Flagstaff Fishing

 

flagstaff fishing

 

Flagstaff fishing has been pretty good lately... as usual. I'll post my (more or less) weekly fishing results near the end of this page, I'll also post excerpts from the Weekly Fishing Report published by Game & Fish. Use this link to jump to the Flagstaff fishing report below.

Before I get to that, I should discuss general conditions for the various Flagstaff fishing waters. As you know, Arizona high country water conditions can change dramatically from year to year.

Since most people like to lake fish, we'll discuss lake conditions before we talk about stream conditions.

 

In the local lakes, water quality and water levels had been declining, but these last two years brought lots of snow, and full, healthy lakes. The snowfall total for this past season was 81 inches... approximately the 25 year average.

These average to above-average wet winters will sustain the lakes for a few dryer years, but we hope for good snowfall every year to reduce stress on the lakes, the trees,  the land, and all the critters that live here.

When Lower Lake Mary has water in it, this is probably the most popular local lake. This year it it has some water..

It's popularity has a lot to do with it being the first lake you come to when traveling down Lake Mary Road from Flagstaff. It's often less windy here than some of the other lakes, but not always.

Lower Lake Mary gets stocked with trout, but may hold a variety of fish, including northern pike, that can arrive with an overflow from the upper lake..

Upper Lake Mary is beyond the lower lake. This lake always holds a variety of fish, including bass, catfish, and trout. The largest inhabitants are northern pike. A friend fishes this lake near "The Narrows" using waterdogs. He catches 5 to 15 pound pike regularly.

Marshall Lake sits on top of Anderson Mesa, above the lakes Mary. Theflagstaff fishing lakes turn off of Lake Mary Road is well marked. This little lake is interesting. A very shallow lake (as illustrated in the photo at top), Marshall can be fun to fly fish.

Ashurst Lake is almost always windy, but it's yielding good fish also. Trout are the popular fish here. You may occasionally hook up with a northern pike in Ashurst, usually on a spoon or streamer fly. You may also catch a big catfish here.

I hear that Kinnikinick Lake is coming back and producing also. I also hear that the road in is as rough as ever. I like this little lake a lot.

I don't consider Upper Lake Mary to be productive Flagstaff fishing waters, because we like to keep and eat a couple of my fish each week or so.

The bottom line is... I expect the local lakes to produce good fishing again this year.

Our streams are flowing well, but will show reduced flows by mid summer. It happens almost every year.

The Upper Verde River, West Clear Creek, Oak Creek, and even Beaver Creek have been producing right along. Depending on where you fish, these streams can yield a mixed bag of trout, small mouth bass and catfish.

Because these streams are at lower elevations, fishing the streams in the winter and spring have several advantages:

  • Warmer weather, if not warmer water temperatures
  • You're usually all alone
  • You can practice your stream fishing techniques

Have you ever caught a large catfish on a streamer fly and a fly rod? I have been lucky enough to have that experience, and you just may also. In case you're wondering, I consider a 9 pound catfish to be large.

 

How I Did

 

Editor's Note: Health issues have kept me grounded all spring.

 

November 23, 2009

I was able to make it out to Ashurst Lake today, although I didn't get out there until mid-morning... because it was cold! The thermometer on our back deck registered 12 degrees at 5:15 this morning.

I arrived at the lake about 10 a.m. It was warm(er) and sunny by then. It was also breezy, as is usual up on Anderson Mesa.

 

flagstaff Ashurst lake

 

Site Build It!

 

I seemed to have the lake to myself, except for some mud hens and several flights of unidentified ducks.

The fishing started slow. I switched lures several times and lost an old, gold Gypsy Queen spoon trying an extra-slow retrieve. This complete lack of interest on the part of every fish in the lake went on for more than an hour.

Magically, things changed before noon. As I worked a rocky point about 30 yards from my base (where my tackle box and other rod lay) I caught a chunky 12 inch rainbow. Then I caught another one 5 casts later.

As I worked my way back to my base, I caught 2 more, all on a white and silver RoosterTail. By then the lure was looking bedraggled. So I switched rods and began working along the shore on the other side of my base.

This rod had a gold KastMaster lure attached. I caught 3 more trout on this lure in less than 30 casts. Then the action stopped as suddenly as it had started.

In the middle of a cold and windy November day, the fish allowed me to catch and release 7 decent trout.

All in all, this was a another good day of fishing

 

Note: For those that have enquired, Francis Short Pond is located in West Flagstaff, between Mars Hill and downtown. It's at the north end of Aztec Street (several blocks northwest of the Flagstaff City Hall).

Francis Short Pond is probably about the size of a football field. Reeds in the pond and shoreline growth limit fishing access, as shown in the photo below. The dam and a few openings around the pond allow fishing access to the waters of this urban impoundment.

 

  

 


 

DON’T MOVE A MUSSEL

Clean, drain, and dry your boat

Prevent the spread of quagga mussels

 

 

March 24, 2010 News Release

Arizona Game and
Fish Department

Don’t move a mussel – now it’s the law

 

New regulations for boaters go into effect

 

“Don’t move a mussel” – NOW it’s the LAW for boaters in Arizona for waters infested with invasive quagga mussels.

"Our boaters have done a good job so far of voluntarily practicing “clean, drain and dry” as a part of responsible boating. Now Arizona has regulations in effect requiring boaters to follow those practices at lakes known to have quagga mussels,” said Tom McMahon, the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s invasive species coordinator.

Quagga mussels were first discovered in Arizona waters in Lake Mead in January of 2007. A single adult quagga mussel can produce a half-million larvae in a single year. Since being introduced at Mead, likely from being accidentally transported on a boat put into the lake, these prolific invaders have spread rapidly.

Waters in Arizona officially designated as having aquatic invasive quagga/zebra mussels include:

  • Lake Pleasant

  • Lake Mead

  • Lake Mohave

  • Lake Havasu

  • Lower Colorado River below Havasu to the international boundary with Mexico

"I can’t stress enough the important role boaters and anglers have voluntarily played in helping prevent the continued spread of these unwanted invasive species,” McMahon said. “For those who have been complying, thank you. You did the right thing for the right reasons.”

Now there are new regulations, called “Director’s Orders”, in effect. The measures were authorized by the Aquatic Invasive Species Interdiction Act passed last July by the Arizona Legislature. Those boaters who don’t follow the procedures outlined in the newly-created regulations can actually be cited by law enforcement officers. To view the Director's Orders, visit the Game and Fish Department’s Web site at www.azgfd.gov/mussels.

These new regulations require day-use boaters to follow four simple steps. Before leaving the vicinity of a water officially listed as having quagga and/or zebra mussels:

  1. Remove any clinging material such as plants, animals and mud from anchor, boat, motor and trailer (CLEAN).

  2. Remove the plug (if applicable) and drain the water from the bilge, live-well, and any other compartments that could hold water. Drain water from the engine and engine cooling systems (DRAIN).

  3. Ensure watercraft, vehicle, equipment, or conveyance are allowed to dry completely (DRY).

  4. Before launching your watercraft someplace else, wait at least five days – this waiting period is essential to kill residual larvae not eradicated by the above three steps. If you use a boat again in less than five days from the previous use, replace the bilge drain plug, and disinfect the bilge by pouring in not less than one gallon of vinegar; the vinegar can be drained from the bilge upon arrival at home (vinegar can be reused several times).

There are also new regulations being implemented for long-term users (includes moored boats). These are boats that have been in the water for more than five days and are at the highest risk of harboring attached invasive mussels.

“Watercraft, boats, vehicles, equipment or conveyances that have been moored for five days or longer in waters that are infested with quagga mussels will likely be heavily contaminated with larval and adult mussels,” McMahon said. “Watercraft moored longer than a few weeks or months in those waters will most certainly be contaminated with adult mussels.”

There are mandatory decontamination procedures for the long-term moored boats that include:

  1. Remove any clinging material such as plants, animals and mud from anchor, boat, motor, equipment and trailer (CLEAN).

  2. Remove the plug (if applicable) and drain the water from the bilge, live-well, and any other compartments that could hold water. Drain water from the engine and engine cooling systems (DRAIN).

  3. Physically remove all visible attached mussels from boat surfaces, motors, impellers, outdrives, rudders, anchors and through-hull fittings (CLEAN, again).

  4. Flush engine and cooling system and any other through-hull fittings with hot water that is exiting those areas at 140 F for 10 to 30 seconds.

  5. Keep the boat out of water (DRY) and ensure all areas of the boat are dry, including bilge, through-hull fittings and engine, for a minimum of eighteen (18) consecutive days during the months of November through April and seven (7) consecutive days from May through October.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department held a series of public meetings and a webcast in January to present the proposed Director’s Orders and solicit comment. The final regulations became effective this month.

“It is critical for anyone who uses watercraft, or has a business reliant on watercraft, to understand the essential nature of this aquatic invasive species containment effort,” McMahon said. “The spread of quagga mussels has far-reaching impacts, both financial and ecological, that can touch virtually every resident of the state.”

States throughout the West have been gearing up to combat the quagga and zebra mussels. Arizona boaters taking their boats to other states will want to first explore what those states are currently requiring – some even have mandatory boat inspections. A good starting point is the 100th Meridian organization at http://100thmeridian.org/Video/DMAM2008_WM.asp.

 


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 Official Blog of the Arizona Game and Fish Department

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New Links Related To Fossil Creek!

2009-10 Fishing Regulations are now available Should make superb ... A 4.5-mile segment of Fossil Creek in the Verde Valley will be a catch-and- release-only, artificial fly and lure only, single barbless hook fishery with a ...

Commission creates first-ever blue ribbon roundtail chub fishery ... “Plus the unique history of Fossil Creek itself makes this a ... “One concern being voiced is that some stretches of Fossil Creek have been

 

SBI! Monthly Billing Option

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AZGFD Weekly Fishing Report

Here is a portion of the latest Weekly Fishing Report issued by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. You can access the entire fishing report here.

Game and Fish now has a new interactive online fishing hole map of Arizona.

 

August 31, 2010

Rory’s tips;

With dove season being open  (Sept. 1), it's a good time for a cast-n-blast trip, especially along the lower Colorado River.

Yuma has the prime dove hunting with all of its agricultural fields. During the past two weeks, however, I witnessed lots of doves all along the Colorado River from the Topock Gorge to Yuma (and also lots of fat quail for an October fin and feather trips).

It always amazes me that the lower stretch of river near Yuma (Imperial Division), the Parker Strip, Lake Havasu and Casino Row can all have lots of recreational boating activity in summer (although typically not during the week), while the river in the Blythe area seems lonely in comparison. Yet that area was thick with doves last week when I visited. Also, the congested boating areas typically don't have very many anglers fishing -- there are lots of opportunities away from the crowds in the backwaters to catch fish. Also, recreational boaters aren't typically on the water at O-Dark-30 like us anglers.

Try flippin' and pitchin' imitation frogs along the edge of the tules and bullrushes, especially in the amazing backwaters. But don't ignore open water -- take along a popper or a topwater stick bait and first run the edge of the tules, and then also cast into the deeper open water, especially if there are pockets of submerged vegetation. A buzzbait/spinnerbait combination might also be fun.

I really loved fishing the Bill Williams Wildlife Refuge area of Lake Havasu using frogs. But also try for topwater action in Topock, or any of the backwaters, such as A-7, Ferguson, or the California Cut. There are some huge bass hiding out. In the Imperial area, there are also some monster flatheads -- our fisheries crew found a 90-plus-pound flathead this past spring, and released it to get even bigger.

It's also a ball to use skip a Gitzit under docks along the Parker Strip or in Martinez Lake. The Parker Strip is a ball for smallmouth bass. Martinez can be home to lunker bass.

If you want to load up on striper action, head for Lake Powell. Spoons and topwater are the keys (see the Powell report).

There is also a very good bite for wild rainbows at Lees Ferry, and it is not getting much angling pressure. If you want world-class fishing and still escape the crowds, this is it. Let me know how you do (I am going in two weeks).

Another good bet right now is Alamo Lake. The excellent water and nutrient influx this year created a strong age class of shad and sport fish, so this lake is set up to hopefully explode this fall. There are some dove hunting opportunities out that way, but nothing like what we have here in the Valley or along the Colorado River. Still, it's possible to catch bass, channel catfish and maybe even some crappie and bang at a dove or two in the nearby area. Now when quail season comes. . .

Southern Arizona has really been blessed with good monsoon mositure, so it should be okay for doves but very good for fishing. Patagonia is the bass capital. But they have already started catching some trout at Parker Canyon, which is full to the brim right now. It's also a superb area for bird watching. The great rains bode well for Mearns' quail reproduction, but since the general population was at a low ebb going into summer, it will probably be just an "average" season.

In the high country, trout should be getting more aggressive as the nights continue to get long and we progress into autumn. Won't be long now before elk are bugling. Grouse season is just a couple of weeks away and squirrel season is scampering toward us in October. Thanks for tremendous monsoon rains and near-record snow pack last winter, the mountain habitats are lush and productive. Don't miss out.

For the Labor Day weekend, Big Lake, Woods Canyon and Willow Springs will likely get the most fishing pressure, and with good reason. Also try Knoll Lake -- it is out of the way, but well worth the dusty drive along the scenic Rim Road (FS 300 Road). Bear Canyon is a hike-in lake with only dispersed camping, which means it can be a good place to escape the crowds. I also like Reservation Lake on the White Mountain Apache Rerservation -- it has some HUGE browns and not a lot of fishing pressure. Be sure to get a WMAT fishing permit.

Show Low Lake and Fool Hollow Lake are both good bets for a mixed bag of fish. Both are renowned for their nice sized walleye. They also have trout and largemouth bass. Fool Hollow even has smallmouth bass.

The lake with the most camping facilities in the state is Roosevelt, which is also producing some of the best fishing in the state for bass and catfish.

So go close out the summer by catching some memories. Maybe I'll see you out there.

 

PS: Don't forget that the early dove season opens Sept. 1 and for the first time in a couple of decades, it is all-day shooting here in Arizona again.

Be sure to get you migratory bird stamp. With all the good monsoons, it's shaping up to be a good year for dove, especially for those of us who like to hunt the birds dispersed into the desert. Also, use the dove hunt to pre-scout desert water holes for quail.

We also have a juniors only hunt on the first weekend (Sept. 4-5) at the Robbins Butte Wildlife Area near Buckeye. Be sure to get your youngsters out. Get the youngsters out. It's a great time. I loved it when one little out shot her older brothers and with a gleam in her eye said, "This was more fun than Disneyland."

That was the first youth dove hunt at Robbins Butte. That little girl is probably old enough to have children of her own now. I hope she is passing on the fun legacy as well.

Note: To submit your individual fishing report via e-mail, send it to BFishing@azgfd.gov.

 

 

North Central

Note: Northern Pike have been illegally stocked in Francis Short.  If you catch a Northern Pike at Francis Short Pond please REMOVE IT FROM THE POND.

Also remember Fossil Creek is now closed to fishing until Oct. 2nd 2010.


 
WILLIAMS LAKES:  

KAIBAB LAKE —  Some nice largemouth bass were caught during our electrofishing surveys along with quite a few trout. The majority of the bass were in the 1-pound range with a few up to about 4 pounds. Quite a few bluegill were also caught.

Crappie and bluegill fishing was good on flies, especially crayfish patterns. A local angler reported catching a couple of 3-pound bass last week. Currently has an algae bloom starting so it may or may not be stocked this week depending on how the bloom changes water quality. Some nice channel catfish were caught on worms over the weekend.

CATARACT LAKE —  stocked with catfish. Lots of nice size channel catfish and largemouth bass were caught during our electrofishing surveys.  The biggest bass were in the 4- to 5-pound range and there were lots of catfish in the 3- to 5-pound range. 

CITY RESERVOIR —   stocked with catfish. 

DOGTOWN LAKE —  A few large brown trout have been reported by lure anglers.  We caught a lot of small crappie along with some nice size brown trout during our electrofishing surveys. Should be stocked this week if water quality is OK.

JD DAM — Road is open. 

RUSSELL TANK -  Road is open but the lake is to shallow to stock.

SANTA FE — Lake is full.  Stocked with catfish. 
 
WHITEHORSE LAKE — Fishing for small crappie was excellent on Flies. Should be stocked this week if water quality is OK.

Fishing for trout is poor and can be decent for smallmouth bass in the pools. Try night crawlers for the trout and small crayfish-like lures on ultra lights for the smallmouth.

FLAGSTAFF AREA LAKES

LOWER LAKE MARY —  Folks in canoes are catching fish.

UPPER LAKE MARY —  Folks are still catching perch.

ASHURST LAKE —  We sampled the lake in mid April and caught mostly large (10+ Lbs) pike in our nets, only 1 trout was caught.  Some large pike and a few trout were bring caught. The folks were fishing the south end of the lake from shore.  Has been stocked 

FRANCIS SHORT POND –  No report

KINNIKINICK LAKE — Road is open.  Scheduled to be stocked. 

MARSHALL LAKE —  No report

OAK CREEK — Fishing was good for brown trout and rainbow trout.  Use flies for browns and bait for rainbows.   Scheduled to be stocked 

LONG LAKE — road is open, 

SOLDIERS & SOLDIERS ANNEX — road is open


VERDE VALLEY

DEAD HORSE STATE PARK
– Catfish were stocked the week of April 19 and June 12. Frozen anchovies or night crawlers should work best for them. Bass and bluegill are also active. If you would like your child to catch their first fish, bluegill can be easily caught with a No. 10 hook with a small pieces of worm under a bobber. These will not be large bluegill, but they can be a lot of fun for little ones to catch.

Trout stocking will resume in the fall. 

VERDE RIVER (throughout Verde Valley) – Bass fishing has been good using small spinners and curly tailed grubs. Both largemouth bass and smallmouth bass abound in the river between Clarkdale and Camp Verde. Look for some depth in pools with shady overhangs. Always check your regulations before fishing this area with live bait. Game and Fish Commission Rule requires anglers to only use live bait that has been caught in the river. No transporting of live baitfish or crayfish is allowed. 

OAK CREEK — Stocked weekly through the end of summer. Fishing was good for brown trout and rainbow trout.  Use flies for browns and bait for rainbows.

BEAVER CREEK -- No recent reports. Has not been stocked since last spring. It is still possible to catch some catfish or smallmouth bass in the deeper pools.

WEST CLEAR CREEK -- Has not been stocked since last spring.


 

Flagstaff fishing is always fun and is usually productive. Come on out, wet a line... and enjoy the outdoors.

 

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