AGFD Fishing Report

AGFD Fishing Report
Mar 4, 2009

Rory’s tips;

Want to catch a large tail-dancing rainbow? Now’s your chance!

If you attended the International Sportsmen’s Exposition (ISE) this past weekend or watched the TV news segments showing the large trout we had in the Kids Fishing Pond, here is a tip for you. Those big feisty rainbows from our Tonto Hatchery were stocked into some of our urban lakes following the show. Plus the urban lakes are scheduled for regular trout stockings this week.

Enough said.

As a side note, the urban lakes will be stocked with catfish for the first time on March 19, so mark your fishing calendars.

Also be sure to mark March 28-29 on your calendar – that’s when we will be offering the Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility. We’ll have the Kids Fishing Pond as usual, but something new for this year is having a demonstration fishing tank full of lunker largemouth and some sunfish that look like they have been taking steroids and pumping iron. The Bass Federation Nation is working with us to provide some interesting demonstrations and advice on where to fish. I’ll do talks on where to fish (and fishing outlooks) as well for those who are interested.

We are expanding the fishing presence at this fun hands-on outdoor show where you can shoot all kinds of firearms and archery equipment, plus watch rock crawling vehicles, see cowboy action shooters, climb high rock walls yourself, and enjoy lots of other interesting activities on this 1,700-acre shooting facility just off I-17 and Carefree Highway. It’s a blast. Bring the whole family – there’s a little something for everyone. Or maybe I should say there is a lot of everything for everyone.

Back to fishing. . .

Here’s some GREAT NEWS. On Tuesday, we stocked the first installment of 15,000 trout heading to Lower Lake Mary near Flagstaff.

Last fall, Lower Lake Mary was a giant elk meadow. This will soon be one of our top-producing trout fisheries.

Fishing is definitely looking up thanks to the great snow pack and associated runoff.

At Lees Ferry, the spawn is in high gear. Fly anglers are doing very well, but spin anglers are catching 40-50 fish days by bouncing eggs and midges deep. Also try back-trolling Rapalas. Fish are being caught in 12-14 feet of water with spin rigs. Marabou jigs have also been working well

Lake Powell is waking up – check out Wayne Gustaveson’s first report of the season below.

Stripers are starting to hit well at both Mohave and Mead – this is probably the leading edge of the very good fishing.

For our warmwater lakes, this is the leading edge of the great spring fishing – crappie and bass should either be staging for the spawn, or spawning at many of our central Arizona waters, or they will be shortly. Love is in the air (or water as the case may be). I don’t want to spark another debate on whether to sight-fish bedding bass, but for those learning to bass fish, especially youngsters, quality learning opportunities abound this time of year.

For staging bass, try working major points in the lake and those secondary points just inside coves, the edges of large flats, or the channels (like submerged creeks and arroyos) cutting through large flats.

Some anglers like to slow down their presentations, such as using a spinnerbait with a trailer or a drop shot rig. Others like to go for a reaction bite using a lure with some zip. My advice is to mix it up and see what is working.

For bedding bass, try using creature baits worked in the sheltered spots in the backs of shallow coves; at least right now. The spawning locations and depths will change as the season progresses, the water warms, and light penetration increases. For bass, the spawn can be very spread out – one year, I even saw a bass on a bed in late July off an island. You just never know.

Roosevelt is really starting to turn on. In fact, one angler said, "This lake is on fire!"

At Roosevelt, the Salt River was flowing at around 2,000 cfs on Tuesday, although the Tonto flows have ebbed significantly. Salt River Project doesn’t report the Rosey outflows, but since the lake is 100-percent full, they have to keep pace with the inflows. The central portion of the lake might provide some of the best fishing, but with the flows down, the Tonto could take off any time. Based on angler reports, it sounds like bass are staging for the spawn. Some of the female bass caught recently have full egg sacs.

If you camp at Rosey, lock up your gear. Some anglers had all their gear stolen while camping there last weekend. With these tough economic times, it's wise to lock up your gear no matter where you go.

Also, I have at least three reports of bass on beds at Martinez Lake and Fishers Landing along the lower Colorado River near Yuma. Kip Pollay sent me a nice picture (on the right) of a 10 pounder he caught there. It looks like Martinez might be wearing the early-bird crown this year. It’s one of the few places in Arizona where it is possible to skip lures under docks. It’s a hoot!

The runoff and outflows from Alamo Lake apparently slowed down the bite there this past week, but it has the potential on any given day to provide superb spring fishing for bass and crappie – if it isn’t windy. It wouldn’t surprise me if anglers find bass or crappie on beds there as well – it’s that time. Lots of tournaments there though.

It looks like Bartlett is also turning on and some bass are staging for the spawn. This is a great place to work spinnerbaits in the turbid water. Don’t ignore the opportunities to catch big flatheads in deeper holes along the upper end.

In the high country, we just stocked 7,200 rainbow trout around eight inches long into Kaibab Lake near Williams. It’s a fun place to fish – quite often, you can hear the fast freights heading down the tracks near the Historic Route 66. So tweak the famous song a little and get your kicks and catch fish along Route 66 (don’t forget Winona)

Another spot worth visiting is Dead Horse Ranch State Park, which we stocked last week with 3,600 trout. Oak Creek is being stocked this week, as is Cluff Pond and Roper Lake in southern Arizona.

We also stocked Goldwater Lake this week – remember, stocking was postponed two weeks ago because of snow. This is a wonderful kid-friendly little lake just off Senator Highway in the Bradshaw Mountains above Prescott. There are even swings for the kids to play on there.

Blue Ridge Lake Reservoir is definitely full and spilling, but the road won’t be open for some time yet. We suspect that other mountain lakes along the Rim are spilling over as well – this is going to be a good fishing year in the high country, but it’s a toss of the dice on when many of them will become accessible.

Chevelon is accessible and is spilling. Although this steep-sided lake is not friendly to shore anglers, it offers the opportunity for float tube anglers and others with portable floating devices to catch some quality early season trout, possibly even a huge brown. But you better be in shape – the hike out carrying gear is a gasp-for-breath challenge.

Both Show Low Lake and Fools Hollow Lake in the White Mountains have been providing some decent trout fishing, as has Becker Lake near Springerville.

This is the leading edge of the excellent spring trout fishing. Keep watching the reports. We’ll try to let you know, when we know, when mountain lakes are accessible and fishable.

With the superb snow pack this year, we are looking at back-to-back years of good water levels, which is something we haven’t seen since the early 90s. This is shaping up to be one of our best – if not the best – fishing year this century so far. So get your gear ready for lots of fun action.

So go catch some memories. Maybe I’ll see you out there.

PS: During a recent survey of boaters, it was determined that most Arizona boaters are not only aware quagga mussels have invaded some of our waters, 83 percent of them recognize that these rapidly-reproducing mollusks are an ecological threat. The word is getting out.

So DON’T MOVE A MUSSEL and be sure to CLEAN, DRAIN AND DRY you boat after each time on any waterway to help prevent the spread of quagga mussels and other unwanted invasive species.

We all have to do our part to combat unwanted hitchhikers. All of us boaters are the first line of defense.

Also, there is a bill before the Legislature to give the department more authority to combat this menance, and other aquatic hitchhikers.

Hit the water! It’s Boating Time!
Arizona’s waterways are already bulging at the seams and are bellowing for attention -- it is boating time!

Whether you are fishing, water skiing, on a jet ski, or just cruising along, being on a boat in Arizona is one of the state’s favorite recreational past times.

Soaking in the sun and beautiful scenery in most of Arizona’s waterways is soothing and has stress-free benefits. But do not be fooled into thinking a good day cannot lead to a tragic memory.

The experience is only rewarding if it is safe. Taking an initiative to learn more about being prepared, ‘expecting the unexpected’ and properly handling situations that are out of your control may alleviate devastating consequences in the long run.

Taking an online boating safety course is simple, self-paced, animated for your enjoyment, and inexpensive! Just visit www.azgfd.gov/boat-ed

Stocking Report
Here is the latest (March 6) stocking report from the Page Springs Hatchery.

Winter Stocking schedule for the week of 03/06/09:

Region 2: Oak Creek (1350) was stocked on 03/03. Lower Lake Mary (6282) received fish on 03/04. Water Quality: Oak Creek: pH N/A, Temp 40-48*F; Lower Lake Mary: pH 7.0, Temp 44*F. Lower Lake Mary was stocked 3 weeks in advance due to early access to lake and to make space available for thinning fish into raceways.
Region 3: Goldwater Lake (1350) and Verde River (2400) all received fish this week. Water Quality: Goldwater: pH 8.0, Temp55*F; Verde River: pH N/A, Temp 52-56*F. The Verde River was stocked on 03/05 to accommodate the fishing clinic at the White Bridge. Goldwater Lake was rescheduled from the February 19th stocking due to lake being inaccessible.
Region 5: Cluff Pond (1500) and Roper Lake (1500) received fish on 03/04. Water Quality: Cluff Pond: pH 8.5, Temp 63*F; Roper Lake: pH 8.5, Temp 65*F.

Next week tentative stocking schedule:

Region 2: West Clear Creek (450), Wet Beaver Creek (900). Both Cataract Lake (4500) and Santa Fe Res. (1800) will be stocked ahead of scheduled to make space available to thin fish.

Region 3: Fain Lake (1325), Lynx Lake (2700), Deadhorse State Park (3600)

Region 5: Parker Canyon (4050)

Region 6: Lower Salt River (1575)

CENTRAL WATERS

URBAN LAKES -- Urban lakes are being stocked this week with rainbow trout – some also received bonus trout from the Kids Fishing Pond at ISE.

Good fishing for trout will continue through March as all lakes receive their final stocking the week of March 2-7. Most trout are falling for Power Bait fished on the bottom. Other good baits include worms, corn and salmon eggs. The cool morning hours are the best times to target the trout.

As waters warm up, try fishing for largemouth bass and bluegill that are now moving closer to shore as they prepare to spawn and search for food. Regulations require that all bass under 13 inches must be released unharmed immediately.

Reports keep coming in of anglers catching catfish, even though it has been nearly four months since the last cats were stocked. Speaking of catfish, the catfish stocking season starts on Thursday, March 19 at all Phoenix and Tucson area Urban waters. A 7.6 pound catfish was caught from our newest Urban Lake, Veterans Oasis. The angler, Rex, used bacon and it took all of 5 minutes for the catfish to take the bait.

On the other hand, excellent trout fishing conditions can be found at Payson’s Green Valley lakes. Best bets for these pine country trout are Power Bait, corn and worms. Some success has been found by anglers using spinners, small spoons and nymph and wet fly patterns. For Payson’s Green Valley Lakes, trout stockings will continue every two weeks until the middle of May. Crappies are just starting to bite at Green Valley and some good reports are coming in from Silverbell Lake in Tucson.

All lakes and ponds in the Phoenix and Tucson areas will be stocked with 15-20 inch channel catfish on Thursday, March 19. Catfish will be stocked through June at rates averaging from 40- to 60-fish per acre. Nearly 14,000 pounds of Arkansas farm-raised catfish will be delivered and stocked into 20 Urban Fishing Program lakes every two weeks by Mr. Fish, our outstanding fish contractor for many years.

Angler reports:

Where:PAPAGO POND 3
When:02/28/09
Caught:2 lgmouth bass(2-3lbs),2catfish,1trout
Technique:white spinner bounced off the bottom, minnows
Comments:
bass are in the shallows and picky
Name:Jason and family

Where:veterans oasis
When:02/27/09
Caught:bass
Technique:
I threw plastic worms, top water and shallow crank baits but I landed more fish on yellow and a few on black spinnerbaits.
Comments:
All bass measured approx 6-8inches 1/2lb range. Good fighters can’t wait till they grow bigger.
Name:Angel Ulloa

Where:Chaparral Lake
When:02/22/09
Caught:Eight nice Channel cats, three 20 inches plus
Technique:Daylight to 9:30 am, night crawlers on unweighted line in 13' to 15' water.
Comments:
Two of the bigger cats were long and thin, one was fat. Put them all back in so they are ready for next trip. Hadn't seen the stocking report but thought it was too early for cats again. Must be lots of holdovers in the lake.
Name:George

Where:surprise
When:02/22/09
Caught:1 rainbow trout
Technique:Blue and silver KastMaster.
Comments:Trout are extremely hard to land lost 2 at shoreline and when my friend arrived on his first cast he brought one to the shoreline and that one also escaped.
Name:Brandon Ryer

TEMPE TOWN LAKE – Has not been stocked recently, but fishing should be decent for warmwater fish such as bass. Remember no gas motors are allowed (electric trolling motors are) and you must have a boating permit, which can be obtained at the Town Lake operations center.

You can fish around the marina area and catch some dinks or search for some structure, that’s what one angler did and found a nice pocket of 3+ pound bass. He flipping worms and Texas-rigged imitation crayfish in overhanging trees and did pretty well. The larger fish are there, but you need to think like a bass and find the structure.

Where:Tempe Town Lake
When:02/28/09
Caught:1 catfish
Technique:Hot dogs and dough balls originally used for carp
Comments:Slow all day, little nibbles here and there, but nothing to get excited about. Nonetheless had a great day fishing at T.T.L.
Name:Tim Y.

LAKE PLEASANT – Water elevation is 1688 ft, which is 84-percent full. Largemouth bass are staging for the spawn and you will likely find some spawning bass in the sheltered and shallow northern coves.

The white bass and striped bass are stacked in the areas with inflows, especially the Agua Fria Arm of the lake. There is no vehicular access from Table Mesa Road, but you can hike in to fish. A pair of anglers a week or so ago did extremely well from float tubes after hiking in and the bite should be better now. Also see the report below from two kayakers. Let us know how you do.

Where: Lake Pleasant, Agua Fria arm.
When: 03/03/09
Caught: You name it, we caught it!
Technique: curl tail grubs
Comments: I was initially angry when Maricopa County closed the road off at the Table Mesa access, but now I'm very grateful for it. This place is so nice to visit now without all the trash and people ripping it up with quads and motorcycles. My buddy and I walked in and I took my kayak along. We caught 2 stripers @ 19 in., 3 whites, a largemouth just over 16 in., a bluegill about the size of a small plate, and a channel cat almost as long as my arm, all trolling white grubs. It was a LOT of work getting back out of there with the kayak and gear plus fish, but definitely one of the best fishing trips we've had in the 4 years I've lived here. But definitely not for the faint of heart.
Name: Matt Waite

Where: Lake Pleasant
When: 02/28/09
Caught: 5lb 21 inch Largemouth Bass
Technique: anchovie on a hook floating to the bottom without a weight
Comments: Was fishing in Castle Creek area all the way at the end by the bridge. Watched guys catch shad with nets and flip them back in the water to catch stripers hand over fist! I anchored 15ft away from the bridge and sat there working the area. Water temp was 61 I got photos of this fish if anyone wants to see it!
Name: Warren Risberg

Where: lake pleasent
When: 02/28/09
Caught: 14 stripperss, 3 larqemouth bass, 22 channel catss, 7 crappies
Technique: usedd roboworm for all bass,usedd anchovies and used stink bait on the wormss,usedd worms for crappie niqquhss<33'
Comments:
Name: bill heffernan

Where:Lake Pleasant
When:03/01/09
Caught:nothing
Technique:jerk baits ,bass assassins ,drop shots ,I tried everything
Comments:5 hours of nothing I saw one guy catch a large mouth on a boat in humbug creek area but that’s it - a couple weeks early I think n ext weekend but I’ll be at Roosevelt fishing then
Name:Andrew Althaus

Where:Lake Pleasant
When:02/28/09
Caught:14 stripperss,3 largemouth bass,22 channel catss,7 crappie
Technique:used Robo Worm for all bass, used anchovies and used stink bait on the worms, used worms for crappie niqquhss<33'

Name:Bill Heffernan
Anglers are catching crappie in the shallows and white bass are staging in around the dam area in 20 to 40 feet of water. White bass are happy to take anchovies.

By the way, Lake Pleasant Regional Park will be hosting the annual Honeywell Company Employee Campout from Thursday, March 19 through Sunday, March 22. This event closes the north entry and four-lane boat ramp of Lake Pleasant at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18 and reopens to the public at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 22. Park visitors are encouraged to use the 10-lane boat ramp on South Park Road accessed through the main entrance of Lake Pleasant Regional Park.

For more information, contact Lake Pleasant Regional Park directly at (602) 372-7460 or Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department at (602) 506-2930.

ROOSEVELT LAKE - Lake Elevation is 2,151 feet (100-percent full). Tonto Creek runoff is at 194 cfs while inflow from the Salt River is at 1,990 cfs (outflows should pretty much match inflows).

Some bass are staging for the spawn while others are still holding deep. A variety of techniques are working.

A couple avid crappie anglers had a rough time catching crappies last weekend. They fished the Salt end using red eyed jig heads with a minnow. They caught one real nice female. They also caught a couple bass in the bushes around 4 p.m. Water clarity was real good on the points they were fishing.

Another couple anglers fished the Tonto end and caught a largemouth with a jig and another couple with 10-inch Berkley worms off a point. The best presentation was a curly-tail greenish worm pulled through the submerged trees and the largemouth bass bite was triggered by the fall. Water clarity is around 8 to 10 feet.

A couple more Salt end fishermen caught had an excellent outing using a zoom lizard in 35 feet of water on one of the points. This provided a little excitement then they fished in the coves with spinnerbaits and did real well with the largemouth bass. Fish moved into the submerged trees later in the day and weightless worms provided lots of fishing excitement. In all these two fishermen boated over 50 slot bass, 3 overs, 4 unders and 3 crappies.

Two bass anglers threw blades into the trees at mid lake. Fishing was pretty good throughout the morning with this technique and they switched to jigs a little later on. The fish didn’t seem to have a favorite colored jig; they were hitting on a variety of them. They caught most of the bass in less than 10 feet of water. In all they caught quite a few slots, and 6 overs.

Another two anglers fished the back of the southern coves on the Salt end with blades through the brush in 5 to 15 feet of water. Although they fished around, this was where the bulk of the 35 or so fish were caught. The water is warmer in the backs of those coves. Since the snow melt is on its way; the backs of coves may be a good bet. Keep an eye on the Tonto and Salt River inflow.

With water being released, the current near the dam could make it a fishing hot spot at times for smallmouth bass in the rocky areas.

All boaters take heed anglers have witnessed the big dirt wall in Why cove sloughing off into the water. That wall is unstable and could swamp your boat or worse if you have the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Where: Roosevelt
When: 03/01/09
Caught: large mouth and smallies
Technique: spinnerbait crankbait chatterbait softplastic
Comments: this lake is on fire; we caught well over 70 bass about 15 overs all overs were 16 to 18 inches and about 2.2 to 3 pounds caught fish all day but really hammered them at 1st light and at dusk. Where we caught them im not telling; lol
Name: shawn salow

Where: Roosevelt Lake
When: 03/02/09
Caught: Crappie and LM Bass
Technique: Kalin's 2" black N' blue chart grub tipped with a minnow
Comments: The bite was exceptionally lite. Had our best luck casting out and rather then just reeling it in we would reel in the slack then very slowly raise the rod then reel back down and raise the rod. The fish never did "bite", you would just feel a little weight on the line. One crappie was 16 inches and lost a bass over the slot to my 4 lb crappie line.
Name: Enno Malling

Where: ROOSEVELT
When: 02/27/09
Caught: 1 LAGRE MOUTH 1 CRAPPIE
Technique: CAUGHT THE LARGE MOUTH ON A NIGHT CRAWLER; CRAPPIE WAS CAUGHT ON LIVE MINNOW WITH A CRAPPIE RIG
Comments: CAUGHT CRAPPIE AT 1 IN THE AM FRIDAY NIGHT; 10 MINUTES LATER CAUGHT THE LARGE MOUTH BUT FISH WAS IN THE SLOT; BITES NOT TO OFTEN; STARTED FISHING 6 AM SATURDAY NOTHING ALL DAY FISHED THE MARINA AND TROLLED; TRIED JIGS; NOTHING WAS TOLD BY A FAMILY MEMBER THEY WERE REALLY CATHCING THEM ON BOTH FLATS; ITS SPAWNING TIME SO THEY ARE COMING IN TO THE SHALLOW WATER; GOOD LUCK GUYS; WILL BE OUT IN ANOTHER 2 WEEKS UPDATE THEN
Name: JASON

Where:Roosevelt
When:02/24/09
Caught:bass
Technique:soft plastic
Comments:caught 31 bass early morning then right at dark this lake is smoking with 3-pound bass caught 8 overs
Name:Shawn Salow

Where:Roosevelt
When:01/28/09
Caught:1 bass, multiple trees
Technique:Everything. Crankbait finally did it
Comments:There from sunup to sundown. Rough day for catching fish.
Name:gb

Where:Roosevelt
When:01/26/09
Caught:6 largemouth 1 smallmouth
Technique:I’ve fished Pleasant, Bartlett, and Roosevelt. Roosevelt is the place to use ROBOWORMS on a "Carolina Rig"; you can’t go wrong. I just sat with a beer and flipped it every few minutes don’t reel it in just let it sit and remember fish are slow this time of year....good luck
Comments:Went to Pleasant the other day and no results but Bartlett is not bad. The best lake to fish is Roosevelt, just go and let the bass prove it.
Name:Ryan

Where:Roosevelt Lake
When:01/24/09
Caught:2 Crappie 3 Largemouth
Technique:Both crappie and one bass were caught slow trolling minnows. The other two bass were caught on white and chartreuse spinnerbaits.
Comments:The bass caught on a minnow was under the slot and the two caught on spinner baits were in the slot. Saw a good bass caught on another boat with a red Senko on a drop shot.
Name:Joe Freye

Where:Roosevelt
When:01/30/09
Caught:10 crappies 1.5 to 2.75 lbs.
Technique:Trolling 1/8 oz. jigs in 30 to 40 feet of water.
Comments:Weather was windy, had to troll with the wind. fished from 11:00am to 6:00pm
Name:David L. Taylor

A couple anglers fished the Tonto end and caught 3 largemouth bass on spinnerbaits and plastic worms.

APACHE - Lake elevation is 1,912 ft (98-percent full). Temps are mid 50s.

An angler caught a 1.5 and a 2 pound largemouth bass shore fishing with brown plastic worms at Burnt Coral.

A Challenge to Anglers: There are so many fish in the lake, people are seeing them on their fish finders but catching them is proving to be difficult. Find out what the fish will bite and you will have an awesome fishing experience. Thousands of trout were stocked in that lake, so swim baits ought to do pretty well.

Yellow bass are taking live worms (pieces will work just as good). They also like KastMasters; the blue and silver seem to be a yellow bass favorite this year. They like the points where the substrate drops off.

This lake has good smallmouth habitat and they like to hang where the runoff hits the lake.

Largemouth will take advantage of the feast coming down the washes as well – don’t forget largemouth like the overhanging vegetation. Catfish are taking worms, hotdogs and just about anything else. It’s a little chilly for them so give yourself an advantage and find them on the fish finder.

CANYON LAKE – Lake elevation is 1,658 ft, which is 96-percent full. This lake has been stocked with trout throughout the winter. Swim baits should work for bass. Although catch rates are typically low here for bass, there is always a chance to catch one of the lunkers. This lake also has walleye, but we seldom hear about them being caught. Yellow bass are plentiful. So are channel catfish.

Anglers are seeing a lot of bass on the graphs but they don’t seem to have any interest in spoons. Drop shots worked a bit for this angler. You got to use the fish finder and have a lot of patience to determine what will illicit the bite. Try using an American lipless shad or whatever you have in your tackle box. If you’re not catching anything you might as well experiment.

Where:Canyon Lake
When:03/01/09
Caught:nothing
Technique:used just about everything except live worm and live minnows. Jigs, crankbaits, spinning baits, Power Bait, salmon eggs, gulp worms and flys.
Comments:2 hours on the shore and not a single bite. Wind calmed down some so we rented a fishing boat. 4 hours on a boat all over the lake and in coves and not a single bite. Fishing boat rental guy said only 1 person had caught a fish so far that day that he had heard of. Don’t think we were fishing deep enough or the fish weren’t biting.
Name:hopper

Where:Canyon Lake
When:02/25/09
Caught:9 Largemouth and numerous yellow bass
Technique:Trolling and Cranking Chrome/black back medium diver. Found pods of bass suspended in 55ft. of water over huge schools of shad. All bass caught between 9:30 and 11:00am. Largest over 4lbs., most around 1lb.
Comments:Tried drop-shot, Westy worms, deep diving cranks. No results until I noticed pods suspended over deep water. Love those electronics!!!

Where:Canyon
When:02/19/09
Caught:Bass 4 overs 2 unders 1 slot, cat,bluegill and yellow bass
Technique:Carolina rigged live night crawlers with tail blown up
Name:Steve Wiz

Where:Canyon
When:02/19/09
Caught:Bass 4 overs 2 unders 1 slot, cat, bluegill and striper
Technique:Carolina rigged live night crawlers with tail blown up
Name:Steve Wiz

Where:Canyon Lake
When:02/15/09
Caught:largemouth bass 3 lbs
Technique:crankbait - Rapala - behind last boat dock - up cove
Comments:thought it was a catfish
Name:nate & ryan albery

SAGUARO LAKE – Lake elevation 1526 feet at 98-percent full. Outflows are currently 1,100 cfs, and due to outflows at the top of the chain, Saguaro should have routine inflows as well. This should create a dynamic current situation. Expect predatory fish to face into the current to feed or ambush prey, so fish accordingly.
Some anglers this past week reported difficulty catching fish, while others did extremely well. If there is a current, make it work for you. This can be a great place to catch a mixed bag of fish from winter trout to yellow bass and yearling largemouths. It’s a great place to catch lots of bluegill.

Where:Saguaro
When:02/26/09
Caught:Lots of Bass
Technique:Silver deep diving cranks worked the best; the drop shot had no results.
Comments:We caught 26 bass cranking in deep water the fish are getting fatter and more aggressive. Afternoon bite stalled.
Name:CJ Greco

Where:Saguaro Lake- Butcher Jones 'Dock'
When:02/25/09
Caught:Bluegill, Yellow Bass
Technique:Drop line, various depths, and night crawlers.
Comments:Mostly small bluegill (4-7in) and a yellow bass (10in). Almost a dozen bluegill in an hour. All released.
Name:KB

Where:Saguaro
When:02/24/09
Caught:Nothing
Technique:Everything, tried live and artificial
Comments:What and where is everyone fishing on the lake? I have barely even gotten a bite!
Name:Ryan

Where:Saguaro Lake
When:02/21/09
Caught:1 Rainbow Trout
Technique:My friend and I fished all types of lures for the first few hours with no luck. My buddy brought out the fly rod and got himself a rainbow in no time. Besides that nothing else was caught.
Comments:Fished from 10AM to 2PM and only caught the 1 fish from the dock. Fished from many different sides of the lake with no luck. Maybe ill rent boat next time.
Name:Hopper

BARTLETT LAKE – Lake elevation is 1,784 feet, which is 80-percent full. Reservoir release is 100 cfs. Fishing is picking up and should continue getting better as the season progresses. It looks like bass are staging for the spawn right now and many anglers are doing well, while some are still having trouble locating fish.
The flows down the Verde River have slowed significantly this past week. Horseshoe is still releasing 400 cfs into Bartlett and Bartlett is releasing 100 cfs downstream. This sets up that excellent sibling-lake relationship that will pay off big time for anglers again this season.

Horseshoe will be slowly drained to keep Bartlett full this fishing season, which means it will also act as a huge nursery for sport-fish and forage fish.
Salt River Project expects this lake to fill this season and based on the flows right now, it might not take all that long.

Crappie fishing might be a little more hit-and-miss right now, but try along the Yellow Cliffs or in the riverine portion of the lake using small jigs or live minnows. But it is possible to catch a crappie or two most anywhere in the lake. With the slight current, crappie might also hold on the downstream side of major structures, such as islands and reefs and actively feed on the edge of the current.

This is likely the leading edge of the flathead catfish season, but with the inflows, you’ll likely find huge flats holding in deeper holes and feeding on any delectable morsels the current brings them. Channel catfish might be active at times as well, especially places like Bartlett flats. Try stink bait fished on the bottom.

An angler caught 9 largemouth bass and all but one was good sized. No specifics given but try fishing near the jojoba boat ramp under the no wake line. The bass like to hang by the submerged yellow pipe. Also, look for the warmer water and start by trying chartreuse plastic worms.

Where:Bartlett
When:02/27/09
Caught:5 LM Bass & 8 Crappie
Technique:Swimming a Senko for bass and jigging a John Deere grub for crappie and a few of the bass.
Comments:Water temps are warming nicely. 63 degrees Friday by 3PM. It appears the crappies are near or already in spawn.
Name:Darron

Where:Bartlett Lake
When:02/27/09
Caught:Large Mouth Bass
Technique:Plastic Worms; Various colors
Comments:My son and I caught 6 LgMouth. 2 weighed in over 2 pounds and the others less than a pound. Saw another angler with 19 Bass caught on crankbait.
Name:John Graham

Anglers are catching bass and crappie in the riverine portion of the lake.

HORSESHOE LAKE -- Lake elevation is at 2,008 feet, 60-percent full and rising. They are releasing water at 400 cfs.

This lake is expected to fill this season, but will eventually be used to keep Bartlett full. Once again this year, it could act like a sport-fish and bait-fish nursery for Bartlett, just like last year and back in 2005. This might be the year to get that annual Tonto permit and avoid the hassles with daily ones.

VERDE RIVER – Verde River flow at Tangle has reduced significantly this past week and as of Monday was 1,270 cubic feet per second. Release from Bartlett Lake is 100 cfs.

LOWER SALT RIVER (below Saguaro Lake) -- The releases from Stewart Dam were 1,800 cfs on March 4. This stretch of river close to Phoenix was stocked last week with rainbow trout, so fishing should be good. Trout are stocked at the Water Users area (where the tubers put into the river just below Stewart Mountain Dam) and at the Blue Point Bridge, which is the only bridge crossing of the river along Bush Highway.

This is a superb opportunity to fish from a canoe, kayak or other floating device, but there is a pretty good current right now, so be careful. Wear your personal flotation devices.

A father-and-son reported canoeing from Water Users to Phon D. Sutton (confluence of the Verde and Salt rivers), and they had a ball catching lots of trout.

Two sisters kayaked and fished from Water Users to Blue Point, one fly fished, the other used spinning tackle, and they both caught-and-released more than double the trout limit, but took a couple home for dinner as well.
According to AZ Fly Fishing, fly fishermen are having good luck using egg patterns, San Juan worms, green weenies and nymph patterns. There are also some mayfly hatches in midday, so try mayflies in the afternoons.
For spin anglers, try night crawlers or meal worms with little or no weight cast slightly upstream into the riffles, then let the worm float naturally downstream, mending your line as it moves. Also, small spinners (Mepps, Rooster Tails and Vibrex) cast slightly downstream can work well. Some anglers are adept at catching trout in the river using Power Bait, but most find it difficult to use. Plus, Power Bait might not get you action from bass and other sport fish.

Because of the overly-abundant food supply (lots of insect larvae etc.), the trout will grow super fast here. The hold-over trout not readily caught will look like small footballs in a month or so, so keep this fishery close to Phoenix on you’re a-list.

Where:lower salt river
When:02/28/09
Caught:8 Rainbow Trout ( Released all)
Technique:Worms, one bb shot 12" above, floated down in semi fast water below ripples -- all nice size today 10-12 inches. Started fishing today at 11 am, first cast = first fish!!
Name:Blake

Where:lower salt river
When:02/21/09
Caught:hooked two rainbow trout
Technique:fly fishing, tried just about every fly in my box, a grey colored dry fly is what got them.
Comments:Fished most of the day with only those two fish that both got on my line about 10am. They both jumped off the hook before I could get my hands on them.
Name:Matthew

Where:Lower Salt River
When:02/18/09
Caught:2 rainbows
Technique:Spinning from shore 4lb test & 1/32oz Panther Martin and casting out to the middle of the flow.
Comments:Great flows now
Name:Rusty Court

Where:Lower Salt- Water Users
When:02/14/09
Caught:2 Rainbows
Technique:Drifted night crawlers with a bobber and 3-4ft of depth
Comments:Had to use my waders and get out into the river a bit, but managed to get two rainbows, one was 13in and the other 11in.
Name:Nathan

Where:Tempe Town Lake
When:02/15/09
Caught:One Trout
Technique:Extra Scented Power Bait/Caught around 10:00am

Where:Lower Salt River
When:02/02/09
Caught:Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout
Technique:Fly fishing from personal pontoon & wading. Drifting nymphs & wooly-buggers.
Comments:Fished 2/2-2/4 from Water Users down to Granite Reef. Beautiful trip, but the fishing was VERY slow. Saw lots of "fishy" looking spots, but saw no fish! I tried just about everything over the course of 3 solid days and only caught one tiny rainbow and two tinier bass. Ran into several other fishermen that seemed equally frustrated. If you've had recent success here, please share it!
Name:Chris

Where:Lower salt river
When:02/05/09
Caught:caught and released 8 rainbows
Technique:black yellow Rooster Tail- Best luck drifting from rapids to slower water
Comments:all decent size(12inches)
Name:Larry

Where:Lower Salt River - Water Users
When:02/01/09
Caught:3 Trout
Technique:Fished a Panther Martin where the current meets calmer water.
Comments:
Got nothing to bite on any flies but saw another fly fisherman catch at least 3 on stoneflies.
Name:Joe Freye

CREEKS – According to Arizona Fly Fishing you might want to check the flows to where you want to go and if we don’t get any rain and the northern temperatures are not too hot to spur major runoff you may get a couple weeks of decent fishing, before the inevitable runoff begins.

COLORADO RIVER NORTHWEST

LAKE POWELL -- Welcome back!

Spring is right around the corner and that will be followed closely by good fishing. Water temperature finally climbed out of the 40s. Fishing success improves dramatically when morning temperature hits 54 degrees. Fishing really blasts off when morning water temperature is 57 because that means afternoon temperature on that day will usually exceed 60. Warm water fish love 60 degree water.

Right now the first fish to stir are largemouth bass and walleye. Walleye are close to spawning with warming water being the trigger. That is not so good for catching because walleye don't eat when actively spawning. BUT, the larger females will eat just prior to spawning. The largest walleye population is in the upper lake near Hite. Look there for the best chance of catching early spring walleye. The same warming trigger gets largemouth bass moving.

Smallmouth bass pull the covers over their head and continue to sleep until the 57-degree temperature plateau is reached. Expect largemouth to come into shallow water in the afternoon to bask in slightly warmer water near a south facing rock wall that collects solar heat and transmits it to surrounding water. Fishing is not fast by any stretch, but some of the largest bass of the year are caught during March.

Striped bass are always prowling looking for food. They come up to 25 feet to look and then drop back down to the 60-90 foot depths to wait. They can be caught at either location. The best springtime chance is with shallow fish.

This spring expect stripers to be near the back of the canyon where shad have spent the winter. They will not venture out into the main channel until much later than usual. Follow the bottom contour until the average depth is 25 feet. Then use slow moving stump jumpers, road runners or hard baits like Shad Raps and pointers. I often troll in the spring top cover lots of water trying to intercept an active school. Keep an eye trained on the graph. Stationary schools can be activated with spoons or anchovy bait. If the school stays in one spot then multiple fish may be caught until they decide to move on. When they exit, return to search mode to find more willing fish.

The best fishing location by far is Hite. The far south primitive ramp is still useable with about 5 feet of depth. Be careful heading toward the main channel. It may be best to use the electric motor until in deeper water. Then head downstream to the confluence of White/Farley/Trachyte. Start there for a good fishing trip.

It's good to be back. I will see you on the lake.

LEES FERRY – Fishing report courtesy Lees Ferry Anglers.

Today’s Fly Fishing: Fish have definitely moved onto the reds, and spawning activity is picking up. Fish are stacking up on gravel flats, also during low water flows fish are holding in eddies and break-water and eating on the surface. During hi-flows nymphing riffles and shelves has produced good numbers of fish.

Guides and clients came back to the shop smiling today, nymphing #20-22 midges in the riffles and seams were good all day. As the day progressed and water levels dropped, risers moved into the foam line in eddies and sipped midges hungrily, dry dropper rigs have been very productive for quality fish. During hi-flows, nymphing eggs and worms generated many takes. Longer leader, longer drift = longer fish!

Walk in: I have been getting a lot of mixed reports for this area. Some anglers are having great success and others are reporting that the fishing is slow. I know that I have mentioned that early morning and late afternoon are the best times to fish this section. Yet, some anglers will stay there all day and fish the same spot. Move around a bit, check your rig often to make sure every thing is correct. Most of all, you have to have just the right amount of weight so the fly is ticking the bottom. Not dredging and not going 18 inches over the target. The last and most important, are you really getting a true dead drift?

Spin Fishing: Spin fishermen, pack your equipment and get here. Spin fishing has been producing 40-50 fish days. Bouncing eggs and midges deep is working well along with back trolling Rapalas. Fish are being caught in 12-14 feet of water with spin rigs. Marabou jigs have also been working well!

Fishing Synopsis and Forecast by Terry Gunn: Spring has arrived at Lees Ferry, I have always considered Feb. 15 to be our first day of spring, not only is the weather warming but the sun is moving higher in the sky and once again flooding the canyon corridor with sunlight. As usual, the midges are responding to the arrival of the sun and the hatches are beginning in earnest and the trout have just this week begun to move into the riffles to feed on the emerging midge pupae.

The last few days I have been drifting a worm and a midge in the deep tail-out of the riffles and 90-percent of the trout have been eating the midge.

The spawn is just trickling along; it started with a bang in early December and has been slowly increasing in intensity the last few weeks. I get the feeling that the fish are currently staging for a major push into a full blown spawn within the next couple of weeks. Although it is important to keep in mind that spawn of the past 2 years has been off the charts in intensity and survivability so the fish may take a break this year.

The current water flows are perfect wading and drifting flows for fishing Lees Ferry and these same flows will continue for the next several months. I expect the fishing this spring to be a banner year and likely better than the last several years.

The average size of the fish is the largest of this decade; most of the fish that I put in my net are 16 to 17-in with many that are larger. I recently had a father and son get a double hookup and both landed fish in excess of 20-inches at the same time. It has been more than 20 years since I have seen this happen.

A few days before, a client landed a substantial 24-in long fish and I’m seeing a bunch of big fish in the river. We are also starting to catch some of the “little guys” that were part of the mass spawn of last year and the year before, these 12-in fish are growing fast and I always remind everyone that it takes small fish to make big fish.

Is this a peak before another down turn in the fishery? No, this is the beginning of a trend that is set to continue for at least a couple of years, and if nature cooperates and gives us moisture in the Rocky Mountains, and Lake Powell continues to rise, this trend of healthy trout populations and good fishing will continue for the next several years.

The turning point and the beginning for the recovery of the Lees Ferry fishery occurred in 2005 when Lake Powell had the first above normal snow-pack and runoff year since 1997.

Last year we had almost exactly the same conditions. The above normal winter snow pack and runoff into Lake Powell in 2007-08, stirred up a tremendous amount of nutrient laden sediment that had accumulated at the lake mouths of the Colorado River, San Juan River, and the Green River. Lake Powell elevation increased 43-ft. and the rivers flowing into the lake mixed the sediment and nutrients into the lake water. It usually takes several months before we see this mixing affect the nutrient load in the water that enters the river from Glen Canyon dam. The increased nutrient load in the lake and river will be evident this coming spring by the enormous and dramatic increase in aquatic vegetation and aquatic organisms throughout the river.
For those of you that remember what the fishing was like in 1999 and 2000…you should be as excited as I am about the current conditions and what the increased nutrient load should do for the fishing at Lees Ferry.

Lots of stuff happening at the Ferry and it is all good!

RECENT FISHING: With the water flows once again fluctuating and lower flows; we have been fishing from the boat as well as wading the riffles. The best fishing technique has been using a “heavy nymph rig” which is a 9 to 12-ft leader, strike indicator, split shot, and dual fly rig. I have been using 6X fluorocarbon tippet and feel that the lighter tippet results in a much higher success rate than say 5X. Anglers might argue that they break fish off on such light tippet but my argument is that in order to break a fish off, you first have to first get a fish to eat your fly and you are going to get more eaters with lighter tippet than heaver tippet.

When wading the riffles you need long dead drifts. There are 2 types of drifts; perfect dead drifts and all other drifts. Perfect dead drifts catch fish at Lees Ferry; all other drifts don’t catch fish here. You get a dead drift by mending the line, then throwing slack line on the water. If your line is straight from your rod tip to your indicator or you move your indicator during the drift, then your drift is not perfect and will not catch fish. The key to success is to stay over fish, get the flies down to the bottom, and get a long, perfect dead drift.

Word has it that the “walk-in’ is fishing very well. There are times in the spring that this area actually fishes better than upriver. Look for this area to continue fishing well until the summer high water arrives.

The high flow experiment, 4/08, was basically a non event as far as the fishery is concerned. It came and went with few visible changes to the river or the fishery. For more details and to see my complete comments go here: http://coloradoriverconservancy.org/
The experimental steady flows that occurred in September and October 2008 (12,000 constant) were beneficial to the river and are scheduled again for 2009.

In years past, the flows in September and October have been the lowest flows of the year and have reset the “green line” to the 5,000-cfs level from the 12,000-cfs level of the summer flows. This has effectively reduced the food supply in the river by a significant amount. Then the higher flows of November and December arrive; but because of the declining sun angle and the shade of the cliffs, photosynthesis and aquatic production in the river declines and the areas of the river that were desiccated by the low flows do not regenerate until the following spring. This did not happen this year because of the steady flows in September and October the green line stayed high. The current fluctuating flows (7,500-cfs to 13,000-cfs) are continuing to keep the green line higher than in years past. There have been prolific midge and black-fly hatches every day and it appears as though the scud population has a higher density than any time since 2004.

For details on Lake Powell conditions and snow-pack, go here: http://lakepowell.water-data.com/
For a real time graphic view of water releases and ramp rates go here: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis/uv?09380000

New guides at Lees Ferry Anglers: The last couple of years we have had several long time guide staff move on to bigger and hopefully better things. Last year we had 3 new guides join our team, though new to our organization they are not new to guiding. Luke Blaser, Tom Jones, and JD Miller have joined our team. They bring with them a couple of decades of combined guiding experience on various waters around the world, college degrees, and an enthusiasm for guiding that is contagious. I’m proud to introduce these fellows and I’m sure that you will agree that they are a great addition to our team.

The AZ Game and Fish Department has detected whirling disease in a very small percentage of Lees Ferry trout that were collected for a random sampling. A more recent sampling turned up no sign of the disease, which may mean that it was a “one time” exposure, where the disease was not established or that the disease is present but at a very low prevalence. Anglers should still use caution in cleaning their equipment both before and after they have fished here or in other waters. For more information visit: http://www.whirling-disease.org

LAKE MEAD – No new reports- Lake Mead water levels are fairly stable at around 1,111 feet above msl. Fishing remains on the slow side from Temple Bar up through Greggs Basin. An occasional striper is being caught down below 40-feet on anchovies.

Launching conditions at South Cove have remained nearly the same for the last three months. The new concrete ramp the National Park Service just completed is two lanes with cones marking the edges. Use caution not to go off the sides of the metal extensions at either side. National Park Service is working to keep the ramp open.

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 is around 642 feet above msl is the current elevation. Fishing for stripers seems to be pretty good in the southern portion of the lake. One angler reported catching a limit of 20-inch stripers in 5 hrs. The fish cleaning station at Katherine’s Landing is not working. National Park service is repairing it, but it will be several weeks before it is up and running. Lots of bass and bluegill located on fish habitat in 10-15 ft. As the aquatic vegetation has died off, the fish have consolidated around submerged trees and brush.

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 and now Shoshone. Fish habitat consists of PVC structures, wood pallet structures, Tamarisk bundles, and some Christmas trees. The largemouth, bluegill and catfish are really utilizing the new structures. Additional habitat will be added at several locations over the next two years. These structures are fish magnets.

There is a wheelchair accessible fishing pier just south of the main launch ramp at Katherine's Landing. If you fish Mohave and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

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 - Trout are stocked every Friday. Fishing has been pretty good for trout. Most of the success has been coming from or around the new pier. Try using green Power Worms, or salmon eggs.

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 mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.
For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department's web pages at www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

TOPOCK MARSH – Water level should be down for the winter, so be careful while launching. The fishing has been slow.

Game and Fish biologists surveyed the Marsh starting on the week of Jan. 15. The largemouth bass population was observed to be very healthy, as well as channel catfish. Crappie were also present, but in smaller numbers.

You can access the marsh by boat at 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.

For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department's web pages at www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

COLORADO RIVER BELOW DAVIS DAM –The striper bite has been slow. Trout are stocked once a month at both Davis camp and the Riverside. Look for the trout fishing to be good immediately following the stocking.

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 mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Web pages at www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

SOUTHWESTERN ARIZONA

LAKE HAVASU -- Lake Level 448.24

Report courtesy John Galbraith of Anglers Pro Shop
Lake Havasu City

Striped bass bite is fair with limits of medium size stripers coming on trolled cut anchovies rigged on a 2/0 hook, 3-4 ft. leader and a 1.5 to 3-ounce banana sinker or fish seeker used to keep the anchovy skipping on the bottom. Bottom bouncers work well too. Still some action during the dark hours of the morning using Stump Jumpers, Pointers and glow Sassy Shads around Thompson bay and south at Havasu Springs.

Smallmouth bass hitting red craw colored crankbaits and drop shotted curly-tail Robo Worms in oxblood or red craw colors fished in 8 to 20 feet of water.

Fishing report for courtesy Karen Coats, Sandpoint Bait and Tackle Shop: A few small–and I stress small–catfish are being taken at North Dyke in the Topock Marsh. Fishing news from the Topock Gorge is light. Striper action may be off, but the smallmouth and largemouth bass bite remains solid.

The smallmouth bass are in pre-spawn and expected to hit their stride soon. But alas, another chill befell our area which sent the water back down to 50 degrees. It isn’t as cold, so bass aficionados expect the temperature to be back up in no time.

Some anglers have been power fishing with white and chartreuse spinnerbaits and others have been using white swim baits. Still others prefer finesse fishing with motor oil colored plastic worms. Both techniques have been producing fish up to 4-pounds.

ALAMO LAKE – This is a bass and crappie hot spot. This warm weather has turned on the fishing – it’s time to fish this lake..

The large crappie flotilla should be active in the huge flats on the eastern end of the lake where the Bill Williams River enters the lake. The recent storm last week caused a slight increase in the inflows, but probably not enough to impact the bite. For crappies, try live minnows, Road Runners and 1/16-ounce jigs.

You might even find some largemouth bass staging for the spawn – it’s possible this time of year.

Also try for the abundant channel catfish. Live minnows might just be the ticket for these bottom feeders. Channel catfish here will also feed in the threadfin shad, and anglers using crankbaits can sometimes find catfish surprises on the end of their lines.

The annual Alamo Lake clean up is 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 28 and the Arizona State Parks is waiving the camping and boat launch fees for those registered for this effort.

Participants are staying at the Cholla Campground and clean up boats will launch a the Cholla Launch Ramp as well. Please fee free to come and camp out on Friday night because the clean up will start at 8 a.m.

There will also be a dinner and door prices on Saturday evening following the clean up. It’s a lot of fun – come join us.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department will operate a pontoon boat for collecting shoreline litter, and will also have a dump truck to haul away the trash.

For more information, contact Wildlife Manager Stewart Kohnke at (928- 684-3763 or (928) 342-0091.

The following report is courtesy Mark Knapp, Alamo Lake State Park: Well folks, all in all fishing is pretty good out here. The lake is on the rise as I write this. Bass fishing turned on early this year. You can catch bass in 1 to 15 feet of water throwing training wheels (crankbaits and spinnerbaits) I'm still holding my own with Wolly hog tails and 4-inch lizards. Watermelon green is still the hot ticket.

Crappie fishing is decent. It's hard to miss the flotilla in the upper end of the lake. If you’re new at this type of fishing, there's a couple of things to consider. First off, everyone is trolling in the same direction and has about 30 to 40 feet of line out behind each boat. If you go plowing through the middle of everyone, then have the nerve to throw out a marker buoy once you catch a fish, and tell everyone else to stay out of there, then be prepared to be verbally abused and then some. This happened this last weekend out here. You talk about some honked off fisherman. Try to play nice out there. The crappies are in 20 feet of water right now. Any color roadrunner jig with a minnow trailer will work fine.

Cat fishing is really good in the upper end of the lake. If you get up where the river is flowing in and throw night crawlers or stink bait you should be able to boat 8 to 10 cat fish. Shore fishing is still kinda slow. Both ramps are in operation at this time. The lake level is at 1,124ish with releases of 40 cfs, but is subject to change any day now. That's all I got. Mark

Angler reports:

Where:lake alamo
When:02/07/09
Caught:large mouth bass
Technique:4''- SENKOS SMOKE WITH RED FLAKE RIGGED WACKY STYLE- ASO ORANGE COLORED CRAKS SHALLOW RUNNERS
Comments:ARRIVED LATE SATURDAY NITE STARTED FISHING AROUND 0730 SUNDAY POINTS AND INSIDE COVES WEST SIDE OF LAKE TOTAL FISH COUNT FOR TWO DAYS 83 BASS BIGGEST BASS 4LBS
Name:gary shanley

SOUTHWESTERN WATERS (Winter Outlook 2008-2009):

Winter Outlook 2009:

Alamo Lake:

Alamo Lake is not expected to increase much in surface acreage from its present 3,700 acres, as the Corps of Engineers changes its release regimes from Alamo Dam to maintain the reservoir at the targeted 1,125-foot level.

However, increased inflow into Alamo Lake brings in additional nutrients, which generally improves the fishery, sometimes dramatically. The largemouth bass and black crappie populations at Alamo Lake are currently healthy, and poised to benefit from an increased food supply.

The primary prey base of these species is the threadfin shad. Increased nutrients in the system should stimulate the plankton community, upon which the shad feed. This should, in turn, stimulate increased production of shad, which could be a very good thing for growing bass and crappie this year.

Bass numbers are good in Alamo Lake, but large bass are relatively uncommon. Given abundant food resources, bass can grow quickly, and we are hoping the largemouth bass population will respond accordingly. Regardless, the current lake elevation, resulting from the last two years of decent inflow, should ensure that fishing at Alamo Lake will be good to excellent for the next couple of years.

Lake Havasu & Topock Gorge:

Fishing for largemouth bass, as well as smallmouth bass, is expected to be fair. The size will range from 13 inches and up with an occasional fish greater than 4 pounds. Striped bass will continue to be excellent for small fish (12-18 inches) with occasional fish over 8 pounds.

The lake is also full of smaller stripers, which will make it challenging to catch the larger fish.

Channel catfish as well as bluegill & redear sunfish will be fair to good. Flathead catfish fishing should be fair at the lower end of the lake (Bill Williams River Arm) through the fall. Sizes of flathead catfish can reach as high as 40 pounds. When fishing for them select the interior points in the coves and the areas where artificial structure has been placed.

The cooler weather causes the bite to slow down so it is important to work your lures more slowly and in deeper water. Put away your topwater lures and switch to plastics, crank baits, spinner baits, jigs, cut fish, live shad, etc.

Colorado River (Parker Strip Area):

Smallmouth bass with fish over two pounds in size are expected to be fair this winter. In addition, redear sunfish should also be fair 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 are always fair in this section of the Colorado River. Below the dam, striper fishing should also be fair, using live shad or anchovies this winter.

This stretch of the river will be low during the month of January so access will be limited. The good news is that the fish will be concentrated during that time period.

Colorado River (between Palo Verde Diversion Dam and Walter's Camp):

This area should be fair for both smallmouth bass (in the channel) and largemouth bass (in the backwaters) throughout the entire area. Channel and flathead catfish are always fair to good in this section of the Colorado River. Most of the flathead catfish will be in the 2 to 5 pound size range with an occasional fish over 30 pounds. The time for fishing for both species of catfish is in the evening to midnight.

Colorado River (between Walter's Camp and Picacho State Park):

This section of the Colorado River is relatively remote and can only be accessed by boat from either end. Fishing is expected to be fair to good for flathead catfish with sizes over 40 pounds. The best time for fishing for both species of catfish will be in the evening to midnight. Largemouth bass and bluegill are also present in the various backwaters and slack water areas. Other species available in the main river are smallmouth bass and striped bass.

Colorado River (between Picacho State Park and Imperial Dam):

This area is expected to be fair to good for largemouth bass, channel catfish, and flathead catfish. Bass and channel catfish in excess of 5 pounds are present along with flathead catfish as large as 40 pounds. Bluegill are also present in the various backwaters and an occasional striped bass will be caught in the main river channel.

Colorado River (between Laguna and Morelos dams):

This area will be fair for largemouth bass and flathead catfish. Bass in excess of 5 pounds are common and flathead catfish over 20 pounds are a good bet. In this area accessibility to the river is dependent on the amount of water being released. Usually shallow draft boats work the best. The lower end has had some dredging work done and larger boats may be able to get on the river in that area.

With the increase in border issues and illegal activity on the lower end of this stretch, we recommend exercising extreme caution, avoiding nighttime use, or even staying away from the area altogether (Pilot Knob to Moreles Dam).

Regional Hot Spots:

Alamo Lake will be the hot spot for largemouth bass and channel catfish. There are many fish in the lake at the present time (especially channel catfish), and keeping some to eat will not impact the population in the slightest, and will perhaps even enhance it. Next choice would be Lake Havasu for striped bass, Lake Havasu and the Parker Strip for smallmouth bass, and Martinez Lake and Imperial Division backwaters for largemouth bass. For the die-hard flathead catfish angler, large catfish can still be caught from Walter’s Camp down to Imperial Dam, although fishing likely won’t be as effective as in the warmer months.

If you need any additional information or assistance don't hesitate to contact the Yuma Regional office at (928) 341-4052 and we will be happy to give you whatever information we have.

CENTRAL MOUNTAINS
Note: Always check on road conditions before venturing afield.

Williams Lakes:

KAIBAB LAKE — Stocked last week with 7,200 trout around eight inches long. The lake is accessible although the campground is still closed. These early season trout will sometimes readily gulp down delectable items they haven’t seen for some time, like wiggling night crawlers or meal worms.

CATARACT LAKE — Campgrounds are closed. Must walk in to fish.

CITY RESERVOIR — No report.

DOGTOWN LAKE — Campground area is closed.

JD DAM — No reports.

RUSSEL TANK - No reports.

SANTA FE — Lake is full. No reports

WHITEHORSE LAKE — Campgrounds are closed. No reports.
Flagstaff Lakes:

LOWER LAKE MARY — Stocked on March 4 with 1,000 rainbows, which is the first installment of 15,000 trout heading to this lake. The lake size is about 50 surface acres now, but snow melt should increase its size by the prime spring fishing season. Biologists are expecting good things from this highly productive lake this season.

UPPER LAKE MARY — The lake is almost full (four feet down).

ASHURST LAKE — The lake is full. Access is apparently closed. Probably ice covered.

FRANCIS SHORT POND – No report. Likely ice covered.

KINNIKINICK LAKE — Access conditions unknown. Road is likely closed.

MARSHALL LAKE — Access conditions unknown. Road is likely closed.

LONG LAKE — The lake did have open water a few weeks ago, but access may be questionable. Water level is good. Lake was stocked last year. This lake was producing some nice trout and pike last fall, so might be worth a try this spring once the snow melts and the roads are passable.

SOLDIERS & SOLDIERS ANNEX — No reports.

BEAVER CREEK — No report. Scheduled for stocking the week of March 9. It is possible to pick up some holdover trout in the creek well upstream from the crossing.

WEST CLEAR CREEK — No report. Was last stocked in the fall and won’t be stocked again until the week of March 9. However, this stream can have some nice holdover fish in the deeper pools upstream in the rugged canyon..

STONEMAN LAKE — NO FISH.

Verde Valley

DEAD HORSE STATE PARK – Fishing in general has been very good. It is not uncommon for anglers to report catching their limit in less than 1 hour. If you are willing to fish all day you should be able to get a limit. Trout were stocked the week of Feb 23rd. 3,600 rainbow trout are split between the lower and middle lagoons each stocking. The stockings have been so frequent that any day is a good day to fish, even the day before the stockings. Try using white PowerBait, homemade dough baits, flies or small spinners. If you’re not catching anything you may want to try a different bait or the other lagoon. It is not uncommon for the anglers at one lagoon to do better than the anglers at the other lagoon.

Catfish were last stocked on September 17th in both the middle and lower lagoons. Verde River day festivities on September 27th were a success with around 300 people attending. As the water temperature continues to cool, the bass, bluegill and catfish become less active.

VERDE RIVER (throughout Verde Valley) –Trout are scheduled to be stocked this week, the week of March 2nd. 2,400 rainbows will be stocked into all four sites. Those sites are Tuzigoot Bridge, just down from the Deadhorse Bridge or “Jacks”, Bignotti Beach or the Thousand Trails site, and the bridge out of Camp Verde. The next stocking is scheduled for next week (week of March 2nd.)

Prescott Area

FAIN LAKE — Fain lake will be closed for most of the day on Thursday while Prescott Valley Parks removes cattails. Trout were stocked last week, the week of Feb 23; 1,325 rainbow trout went in without a hitch. Anglers targeting trout were successful. Trout fishing is best immediately following the stocking. For trout try using spinners or bright colored Power Bait.
Catfish and sunfish were stocked the week of June 23.

GOLDWATER LAKE — The are scheduled to be stocked this week, the week of March 2. The next scheduled stocking is for the week of March 16th. Look for the fishing to really pick up following the stocking. Some anglers are having limited success on worms and night crawlers. If that does not work, you may want to try using KastMasters. When the weather is cold, the bite may not pick up until 10 or 11.

Catfish and bass were stocked the week of Sept. 15. Game and Fish biologists weighed a 22-pound channel catfish that was caught at Goldwater in March. On July 11, a 26-pound catfish was caught on a hot dog and an 11-pound catfish was caught since then.

Game and Fish Biologists surveyed Goldwater on Sept. 16, 2008 and found the trout and sunfish plentiful. While the number of catfish was low, the quality was exceptional. One 19lbs and a 14lbs catfish was sampled and released. No bass were sampled this year. If you fish Goldwater and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

Granite Basin - Bluegill and bass are plentiful in this lake. The aquatic vegetation has not been bad this year making fishing this lake easier than normal. The bite should be pretty slow all winter. If you fish Granite Basin and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

LYNX LAKE — Rainbow trout were stocked the week of Feb. 2. The fishing has picked up following the stocking, but angler use has remained low. The next stocking is scheduled for next week, the week of March 9. Sub-catchable brook trout were stocked on Sept. 24. Try using chartreuse Power Bait on the bottom for these pretty little fish. Catfish were stocked June 9 and again on June 25. Try using night crawlers or hot dogs for the catfish.

Game and Fish Biologists installed PVC fish structures on Jan. 3. These structures should protect small fishes from predation. Some 7-inch brook trout were in February and 5-inchers in September. Game and Fish stocked catfish the week of June 4. There were 200 pounds of bluegill stocked on March 29. Game and Fish biologists surveyed Lynx in May and found that the brook trout stocked in September 2006 were still present.

MINGUS LAKE – As of last weekend, the gate was still closed on the road into this small fishery. Mingus was stocked the week of Oct. 20. This was the last scheduled stocking until spring. The best bait has been orange or pink Power Bait, fished on the bottom with a treble hook and an egg sinker.

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 NEW REPORTS: Bass, Bluegill and catfish are common in this lake. One angler reported seeing several 5lb catfish recently. Another angler reported catching 3-8 nice bass per evening on green or chartreuse “wooly buggers.” As the water begins to cool this will slow, so get them while you can. Crappies are found in low numbers. Bullheads are easily caught using a small piece of worm.

Game and Fish Biologists surveyed Watson on Sept. 17, 2008 and found the bass, sunfish, and bullhead to be plentiful. Crappies are 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 mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

WILLOW CREEK RESERVOIR – NO NEW REPORTS: Bass, bluegill, and bullhead are plentiful. Most of the bluegills are on the small side, but the bullheads are thick. If you fish Willow and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

MOGOLLON RIM LAKES
RIM LAKES: The runoff season is underway. With the warmer weather, ice is starting to diminish on the lakes. All ice should be considered unstable. Snow is still creating an access issue at most Rim lakes. The gates on Interior roads are still closed. Access is by snowmobile only, but in some places, snow is patchy even though there are still lots of huge drifts. Contact the US Forest Service’s Black Mesa Ranger District office at (928) 535-7300 for up-to-date information about forest and road conditions.

CHEVELON LAKE — The lake is accessible from the north (Winslow) via four-wheel-drive on a muddy road. Fishing is fair to good. Anglers are catching trout on lures. The lake is open. The lake is full and spilling. Forest roads from the south are closed. Forest road 169 north is open to Forest road 169B and Forest road 169B to the lake is muddy with some snow pack so 4-wheel-drive vehicles are needed to get to the lake. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and /or up to 10 hp. gas motors.

This is hike-in, steep sided canyon lake with limited shoreline access that is best fished from a float tube or other floating device.

BEAR CANYON LAKE — The lake is ice-covered. Check ice thickness before venturing out on the lake. The lake is inaccessible by motor vehicle, except snowmobiles. Forest Road 300 is closed.

BLACK CANYON LAKE — The lake is ice-covered. Check ice thickness before venturing out on the lake. The lake is inaccessible by vehicle, except for snowmobiles. Forest Road 300 is closed.
BLUE RIDGE – Not accessible, but the lake is full and spilling.

WILLOW SPRINGS LAKE — The lake is ice-covered. Check ice thickness before venturing out on the lake. The lake is inaccessible by vehicle, except for snowmobiles. Forest Road 149 is closed.

WOODS CANYON LAKE — The lake is ice-covered. Check ice thickness before venturing out on the lake. The lake is inaccessible by vehicle, except for snowmobiles. Forest Road 300 is closed. The store is still closed for winter.

WHITE MOUNTAIN LAKES

High mountain lakes as well as streams are ice covered. Check ice thickness before venturing out on lakes. Forest roads are snow packed.

State Highway 261 is closed to vehicles accessing Big Lake and Crescent Lake. Snowmobile access is permitted. State Highway 273 on the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest is undergoing reconstruction and realignment and the following closures are in effect. State Highway 273 from the Forest and Fort Apache Indian Reservation boundary is closed to Crescent Lake, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will remain closed until the road construction project is complete.

Most interior Forest Roads are closed and/or inaccessible to vehicles. Snowmobile access is permitted.
BECKER LAKE — Fishing is fair. The lake is ice-free.

The lake is open to artificial lure and fly only, barbless hooks only, and a two-trout limit. Try small lures such as Super Dupers, spinners (Panther Martin, Rooster Tail, and Mepps), KastMasters (gold or silver), and Z-Rays. Try small nymphs such as zebra midges, scuds, pheasant tails, hares ear, zug bugs, prince nymphs, wooly worms and wooly buggers, brown and gray semi-seal leeches. Also try dragon fly patterns, peacock ladies, and brown Montana stone nymphs.

Fish off the bottom along weed beds and retrieve your fly slowly. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10 hp. gas motors. There is a new fishing pier with a handicap walkway located at the northwestern part of the lake

BIG LAKE — Ice fishing is fair to good. Accessible by snowmobile only. The lake is ice-covered. The lake is ice-covered. Check ice thickness before venturing out on the lake. Try worms, Power Bait, and salmon eggs, and lures such as small spoons and jigs. State Highway 261 from Eager/Springerville is closed to vehicles but open to snowmobiles. State Highway 273 from the Forest and Fort Apache Indian Reservation boundary to Crescent Lake is closed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will remain closed until the road construction project is completed. Snowmobile access is permitted. The store is closed for the winter.

CARNERO LAKE -- The lake is ice-covered Check ice thickness before venturing out on the lake. Forest roads to the lake are inaccessible by vehicle, except for snowmobiles. .

CLEAR CREEK RESERVOIR — Fishing is poor. The lake is ice-free. Try fishing with a bobber, split shot and worms near rocky shoreline areas for sunfish and bass. The old boat ramp has been re-opened. The new boat ramp near the dam is blocked off because of very low water levels and thick weeds near this ramp. Try worms, Power Bait, Salmon eggs, and lures such as spinners (Panther Martin, Rooster tail, and Mepps), Z-Rays, crank baits, spinner baits, and Rapalas, and flies such as woolly worms or woolly buggers, Yeager buggers, and peacock ladies. There are no motor restrictions on Clear Creek Reservoir. The gate on the north side of the lake is usually closed during the winter months, while the road on the south side of the lake is open.

CONCHO LAKE — Fishing is poor. The lake is ice-free and weedy. The water level low. There is practically no water at the boat ramp. If you choose to fish at Concho Lake, target the small areas of open water between the weeds off the dam. The rest of the lake is not fishable.

CRESCENT LAKE — Fishing is fair to good. The lake is ice-covered. Check ice thickness before venturing out on the lake. Anglers have been catching trout on small jigs and worms. Try worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, small spoons and jigs.

State Highway 261 from Eager/Springerville to Crescent-Big Lakes is closed to vehicles but open to snowmobiles. State Highway 273 from the Forest and Fort Apache Indian Reservation to Crescent Lake is closed 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, due to continuing road construction. Snowmobile access is permitted

FOOL HOLLOW LAKE — Fishing is fair. The lake is ice-free, full and spilling. Boat ramps are usable. Anglers have been catching a few small trout and bass on worms. Try worms, Power Bait, lures such as spinners, spoons, lead head jigs, and Rapalas, and flies such as wooly worms and wooly buggers. Try fishing off rocky areas and around fishing piers. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10 hp gas motors.

GREER LAKES — The Greer lakes are ice-covered. Unsafe ice conditions.

HULSEY LAKE — The lake is ice-covered. Unsafe ice conditions.

LEE VALLEY RESERVOIR — An angler recently asked about possible access – via foot – to Lee Valley this spring. Other anglers might find the answer valuable.

If you have a snowmobile, you can access Lee Valley Lake right now, but it is iced over. Our limnological surveys through the ice this winter show that Lee Valley Lake will likely NOT winterkill, but we still have at least a couple months of ice cover to go. We will be checking Lee Valley, Crescent and Carnero lakes weekly as part of a winterkill study we are doing, hopefully to gather information that will help us reduce the occurrence of winterkill in the future.

There have not been many grayling in Lee Valley Lake because they are so difficult to come by, we have to drive a hatchery truck to Wyoming to pick them up. However, we did stock several thousand subcatchable size grayling in Lee Valley in May 2008. They should be doing okay and put on some size by the time the lake opens in the spring.

Normally I would recommend fishing near the creek inlet in late April and May because they will often congregate there in an attempt to spawn in the creek, but these fish will likely not be reproductively active yet, so they could be anywhere in the lake.

However, we have surveyed some very large Apache trout over the last few years during the road closure, up to 4.5 pounds. We caught them all in one net at the creek inlet one year, then right off the dam the next year. Go figure.

The road from Sunrise was officially open this last summer up to the junction with Forest Road 87 (back road to Greer), then closed from there to Crescent Lake. The Forest had set up a temporary trailhead at that junction that tied into the west baldy trail. Some anglers would take this trail to the West Baldy Trail, then take the crossover trail towards the East Baldy Trail.

This crossover trail crosses Lee Valley Creek about 1/2 mile upstream of Lee Valley Lake. Folks were not allowed to bike or hike along the closed road because of safety reasons, plus the Forest had an official closure on the road and the Sheep's Crossing area (eliminating hiking access from Greer). Technically folks could not set foot into this closure without permission from the National Highways folks.

Anglers/hikers could also reach the crossover trail from another temporary trailhead that accessed the East Baldy Trail from the Burro Mountain area, but I did not know the details of how to get there (I found it once on the Apache-Sitgreaves Forest web-site).

As of today, the road is still officially closed, mostly for winter conditions, as they are not doing construction on it right now. It is open to snowmobiles though. The road will still be closed initially when things thaw out in the spring.

However, they tell us they are mostly complete, they just need to add a sealant.I don't yet know when the Forest's closure will be lifted. As long as that closure is in place, folks will not be able to step foot onto the closed road (the exception is for snowmobiles this winter).

As we get closer to spring, we will coordinate with the Forest and provide information to anglers as we get it. Then the road should be open for good sometime in early summer.

Keep checking back with us and we'll pass on that information when we get it. Whatever happens though, you should be able to hike into the lake via the crossover trail from the West Baldy Trail.

Mike Lopez

The roads to Lee Valley Lake are closed. The lake is ice-covered. State Highway 261 from Eager/Springerville to Crescent-Big Lakes is closed. Highway 273 from the Forest and Fort Apache Indian Reservation to Forest road 87 is open but is closed beyond the Forest road 273/87 junction road to Crescent Lake 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, due to continuing road construction but is open to snowmobiles.

LUNA LAKE — Fishing is fair. The lake is ice-free, full and spilling. Try worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, lures such as Panther Martin, Rooster Tail, and Mepps spinners, small spoons like KastMasters and Super Dupers, and flies such as wooly worms and wooly buggers, peacock ladies, zug bugs, prince nymphs, and brown Montana stones. The store is closed for the winter. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10 hp. gas motors.

LYMAN LAKE — Fishing is poor to fair. The lake is ice-free. The lake has some ice-cover along the shoreline areas. Try worms, Power Bait, catfish stink baits, and lures such as spinners (Panther Martin, Rooster Tail, and Mepps), crank baits, and Rapalas. Try fishing lures along rocky areas for bass and walleye.

There is fish consumption advisory here, so check with the State Parks Office at the lake for details. Also contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Region 1 Office at (928) 367-4281. There are no motor restrictions on Lyman Lake. The store is closed for the winter.

NELSON RESERVOIR — Fishing is poor to fair. The lake is ice-free. The lake is full and spilling. Fishing bag limits are now unlimited for rainbow and brown trout from Sept. 1 through March 31.
RAINBOW LAKE — Fishing is poor. The lake is ice-free, full and spilling. The boat ramp is usable. Try worms, Power Bait, lures such as spinners (Panther Martin, Rooster Tail, and Mepps) spoons (Super Dupers, Daredevils), and Rapalas, and flies such as wooly worms, wooly buggers, and peacock ladies. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10 hp gas motors.

SCOTTS RESERVOIR — Fishing is fair. The lake is ice-free, especially during warm weather days but on cold weather days expect thin, unsafe ice conditions. The lake is full and spilling..

SHOW LOW LAKE — Fishing is fair. The lake is ice-free, full and spilling. The fishing piers are not accessible from the shoreline because of rising water levels. The boat ramp is usable. Anglers are catching 12- to 14-inch rainbow trout on flies. Try worms, Power Bait, lures such as spinners (Panther Martin, Rooster tail, and Mepps), spoons such as Super Dupers, lead head jigs, Rapalas, and flies such as wooly worms, wooly buggers, prince nymphs, peacock ladies and brown Montana Stones.

The road to the dam has water flowing over the road, so use caution when driving to the dam. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10 hp gas motors. The store is closed.

WOODLAND LAKE — Fishing is poor. The boat ramp is not usable. The fishing pier is on the boat ramp for repairs. The lake is ice-free due to warm weather days, but on cold weather days expect thin, unsafe ice conditions. The lake is full and spilling.

Try worms. Power Bait, spinners (Panther Martin, Rooster tail, and Mepps), spoons such as Super Dupers, and flies such as wooly worms, wooly buggers, peacock ladies, prince nymphs, and zug bugs. The fishing pier is closed to public use because of safety concerns. The lake is open to electric trolling motors only.

White Mountain Streams:

Streams are ice-covered. Forest Roads are snow packed and closed and/or inaccessible to vehicles except snowmobiles.

WEST FORK BLACK RIVER — Forest roads are closed to the Black River. Ice is present on the stream. The stocking season has ended and no trout are being stocked.

EAST FORK BLACK RIVER — Forest roads are closed to the Black River. Ice is present on the stream. The stocking season has ended and no trout are being stocked.

SHEEP’S CROSSING — Highway 273 is closed for the year due to road construction and an area closure is still in effect around Sheep Crossing, 24 hours and 7 days a week.

LITTLE COLORADO RIVER GREER — The stream has some ice, along the shoreline areas during morning hours, but may open up on warm weather days. The stocking season has ended and no trout are being stocked.

SILVER CREEK — Fishing is fair. Silver creek does not ice over during the winter because it is a spring creek with a more constant water temperature. Nice sized Apache and rainbow trout were stocked in October at Silver Creek. Silver Creek on the Arizona Game and Fish Department property is currently open to artificial lure and fly only, barbless hooks, and catch-and-release only. The upper section is open to fishing. The catch-and-release season is from Oct. 1 through March 31. Try small lures such as Mepps, Rooster tails, and Panther Martin spinners. Fly-fishers may want to try wooly worms, wooly buggers, peacock ladies, prince nymphs, Zug bugs, shrimp patterns, midge patterns, and small bead head nymphs. Try small dry flies such as Adams, parachute Adams, midge and caddis fly patterns.

SOUTHERN WATERS

Note: The Tucson and Sierra Vista Angler roundtable meetings are:
* Tucson – 7-9 p.m., March 18, AZGFD Regional Office, 555 N. Greasewood Rd.
* Sierra Vista, 7-9 p.m. March 19, Fry Fire District, Station #2, 4817 S. Apache Ave.

Topics:
* Results of last years fish surveys
* Upcoming improvements to boat ramps at Patagonia and Arivaca (yes help is finally on the way!)
* Pena Blanca Lake sediment removal project update with lots to report!
* Pena Blanca Lake fish habitat project update; It’s time to get started and we need volunteers!
* And anything else you anglers want to talk about

TUCSON URBAN —All Urban waters received incentive stockings the week of Jan. 5-10. These fish include many trout from 13-18 inches, some even over 4 pounds. On average one in every four trout were over 13 inches with the remaining fish ranging from 11-12 inches.

Fishing is good to excellent for anglers using scented dough baits (such as Power Bait), worms or corn. Small spinners such as Rooster Tails and Panther Martins, or spoons such as KastMasters and Super Dupers work well for trout in the early morning.

Fishing for catfish, bass and bluegill is poor due to colder water temperatures that slow down the

Where: Lakeside Park
When: 02/28/09
Caught: Rainbow trout
Technique: spinner
Comments: Caught limit in 3 hrs. Four fish over 2 lbs including one 3 pounder.

Where: Lakeside Lake
When: 02/03/09
Caught: Rainbow
Technique: Green Gulp Salmon Eggs fishing off the bottom
Comments: caught a ton!
Name:

Where:Lakeside
When:02/07/09
Caught:18.25", 2.25 # Rainbow Trout
Technique:Trolling with misc. lures
Comments:First time trolling Breaking in a friends new boat !!! Thanks, to Terry for buying a boat !!
Name:mark Metcalf

RIGGS FLAT — The lake is closed for the winter.

CLUFF RANCH — The lake was stocked last week. No recent reports of success. A new fishing pier has been installed which should provide a large increase in access for shore anglers. For lake information call (928) 485-9430.

ROPER LAKE — The lake was stocked last week. No recent reports of success. For lake information call (928) 428-6760.

DANKWORTH POND — No recent reports of success. Due to the lack of open water and poor angler access the Department has decided not to stock this lake until conditions can be improved. For lake information call (928) 428-6760.

FRYE MESA RESERVIOR – Poor road conditions are preventing any further stockings. Plans are underway to get the road repaired. Although the lake has been stocked, no reports of success have been received. Early morning and late evenings should produce fish though.

KEARNY LAKES — Conditions at this lake have taken a turn for the worse and golden algae has caused a fish kill. The Department and the town of Kearny continue to work on the problem.

ARIVACA — Please use caution on the sides of the ramp. Erosion has caused some problems and we are working to repair it as quickly as possible. The fishing remains slow but a few anglers are catching some bass on crankbaits. Anglers are asked to please be aware of your wake so as not to disrupt other anglers fishing from other boats and the shore. Remember that all bass must be immediately released back to the water.

Where:Arivaca
When:02/22/09
Caught:1 Largemouth Bass and a few other bites missed
Technique:Artificial Worms and Spinners
Comments:Water still very cold, low, and a lot of algae on top of the water but nice fishing with few snags and others anglers were having some success as well
Name:Mike

PENA BLANCA – Pena Blanca Lake is closed.

PATAGONIA —No reports of angler success have been received. Warmwater species are slow but anglers are reporting a few bass on plastic worms. Some anglers are catching bass as well while flipping the cattails.

Where:Patagonia
When:02/22/09
Caught:2 Bass
Technique:Crank Baits, Plastics Worms
Comments:Caught the bass after 2 days, one was 3.10 pounds the other was about .7oz. No other fish all weekend.
Name:James Sorensen

PARKER CANYON — The store at Parker Canyon is closed. Anglers needing a license will need to purchase that prior to arriving at the lake. The fishing has been fair with some angler success coming in the early morning just after sunrise. Anglers are reporting that worms and Power Bait are working the best currently.

Where:parker canyon lake
When:02/24/09
Caught:limit on rainbows
Technique:powerbait all colors on bottom 18-20in
Comments:
patience, patience is the key
Name:Donald Pieper

ROSE CANYON LAKE — Fishing is reported to be slow with a few fish being caught on spinners. The road is closed for the winter and anglers wishing to fish this lake will have to hike in.