Drought
Conditions
The descriptions below provide general habitat
and location information. Be aware some of
the areas below may be low or dry due to drought
conditions. Be sure to scout your location
prior to hunting. |
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| Area
Descriptions |
| White
Mountains |
| The White
Mountains of eastern Arizona boast some excellent
waterfowling. The majority of the waterfowl
hunting opportunities in the White Mountains
occur on the Apache - Sitgreaves National
Forest. Some of the hot spots to check out
include the following: Traveling east on Highway
260 turn south on State Route 373. Located
off of Forest Rroad 112 you will find
Geneva and White Mountain reservoirs. Both
are excellent early season wetlands attracting
numerous waterfowl. Farther south on State
Route 373 you will locate Basin Lake which
offers excellent emergent vegetation for blinds. A small boat or canoe can provide access
to the open water marsh. Traveling south you
will pick up State Route 273 which provides
access to Mexican Hay Lake, an excellent shallow
emergent wetland. Forest Rroad 90 will
take you east from State Route 273 to Forest
Rroad 285. Heading north, you will locate several wetlands including
Saint Joseph's, Saint Mary's, Atcheson and
San Salvador. All of these marsh systems attract
waterfowl and are good bets. Remember the
best hunting in this region is early in the
season up until snow and ice force birds south. |
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| Jaques
Marsh |
| Near the
town of Pinetop-Lakeside. This 90-acre wetland
is managed specifically for waterfowl. Hunting
at Jacques can be good the entire season with
excellent island and shoreline vegetation
for blinds. To access Jacques turn north off
of State Route 260 on Porter Mountain Road
(Forest Road 45). Shortly past the Scott's Reservoir
turn-off, turn west on Juniper Lane and take
the road to the marsh parking lot. Best hunting
from early in the season to ice-up. Decoys
are recommended and chest waders. |
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| Pintail
Lake |
| North of
Show Low. This municipal wetland created in
the early 1980s provides excellent waterfowling.
Five ponds with berms have open water and
nesting islands. To locate Pintail travel
north on State Route 77 approximately 5 miles
north of Show Low and turn east at the Pintail
Lake sign. Best hunting period in early season
to ice-up. Decoys are recommended with chest
waders. |
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| Lyman
Lake |
| This manmade
reservoir has fluctuating water levels, which
may effect waterfowl numbers. The best hunting
opportunities occur near the east end where
the Little Colorado River enters the lake.
The area is managed as a State Park and has
some restrictions on shooting. Boats are recommended
with decoys placed in the shallows. This reservoir
also holds good numbers of Canada Geese, which
feed in farm fields near Saint Johns.
To locate Lyman Lake head north on State Route
191 north of Springerville towards Saint Johns
and turn east into Lyman Lake State Park. |
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| Anderson
Mesa wetlands |
| Southeast
of Flagstaff. This group of wetlands lies
within the Coconino National Forest, can be
accessed off of Forest Highway 3 south of
Flagstaff. Turn east on U.S.F.S. road 128
and 129A. The areas to focus on include Marshall
Lake, Vail Lake, Horse Lake, Deep Lake and
Prime Lake. These shallow wetlands offer excellent
emergent growth for blind placement and in
most cases wading depths. Decoys would be
recommended and preseason scouting to determine
which area is holding the most birds. Again,
as with the White Mountains, as ice-up takes
place in November and December, birds using
these wetlands move south. |
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| Mormon
Lake |
In the Flagstaff
region of the Department. This natural basin
approximately 5,000 acres when full offers
excellent shoreline hunting as well as open
water decoy placement with the aid of small
johnboats. This wetland offers some excellent
early season shooting and will attract numerous
ducks up until freeze up. To access Mormon
Lake takes the Lower Lake Mary Road Forest
Highway 3 approximately 22 miles south of
Flagstaff. The lake will appear on the West
Side of the highway with several foot access
points.
Arizona Game and Fish has obtained a “permit” from the Coconino National Forest to allow waterfowl hunters access to the “Berry Road” on the east side of Mormon Lake through the fall 2008-09 waterfowl season.
To obtain access call the Flagstaff Regional office during normal business hours (Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at 928-774-5045 or after hours call Arizona Game and Fish Dispatch at 623-236-7201. |
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| Roosevelt
Lake |
| The largest
of the Salt River reservoirs. Both the Tonto
Arm and Salt Arm provide excellent waterfowling
where the shallows and mudflat habitats occur.
A variety of shooting opportunities exist
along the shore. Both puddle and diving species
of ducks are abundant as well a several thousand
wintering great basin Canada geese. A portion
of the north shore near the West End of the
lake is closed to hunting during the goose
season. Be sure consult the regulations. Hunting
on Roosevelt is best during the later part
of the waterfowl season. |
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| The
western Gila River area |
| The area
that runs west of Buckeye to Gila
Bend. This stretch of the Gila typically has
good river flows and excellent waterfowling.
Access to the river usually crosses private
land so be sure to respect signs. The river
has numerous ox bows and channels that provide
feeding areas and loafing spots for both diving
and puddle ducks. Canoes are often used to
float to more remote locations and there is
plenty of vegetation to build blinds. Pass
shooting and decoying are methods that are commonly
used by river hunters. |
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| Picacho
Reservoir |
| The portion
of the reservoir that lies east of Interstate
10 approximately 18 miles north of Eloy. This
reservoir, designed for silt retention and
agricultural run-off, has attracted waterfowlers
for many years. Although water
levels are typically low, at capacity this wetland covers
approximately 900 acres. Most hunters using
Picacho use boats to access blinds, which
are constructed in the emergent stands of
vegetation. In recent years there has been
some hunter conflict with "permanent
blinds" on this reservoir but the reservoir
is open to public hunting. Both dabbling and
diving species of waterfowl are attracted
to Picacho with best hunting late in the season. |
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| Quigley
Wildlife Area |
| This 100-acre
marsh has excellent waterfowling but the limited
size of the open water can only support a
few hunters. A canoe is recommended and there
is excellent cattail stands to conceal the
boat and hunters. Both diving and puddle ducks
use the marsh and there are also foraging
moist soil units managed on the wildlife area.
Theses areas are closed to hunting but do
attract ducks and geese that often visit the
marsh. Quigley Wildlife Area is located along
the Gila River approximately 2 miles north
of Tacna, Arizona off of Interstate 8. |
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| Willcox
Playa and Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area |
| Located
in southeastern Arizona. Typically thought
of as the Sandhill Crane hunting spot of the
State, these areas offer excellent waterfowling
as well. During wet years numerous waterfowl
can be found around the Playa and White Water
Draw. Both areas have seasonal closures on
hunting during the Crane hunt, which typically
falls in November. The Department currently
manages waterfowl on both areas with hunting
opportunities. |
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| Alamo
Lake and the Bill Williams River region |
| Waterfowl hunting
is not allowed on the Bill Williams National
Wildlife Refuge. Call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service at (928) 667-4144 for additional information. |
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