1. Change Becker Lake to catch and release for trout only year around with artificial fly and lure only, single barbless hook.

Rationale: The current regulation is artificial fly and lure only, barbless hooks, with a 2 trout limit, year around. Becker Lake has the best potential in this portion of the state for a catch and release blue ribbon trout fishery because it has the biological potential to grow 18-inch rainbow trout, it doesn’t winter or summer kill, it is accessible year around, and water levels are fairly stable. There are eight trout lakes, and the Little Colorado River within one hour drive that allow bait fishing and have no special regulations, providing ample opportunity for anglers wanting to harvest trout and not use restrictive gear. The development of a true blue ribbon trout fishery at Becker Lake will provide an economic benefit to the local communities by attracting anglers from throughout the southwest as well as expand the diversity of angling opportunities in the White Mountain area.

2. Change the maximum size of legal take for rainbow trout from 12 inches to 14 inches and provide unlimited take of all sport fish other than rainbow trout from Glen Canyon Dam to the beginning of the Paria riffle, the Lees Ferry section, of the Colorado River, Coconino County. Redefine Colorado Rivers reaches to create continuity with current management plans for the area.

Rationale: The current regulation for Lees Ferry is trout over 12 inches may not be possessed. The limit is 4 trout per day and 8 trout in possession; artificial fly and lure only; barbless hooks only. Trout taken from this portion of the Colorado River shall be killed and retained as part of the bag limit or immediately released. Since 1991 this fishery has experienced a dramatic increase and then a collapse in trout abundance. The cyclic nature of rainbow trout abundance indicates that rainbow trout in this reach of the Colorado River naturally over recruit and are food limited. Population modeling shows that an increase in legal harvest will not harm the fishery. Anglers have stated that it is virtually impossible to capture fish less than 12 inches. The Department can see no biological reason to limit the harvest of rainbow trout by imposing a legal length shorter than the vulnerable trout that anglers are capturing in this sport fishery. Brown trout were first stocked in and near Bright Angel Creek in the Grand Canyon in 1923 and are currently found at Lees Ferry. Brown Trout are highly piscivorous and can have an adverse impact to native fish in the Grand Canyon. The Department proposes the removal of all angling restrictions on this species and any other sportfish species other than rainbow trout. Also included in this regulation change are redefining two reaches of the Colorado River below the Paria riffle to create continuity with current management plans. Current regulation for the beginning of the Paria riffle to 21-Mile Rapids, including all tributaries within this reach are 6 trout per day and 8 trout in possession. This will change to only include the 3.5 mile section of the Colorado River that extends from the Paria riffle to Navajo Bridge with a regulation of unlimited take of all sport fish other than rainbow trout. The second modification will redefine the section from 21-Mile Rapids to Separation Canyon, including all tributaries to the Colorado River from Navajo Bridge to Separation Canyon with unlimited take of all sport fish.

3. Redondo Pond (a.k.a. Yuma Lakes) Yuma County – Reduce the daily bag and possession limit of catfish in any combination to 4. Reduce the daily bag and possession limit of trout to 4. Reduce the daily bag and possession limit of sunfish to 10.

Rationale: Presently at Redondo Pond the limits are 6 trout, 25 catfish and unlimited sunfish. Special regulations for bass are also in effect; the limit is 2 bass, minimum size 13 inches. Redondo Pond is located approximately 8 miles east of Yuma and is about 11 acres in size. The Department and Bureau of Land Management are working to improve facilities, access, and fishing opportunities at Redondo Pond. With these enhancements the Department expects fishing pressure at this pond to increase significantly. This is based on a large population of winter visitors in the vicinity of this pond, as well as past experiences at Fortuna Pond which is located about 2 miles away, is similar in size, and underwent similar changes. These proposed changes would make regulations at Fortuna Pond and Redondo Pond consistant. The changes are designed to extend and sustain the desired level of angling opportunity for Redondo Pond.

4. Change the daily bag and possession limit on Pena Blanca Lake Santa Cruz County to no harvest of Largemouth bass until December 31, 2012.

Rationale: The United States Forest Service recently completed a sediment removal project at this lake that required the complete draining of the lake. This also resulted in the total elimination of the existing fish population. In January and February of 2010 winter rains filled the lake and efforts on this project turned to restoring the resident warmwater fish population. Experience has shown that sunfish populations will respond quickly in the lake and should re-establish themselves without any need for harvest restrictions. However largemouth bass populations typically are much slower to respond and can be aggressively targeted and harvested by anglers. By instituting a “no harvest” largemouth bass regulation, anglers will be required to release all largemouth bass allowing these fish to continue to contribute to the re-establishment of the population. The no harvest of largemouth regulation on Pena Blanca Lake will expire December 31st, 2012.

5. Close all portions of Ash Creek along with Marijillda Creek and its tributaries (Graham County) to fishing until a stable Gila trout population is established.

Rationale: The Department in cooperation with the United States Forest Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Trout Unlimited will complete a renovation of these locations in 2010. Following the completion of these renovations the Department will be working to establish a fishable native Gila trout population. Once Gila trout populations are deemed able to support angling pressure, the streams will be opened to angling, creating a new, unique fishery in Southern Arizona.

6. Close approximately 13 stream miles of Bonita Creek in Graham County to all fishing.

Rationale: The closure will extend from the confluence of Bonita Creek with the Gila River upstream to the boundary of the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. Historically, Bonita Creek has provided limited angling opportunity. A creel survey conducted by the Department 1998 showed that of the 216 anglers contacted during this survey only 2 anglers were actually contacted while fishing in Bonita Creek. In 2008 the Bureau of Reclamation constructed a fish barrier on Bonita Creek as a Gila River native fish mitigation measure for the Central Arizona Project. As part of this mitigation measure a renovation in the lower three miles of Bonita Creek was performed to remove undesirable nonnative fish species to establish a self sustaining native fish assemblage. It should be noted that currently the upper reaches of Bonita Creek are occupied by only native fishes. Bonita Creek has been restored to a native fish community and is a great boost to the Departments efforts to restore and recover Arizona’s imperiled native fish species.