rapalas or Panther Martin spinners) or with bait on the bottom (nightcrawlers or Power Bait) for these large trout. Flyfishers are catching trout at Bunch and River on woolly buggers and peacock ladies. HULSEY LAKE – The lake was drained immediately following the Wallow Fire to help reduce expected flooding off Escudilla Mountain and will not be stocked this year. LEE VALLEY LAKE – Fishing is good to excellent. Anglers are catching recently stocked Apache trout on lures and flies. Lee Valley Lake was not impacted by the Wallow Fire last year and also survived through the winter. Fish population surveys conducted recently found some Apache trout up to 16 inches and some Arctic grayling up to 14 inches. Some Arctic grayling have also been stocked, but they are fingerling size and won’t be catchable until next year. The lake level is low. LUNA LAKE – Fishing is good. Luna Lake was stocked heavily with 5,440 rainbow trout several weeks ago. Fish population surveys also found carry-over rainbow trout that had survived through the winter. The lake is full. LYMAN LAKE – Lyman Lake State Park is currently closed to public entry, but will re-open for the summer on June 15 through September 17. NELSON RESERVOIR – Fishing is excellent. The lake is full and was heavily stocked with rainbow trout (16,235 trout) over the last couple weeks. SCOTT RESERVOIR – Fishing is fair for channel catfish and stocked trout. The lake was stocked last week with 1,250 rainbow trout. Two anglers recently caught six catfish on nightcrawlers and another angler caught a four-pound largemouth bass. The lake is nearly full. SHOW LOW LAKE – Fishing is fair to good for stocked trout. The lake was stocked recently with 1,000 large, one-pound trout. The lake was stocked last week with 2,500 rainbow trout. One angler recently caught 3 nice walleyes on a Rapala. Recent fish surveys in Show Low Lake found numerous smallmouth bass, averaging about 1.5 pounds. Fish for these bass with nightcrawlers or lures anywhere there is a rocky shoreline. The lake is about six feet low, but the boat ramp is still usable. The fishing pier located across the dam is now accessible. Boat rentals are available and the campgrounds are open. WOODLAND LAKE – Fishing is good to excellent. The lake has been stocked recently with rainbow trout. Anglers are catching trout on the bottom with bait and with small spinners/lures or flies when they are rising at the surface. The lake is full. The trout bag and possession limit is four trout. WHITE MOUNTAINS STREAMS EAST FORK of the BLACK RIVER – Fishing is fair to good for wild brown trout and good for stocked Apache trout. The East Fork survived the Wallow Fire of 2011 much better than expected and is currently holding many wild brown trout throughout the river. Apache trout will be stocked this week all along Forest Road 276. The 276 road and associated campgrounds along the East Fork are currently open to vehicle access and overnight camping. WEST FORK of the BLACK RIVER – Fishing is fair in the lower reaches. The Wallow Fire caused a partial fish kill on wild brown trout in the lower reaches, but hatchery Apache trout are being stocked weekly at the Forest Road 68 crossing. Fishing in the middle and upper reaches is fair to good for wild trout, where the fire had little impact. Access is open at the FR 25 bridge, FR 68 crossing, and FR 116. The West Fork campground will be closed through the year due to safety reasons. The middle and upper reaches of the West Fork Black are open to catch-and-release artificial lure and fly only, while the lower end is open to bait fishing with a six-trout bag limit. BLACK RIVER – Fishing is poor. The mainstem of the Black River was heavily impacted by the Wallow Fire last year. Very few fish were found during intensive surveys last fall. LITTLE COLORADO RIVER IN GREER – Fishing is fair for wild brown trout and good for stocked Apache trout. The mainstem Little Colorado River and West Fork LCR (Government Springs) in Greer were not impacted by the Wallow Fire last year. Stream surveys in the fall of 2011 found numerous wild brown trout. Hatchery Apache trout will be stocked weekly in Greer where 800 trout per week will be split between Government Springs (90%) and in front of Rendezvous Café (10%). SHEEPS CROSSING – Fishing is good. Apache trout will be stocked weekly at Sheeps Crossing. Sheeps Crossing was not affected by the Wallow Fire last year. Fishing is fair for wild Apache trout in the wilderness portions of the West Fork Little Colorado River. SILVER CREEK – Fishing is good. Apache trout are being stocked weekly. Silver Creek is currently open to bait and a bag/possession limit of six trout (April 1 through September 30). The upper section is now closed to angling, which is well signed.
SOUTHERN ARIZONA Please send me your fishing reports from Southern Arizona! Fishing reports can be sent to Don Mitchell, Regional Fish Program Manager by email at dmitchell@azgfd.gov. These reports will then be complied and reported in our weekly fishing reports. Warm temperatures are getting hot and so is the fishing action! Anglers will need to concentrate their efforts to the cooler times of day as the temperatures continue to rise. Summer trout stocking will begin soon at Rose Canyon Lake and Riggs Flat provided water quality parameters are favorable. The summer stocking schedule for the entire state can be found here: 2012 Summer Stocking Schedule . This schedule is updated as changes occur so check back often! For the complete stocking schedule (including maps), visit 2012 trout stocking schedule . URBAN LAKES -- Another catfish stocking will take place the week of May 29-June 2 at all Phoenix and Tucson area urban waters. The final spring stocking of catfish will take place the week of June 11-16. RIGGS FLAT — The lake is open for the summer. Fishing has been good for both rainbow and browns. Check the 2012 trout stocking schedule for summer stocking dates. The department will be stocking white amur in this lake this week in an effort to reduce aquatic vegetation and control water quality problems that have prevented stocking in the past. Anglers are being asked to immediately release unharmed all amurs they catch. ROPER LAKE — No recent reports of success. For lake information (928) 428-6760. FRYE MESA RESERVIOR –Anglers continue to report success in catching Gila trout. Remember that the daily bag and possession limit for this species is 1 fish. Frye Creek above the reservoir remains closed to fishing. ARIVACA — Open to anglers, water levels are severely low and the lake continues to drop. It is extremely difficult to launch boats at this time. If you decide to try and launch your boat use caution and common sense. Boaters using gas motors are asked to be courteous and not create wake problems for others boaters. Sporadic success is being reported with fish being caught in the early mornings and late evenings. PENA BLANCA – Some anglers are still reporting trout being caught. No reports on warm water fishing have been received since the stocking of warm water fish at the lake although angler use is increasing. The Department has planned additional stockings of channel catfish and sunfish in the coming weeks. Anglers are reminded that all largemouth bass caught must be immediately released alive. Additionally all mercury advisories against the eating of warmwater fish caught at Pena Blanca Lake remains in effect. Future testing will determine if and when these advisories will be lifted. Boaters using gas motors are asked to be courteous and not create wake problems for others boaters. PATAGONIA — Fishing continues to pick up with bass anglers having success working the shorelines in shallower water. Recent surveys at the lake show outstanding numbers of large healthy largemouth bass and redear sunfish. Don’t forget that the lake supports a very healthy flathead catfish population as well that can provide some exciting opportunities for anglers. PARKER CANYON — Fishing remains fair for all species. The Department is currently working to establish a breeding population of channel catfish at the lake and is asking anglers to please limit the harvest of catfish at this time to allow larger members of the population the opportunity to spawn. Contact the Parker Canyon Lake Store for up to date information on lake levels and fishing activity at www.parkercanyonlake.com or by phone at (520)455-5847. ROSE CANYON LAKE — The lake is open to vehicle traffic and it has been stocked. Anglers are reporting success in the early mornings and late evenings. The stocking schedule can be found at 2012 trout stocking schedule
The two NPS units, in coordination with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, are striving to maintain a balance between maintaining a quality recreational fishing experience in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam, known as the Lees Ferry area, while preserving and restoring the unique native fisheries within Grand Canyon National Park.
This plan will be implemented by the NPS and will identify management actions the NPS will undertake to protect park resources. The plan is separate from the recently approved Bureau of Reclamation projects: 1) “Non-native Fish Control Downstream of Glen Canyon Dam;” and 2) “Development and Implementation of a Protocol for High-Flow Experimental Releases from Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona through 2020.” It will inform the ongoing planning process related to the operation of Glen Canyon Dam (Long Term Experimental and Management Plan).
• Development of fisheries management objectives for specific waters within both NPS units;
• A comprehensive “toolbox” of fisheries management techniques, such as:
• Translocations or reintroductions of endangered fish species (i.e., moving fish from one location to another);
• Stocking of sterile (non-spawning) rainbow trout in Lees Ferry;
• Fishing regulations (e.g., bag or harvest limits);
• Removing nonnative fish from selected areas that are important for native fish;
• Potential impacts to other resources including:
• Geology, soils, and vegetation;
• Wildlife and species of special concern;
• Water resources, floodplains, and wetlands;
• Cultural and ethnographic resources;
• Air quality, soundscapes;
• Socioeconomics;
• Visitor use and experience, and Wilderness;
• Park operations;
• Human health and safety;
Another catfish stocking will take place the week of May 29-June 2 at all Phoenix and Tucson area urban waters.
The final spring stocking of catfish will take place the week of June 11-16.
Fishing is good to excellent for anglers using worms, stink baits, or shrimp fished on the bottom. If you want to use bobbers, rig up a slip bobber and fish 8-12 feet deep.
Catfish are biting irregularly throughout the day, but are more active when the sun goes down. Most catfish are from 13-16 inches, but some lunkers over 3 pounds are being hauled out of the lakes.
Bluegill fishing is good for anglers using worms and mealworms fished under a small bobber in 3- to 6-foot depths. Action for largemouth bass is fair, with the best baits being finesse plastics fished in the early morning hours. 
Angler Report:
I went to Lake Pleasant Sunday morning to go striper fishing. I was all the way up the Agaua Fria arm of the lake. I was using an anchovy for bait in almost 10 feet of water. My rod bent over, and I started reeling my line in. I was amazed at what I caught. This turtle was bigger than my net. The hook got stuck in its mouth. I tried to retrieve it and got bit on my left thumb and had a large blood blister. After talking to my wife and a friend, I learned turtles have salmonella. I made a doctor's appointment and am on an antibiotic. This is the biggest turtle I have ever seen in Arizona. I let the turtle go and it swam off.
Gary
ROOSEVELT LAKE - Lake elevation is 2,116 feet and the lake level is 61 percent.
The rest of the day we caught several fish on Texas rigged motor oil colored power worms, chartreuse/white spinnerbaits (big ones 1/2 ounce and bigger) and deep diving cranks. We also caught numerous smallies and that was a great sign!
I have fished all over the state for bass this year and by far the biggest average is coming from Apache there are some giants in there for those with the patience. All fish were caught and released and here are a few pictures! Oh the kids caught more BIG yellow bass than I could even count on worms fished on the bottom.
SAGUARO - Lake elevation is 1,524 feet at 92 percent full. Largemouth bass fishing is good.
BARTLETT – Lake elevation 1,755 feet, 47 percent full.Angler reports
My sons Benjamin (12 yr.) and Christopher (9 yr.) posing with their catch over the Memorial Day weekend at Bartlett.
Went out to Bartlett on the 20th (Sat night) Got out here about 6:30 pm caught six nice largemouths in about an hour Texas rig from shore at Rattlesnkae Cove. All about 2-3 lbs smallest being 1 and 1/2. But the night did not stop there. After the sun went done moved to the pier with a submerged light. Shad started pouring in and it was a field day well night. Fromm about 11:00 pm Saturday night till about 5 am Sunday morning another 3 bass and 21 crappie all pan sized great for eating. Most fun I have had out there in years.
When: 05/05/12
Caught: Crappie and Bass
Technique: 1/16 ounce head, 2 inch grub
Comments: Another nice outing in the early morning. Dad 11 Crappie and 7 Bass. Son Drew 16 Crappies and 2 Bass. Fished 6-1130 am
Name: Douglas Miller
LOWER SALT RIVER (below Saguaro Lake) – They are releasing from 1,200 cfs out of Stewart Mountain Dam from Saguaro. Scheduled for stocking this week.
Creeks Below the Mogollon Rim
*Christopher Creek
COLORADO RIVER NORTHWEST
Forgive me for taking off my fishing hat and going biologist, but after spending much time on the water conducting a striper fishing seminar over the weekend it became apparent to me that we have just gained significant insight into striped bass behavior. Striper fishing has changed dramatically since the last report. Here is a brief summary of the events leading up to the present.
Troll over brushy points leading to deep water to find striper schools.
Submerged points near brush are perhaps the best striper collection spots. Find the breaking edge and troll to find the striper school.
Fishing at Lake Powell is still incredible for all species of fish. The addition of striped bass to the fishing party is very welcome.
LEES FERRY -- By: Terry Gunn, Lees Ferry Anglers, May 1.
Remember that the flows are lower on Saturday and Sunday and these lower flows are almost always better for the midge hatches and fishing. It is more crowded on weekends but the fishing sure can be good. The projected flows for June will be slightly higher but should still be good for wading and fishing.
The flows in July will be much higher and this is the time of year that we get back in the boats and spend most of our time drifting and fishing from the boat. July is the month for cicadas and the biggest fish of the year.
You always want to cast away from the boat towards either shore. The trick is to get a perfect dead drift the same as when you are wading. The best way to do this is to fish slack line on the water. You will need a long leader and the right amount of split shot and as a general rule, if you cannot see the bottom, you are fishing water that is too deep.
see you on the water sometime.
The rating for spin fishing the walk in is 7 this week.
Spin Fishing Up River:
If you have some news you would like to report about fishing lees ferry, the walk-in section or up river please e-mail your report to: anglers@leesferry.com Attn. Lees Ferry
Guide report:
Striper Hunters
Meadview AZ
For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department's web pages at www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.
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 gcummins@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.
With the exception of a few off days–lingering lows and wind, April has been a stellar month for bass and sunfish in the Topock Gorge! Most of the bass have been taken on minnows and night crawlers.
Smallmouth sizes have been ranging between 2- and 5-pounds and the sunfish have weighed up to 1.5-pounds. I would like to petition anglers to please exercise catch-and-release so our bass have a chance to reproduce which in turn will further a fish rich river. Bass are territorial, so releasing them where they were caught is also beneficial.
Ray Schaefer and Jerry Jacobs of Goodyear, Arizona recently boated a limit of smallmouth and 10 nice sunfish. Brady and Kyle Spilker of Seven Hills, OH caught a bounty of tasty little bluegill on night crawlers and a mixed bag limit of largemouth and smallmouth bass on live bait.
Fishing exclusively for bass, Robert Abella from Las Vegas, NV and his party picked up some impressive bass–a 2-, a 3-, a 4- and the biggest so far this month, a 5.5-pounder!
Striped bass have finally begun to move up river. It’s a soak your bait all-day event, but the sizes may be worth the wait. John and Pat Morris of Golden Shores, Arizona took home two, a 2- and a 4-pounder, from the Blankenship Bend area and another pair, a 3- and a 4-pounder, higher up into the Gorge. Anchovy was, of course, the bait of choice. Pat told me they took another couple of stripers in the 3-pound class a week later.
Another Golden Shores resident, Bob Meltzer, also caught a 3-pound line-side. Meltzer was pitching chovy in the reeds near the Elbow. Bait fishermen need to check their bait regularly. If there’s no bait on your hook you’re just fishing on credit.
Fishing news from Topock Marsh has finally surfaced. It appears fishers are reaping crappie at both Catfish Paradise and at North Dyke. No sizes were reported. Because of the time of year, there’s a good possibility the fish are black crappie rather than white.
Georgia
SOUTHWESTERN WATERS
LAKE HAVASU -- Report courtesy John Galbraith of BassTackleMaster.com, Lake Havasu City, Az.
Lake Havasu Fishing Report. Lake Level 449.25. Average Daytime water Temp 73 degrees Striper bite sporadic throughout the day.
Best bite is early am trolling or casting shallow running lures around the main basin south to California Bay. Best anchovy bite is north over the sandbar to
Indian Head in the river.
Largemouth bass bite is excellent using topwater buzz baits & frogs. Cast these baits near weedbeds and cattails. The last 2 hours of daylight is the best time to catch the
biggest and most aggressive bass.
PARKER STRIP -- No recent reports. Should be decent smallmouth bass fishing just below Parker Dam.
Well folks, I hope you all had a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. The weather was perfect out here for most folks. There's still a killer topwater bite going from day break till around 6 a.m. After that it that time of year to move into about 20 feet of water and drop shot and throw plastics. The evening bite is excellent.
Junior and I have not had the chance to go the last couple of days. He got shipped off to BuckSkin Mountain State Park for the weekend. We plan on making up for lost time starting tonight. I have no reports on crappie fishing. I do know they have not moved up by the dam yet. Some people I talked with stayed out all night up there and got skunked. I would try the upper end of the lake and troll around the second buoy line. For night I would stay in the same area and tie off a tree and jig a minnow in the branches.
Cat fishing is excellent. You can go pretty much anywhere and throw a nightcrawler out and catch some nice sized cat fish.
I would like to take a minute and remind everyone that goes out quad riding to take the time and wear the proper gear. If nothing else at least a helmet. I'm telling this to you through the school of hard knocks I learned this last Friday. While out playing my quad transmission blew up. My cousin was towing me back to the park. Thinking I was only getting towed I did not bother to put a helmet on. I'm still not sure why he did a u turn in the middle of the road but that sent me around at what felt like 100 miles an hour and rolled the quad I was on. I never blacked out and watched the whole thing happen in slow motion. As I flew off the quad I landed right on the side of my head. It took me a good 10 minutes to get my wits about me to even sit up. I was very lucky and only ended up with a few cuts, major headache, and some bruised ribs. It was a very stupid move on my part and I hope you can learn by my mistake.
The lake level is at 1103ish with releases of 50 cfs. Cholla ramp is still open. I opened up the old rental boat ramp about a week ago and it works well. That's it for now.
This stretch of the river is best known for its trophy-sized flathead catfish, with some over 70 pounds and largemouth bass, with some over 10 pounds. However, it can also be good for channel catfish, sunfish and carp and to a lesser extent striped bass, crappie and tilapia.
CENTRAL MOUNTAINS
WILLIAMS LAKES:
WILLIAMS LAKES:
KAIBAB LAKE — Campground is open. Fishing was good on rainbow power bait for trout. Some Crappie and bluegill were caught. Stocked last week.
Angler report:
Saw some folks catch one or two, but fishing poor to fair, in my humble opinion. Or, should I say, catching. The "Fishing" was great! Hopefully this comment will make it's way to Rory. Thanks for your report and stories, Rory!
LOWER LAKE MARY — very low water No report
The lake was sampled a couple of weeks ago and lots of holdover rainbow trout were caught. Smaller pike were also common in our nets, please remove all of the pike you catch. Has been heavily stocked. Stocked last week.
VERDE VALLEY
Hi Rory,
I want you to know that I greatly enjoy and rely upon your fishing reports every week. I figured I would throw in my two cents on a 4/21 trip I made up north to Dead Horse Ranch State Park. My grandfather, Pete Sesow, fishes the lagoons almost religiously and we have fished for trout together there for years. This trip, however, I decided to change it up and do a little sight fishing for largemouths after reading your report saying bass anglers were having some luck there. We fished for two days and had very little luck with the exception of this beauty that weighed in a little over 3.5 lbs. I spent a good hour and a half working different presentations at this fish finally hitting with a shallow diving crankbait. This was the only bass I caught or even observed being caught while I was there. We did have some fun reeling in some Bluegill on fly gear though. Thanks again for all the info and keep up the great work.
Thank you,
Matt Ullman
Goodyear, AZ
Don't forget that a small segment of this creek in the upper end of the canyon has special regulations. Between Junipine Crossing and Call-of-the-Canyon Crossing (includes the confluence with the West Fork of Oak Creek), trout must be immediately released unharmed (catch-and-release), no trout may be kept, and it is artificial fly and lure only with single barbless hooks.
Yellow bullhead catfish are active and easy to catch with nightcrawlers on the bottom.
Game and Fish Biologists surveyed Watson recent and found the bass, sunfish, and bullhead to be plentiful. Crappies were also doing well. Look for the crappie fishing to pick up in a year or two. If you fish Watson and are having luck, please e-mail me at gcummins@azgfd.govso I can share your successes with others.
White Mountains and Rim Lakes
Recommended Waters to Fish
Fishing for hold-over trout is excellent at Big Lake. Fishing for stocked rainbow trout is excellent at Nelson Reservoir, Willow Springs Lake, and Woods Canyon Lake, and fishing is good at Bear Canyon Lake, Bunch Reservoir, Tunnel Reservoir, River Reservoir, Rainbow Lake, and Woodland Lake.
Fishing is good for stocked Apache trout at Lee Valley Lake, Silver Creek, and the Little Colorado River in Greer.
For fly anglers, Becker Lake is good, with reports of 24-inch rainbow trout. Anglers are catching 15-19 inch rainbow trout at Rainbow, Show Low, and Fool Hollow lakes.
Carnero Lake – 2,000 rainbow trout
Clear Creek Reservoir – 2,430 rainbow trout
Crescent Lake – 2,268 brook trout
Crescent Lake - 1,350 rainbow trout
East Fork Black River - 600 Apache trout
Little Colorado River in Greer - 800 Apache trout
Nelson Reservoir - 7,316 rainbow trout
Rainbow Lake – 752 rainbow trout
Scotts Reservoir - 1,250 rainbow trout
Sheeps Crossing/West Fork LCR - 400 Apache trout
Show Low Lake - 2,500 rainbow trout
Silver Creek - 1,000 Apache trout
West Fork Black River - 500 Apache trout
Willow Springs Lake - 4,624 rainbow trout
Woods Canyon Lake - 7,452 rainbow trout
Crescent Lake - 800 brook trout
Crescent Lake - 2,700 rainbow trout
East Fork Black River - 1,400 Apache trout
Fools Hollow Lake - 1,500 rainbow trout
Little Colorado River in Greer - 800 Apache trout
Sheeps Crossing/West Fork LCR - 1,250 Apache trout
Silver Creek - 488 Apache trout
West Fork Black River - 500 Apache trout
Willow Springs Lake - 6,075 rainbow trout
Note: All Forest Roads are open, including the Rim Road.
Note: All Forest Roads are open, including Highways 273 and 261. The final pieces of construction on Hwy 273 were completed last fall, so the road is now paved all the way to Big Lake.
BECKER LAKE – Fishing is good to excellent. Some fly fishermen are catching trout on nymphs, including zebra midges (black and red) and red chironomids, and wooly buggers. Anglers have been consistently catching rainbows over 20 inches, with reports of trout up to 24 inches. Becker Lake is catch-and-release only, with artificial lures and flies only with single barbless hook.
CARNERO LAKE – Fishing is fair to good. Carnero was stocked with 2,000 rainbow trout last week. The lake level is about 1.5 feet down. Reaching open water from the parking area is difficult because of the weeds, but much of the lake is currently open water. Using a pontoon, row boat, or canoe to get over the weeds is recommended. Or floattubers can walk north of the parking area a couple hundred yards to find a better area to launch with fewer weeds.
RAINBOW LAKE – Fishing is good. The lake was recently stocked with large, one-pound rainbow trout and with regular stockers. The lake is nearly full. The weeds have not shown up yet, so boating is good.
Note: Trout stocking in the streams will continue every week through early September, as long as water conditions are suitable. All main Forest Roads are open, including Highways 273 and 261. The final pieces of construction on Hwy 273 were completed last fall, so the road is now paved all the way to Big Lake and is in beautiful condition.
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Fishing is good to excellent for anglers using worms, stink baits, or shrimp fished on the bottom. If you want to use bobbers, rig up a slip bobber and fish 8-12 feet deep. Catfish are biting irregularly throughout the day, but are more active when the sun goes down. Most catfish are from 13-16 inches, but some lunkers over 3 pounds are being hauled out of the lakes.
Bluegill fishing is good for anglers using worms and mealworms fished under a small bobber in 3- to 6-foot depths. Action for largemouth bass is fair, with the best baits being finesse plastics fished in the early morning hours.
CLUFF RANCH —No recent reports of success. The pond is full and there should be no problems with boat launching. For lake information call (928) 485-9430.
DANKWORTH POND — Remains closed to access during renovation. All renovation work has been completed and State Parks has begun refilling the lake. At this time the reopening of the lake is still unknown but that day is getting closer!