Flagstaff Fishing

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.

• 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

April 25, 2008

AT last, I found the time to visit my favorite fishing lake, Ashurst. The road has been open for a couple of weeks now, but I had not gotten out there.

The lake is full, so all of us that fish Ashurst will need to learn the better fishing spots all over again. 

• Vegetation that grew high and dry last year is now sticking up from the water, ready to snag the shore fisherman's line.

• Holes, rock piles, washes, and other structure that were visible are now hidden under feet of water.

The full lake is a blessing and sorely needed, so we will gladly learn to live with the changes and challenges it brings.

Here is a list of my first Ashurst outing of the year observations:

• The now gravel road to the lake from the highway is a real washboard, capable of shaking your vehicle severely, even at 15 MPH.

• The air temperature was just above freezing.

• The wind was blowing strong, cold, and usually in my face.

• The action was on the slow side.

• I caught and released a few small trout. I also caught one skinny pike.

All in all... it was a great day!

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 Official Blog of the Arizona Game and Fish Department

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New Fishing Regulations
for Fossil Creek!

In order to allow fish populations to recover after restoration of the creek, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has issued a new Commission Order that closes the entire Fossil Creek to fishing until December 31, 2008.

See page 14 of the 2007 &-2008 fishing regulations.

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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.

 

May 8, 2008 Rory’s Tip: Well, it�s about time! If the weather gurus are right, it looks like we�ll have a weekend without wind blasting most of the state � maybe just normal afternoon breezes. So whether you want high county trout or bass in the desert lakes, this looks like the best window in weeks. Top picks: Roosevelt, Bartlett, Alamo, Havasu and Pleasant for largemouth bass. Hit Pleasant, Havasu, Mead and Powell for striped bass. Crappie anglers should fish at night under lights at Roosevelt, Bartlett or Alamo (Pleasant is a crappie dark horse). The catfish parade is already underway. Try Saguaro, Canyon, Pleasant, Bartlett, Apache, Roosevelt, Alamo � you name it. Day or night will work right now at any desert lake. For shore anglers, it�s tough to beat cat fishing. Going after catfish and carp at our desert lakes can net you some amazing action. As a matter of fact, if you don�t know how to fish for these lumbering underwater giants, come join us at CAMP CARP XVIII, a time-honored Game and Fish tradition. Master carpologist himself, Jim Warnecke, who retired from the department last year, will once again be teaching folks how to catch all those �bottom feeders.� As Jim says, there is no limit on carp, plus no limit to the fun while catching these brutes. Here are the particulars: May 30-31, noon to 7 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Lake Roosevelt (Frazier Group site). Look for the signs. For more information, call Jim�s able replacement in our Mesa Region, Natalie Robb, at (480) 324-3541. These aren�t those wimpy bass or trout � you�ll need stout poles and heavy test line to land these brutes -- hurrah. In the high country, I received pictures of some huge pike out of Upper Lake Mary near Flagstaff courtesy a Danny Iberra-Shea, who routinely provides some nice reports to us. These pictures will either give you nightmares, or send you rushing to the store to buy steel leaders and frozen anchovies -- maybe both. Ashurst is another big pike bastion � it might even be harboring a new state record in its murky depths. Lower Lake Mary is still a good bet for lots of stocker rainbows � it was stocked with 28,000 of the beauties in late winter. They should be good looking fish now. The streams in the White Mountains have now been stocked with our golden-colored natives, Apache trout. Try the Little Colorado River in Greer, the East Fork of the Black River, the West Fork of Black River or Silver Creek. Think gold for Apaches � they like gold or yellow lures, such as Mepps spinners, KastMaster and the like. Hook up your kids with cane poles and worms to fish the streams � it�s more fun than any computer game. For bass in the desert lakes, this is a transition time from a predominant spawn bite to a post-spawn one. There are still bass on beds (the spawn can spread out into the summer months), but the majority of bass have probably spawned out. A significant portion of the bass population could be in the post-spawn doldrums right now � they need baits put on their noses, or might just respond to reaction baits. But there should also be a population segment of post-spawners that are feeding more aggressively at times. Look for these bad boys and girls voraciously chasing shad in the coves at first and last light, or along main male points, islands, reefs and submerged humps (ambush spots) during the day. At night, look for prime fish movement corridors such as submerged creek and river channels, arroyos and the like. Where you can find fish highway intersections, such as a submerged creek channel connecting to a submerged river channel, you might just hit a nighttime fishing bonanza. Put that expensive fish finder to work for you � you�ve paid it enough. By the way, the first quarter of the moon is May 11, so this is a great time for your submerged or floating lights to work best for attracting plankton, shad and accompanying predators. You might even see some cool shooting stars, courtesy the tail of Halley�s Comet; it�s the Aquarid meteor shower time. http://spaceweather.com/ Get out and wet a line. Maybe I�ll see you out there. .   North Central Mountains 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.   WILLIAMS LAKES:   KAIBAB LAKE Campground area is open.  Main parking lot and boat launch open for day use only. Some trout are being caught. Recently stocked. Where:Kaibab Lake When: 05/03/08 Caught:Rainbow Trout Technique:Multi Colored Power Bait with glitter 24 inches up from the bottom. Comments:My wife and I caught the 7 trout in four and a half hours. My wife had not been fishing since she was a child. Name:Wesley Peacock   Where:Kaibab Lake When:04/17/08 Caught:9 Trout Technique:Spinners and Power Bait Comments:Two anglers fished 7:30 to 12 noon. Water stained and very windy. Willie had not fished in 25 years, we had a great time. Name:Ted Where:Kaibab Lake Williams When:04/12/08 Caught:Rainbow Trout... Too small threw it back Technique:Corn & live worms Comments:Spent 8 hours admiring the beauty, but catching only one little fish. Nobody else was having luck either. Name:Pat Michaels Where:Kaibab When:04/14/08 Caught:trout Technique:Power Bait and lots of lures Comments:the bite was slow could get them to hit a lure the fish we caught were on power bait the fishing is real slow and when they do bite its very light Name:jared pensinger CATARACT LAKE � � Campground is open.  Lake is open for walk in fishing.  Some fish being caught on flys and worms. Recently stocked. CITY RESERVOIR �Road is open.  Lake is full.  Has been stocked. DOGTOWN LAKE � Campground area is open. No Report   Some browns are being caught on lures. JD DAM � Road is open.   Has been stocked. RUSSEL TANK - Has been stocked. SANTA FE � Lake is full. Has been stocked.  Anglers are catching trout and yellow perch. WHITEHORSE LAKE � Stocked with 2,700 rainbow trout on April 25. No report from anglers.  Campground is now open. Lake is open for walk-in fishing. Lake is full.   FLAGSTAFF LAKES: LOWER LAKE MARY � This is still a trout-catching hot spot. A total of 28,000 trout have been stocked into the lake fishing is fair to good depending on the wind. Angler report Where:Lower Lake Mary When:05/03/08 Caught:Trout -- 8" - 1'-2" Technique:1/8-1/4 oz spoons as well as powerbait Comments:The bite was on for a good hour or so, died for 30 mintues and was on again (Like this throughout the day) Name:Josh Where:Lower Lake Mary When:04/22/08 Caught:Trout Technique:Green Power bait 8 - 12 inches off the bottom Comments:I caught my limit of 6 in only 2 hours. The wind was down so it made the conditions perfect. Name:John Hull Where:Lower lake Marry When:04/13/08 Caught:Trout Technique:Silver and gold Spinners Comments:Had a great day of catching-and-releasing stocker trout fishing was good and no wind was a plus. I was using small spinners changing the speed of the retrieve. Fish were hitting the spinner close to bank. Also make sure to pinch the barb of your hooks if planning to release the fish. I noticed people using Power Bait were not having the same success as people throwing spinners. It was also great see the number of kids out with parents. Where:Lower Lake Mary When:03/30/08 Caught:35 rainbow trout Technique:gold and silver spoons Comments:My son and I had a blast. We caught and released all 35 in about 2 1/2 hours. We would've caught more but decided 35 was good number to stop at. I should add that these trout are still small and need a couple of weeks to get bigger and that�s another reason we stopped fishing. As fertile as this lake is it should only take a couple of weeks! Where:Lower Lake Mary When:03/31/08 Caught:Rainbow Trout Technique:Fished a small black fly with red tail an hour before sunset. Caught one on the first cast, 12 inches. Also fished a black and yellow Panther Martin, caught a 10-inch one on that. Comments:South side of the lake has lots of weeds to snag on. Try areas with steeper banks. Name:Bob Harris   UPPER LAKE MARY � This is a northern pike hot spot. The lake is full. Some anglers have reported catching huge northern pike on frozen anchovies fished with little or no weight on steel leaders. Angler reports: Where:Upper Lake MaryWhen: When: APRIL 27 Caught:2 cats 6.5 lbs and 3lbs + 4 pike 18 to 20 inches Technique:Anchovies fly lined with steel leaders and large kahle hooks Comments:Cats were early morning then pike started about 8am to 11am Name:Mark Denton   Where:Upper Lake MaryWhen: 04/18/08 Caught:northern pike 21 1/2 lbs!!! Technique:anchovies (fly-lined) on a steel leader w/ large catfish hooks. Comments:My friend, Bob Bax, and I, caught 5 pike in 2 1/2 hours. The smallest pike was 10 lbs and the largest was 21 1/4 lbs (caught on 10 lb line and a trout rod)! The entire state is erupting right now! Fish ANYWHERE in the state with 4 lb test and a #6 hook (w/no weight) with a fat night crawler. Leave your bail open and wait for your line to go pealing out!!! This is the year! Good luck! I have fished many of the high country lakes this Spring, and Mary is where it is at! Go large with your bait and bring a friend to net the monsters! See you out there! :) Name:danny iberri-shea Where:Upper Lake MaryWhen: 04/09/08 Caught:25 " (4lb) northern pike Technique:Good old "comfort food" (frozen anchovy on a steel leader w/no weight). Comments:Get zen with it! Keep your rods low to the water in rod holders to reduce the wicked winds that many fishermen are complaining about. Name:danny iberri-shea   Where:Upper Lake MaryWhen: When: 04/05/08 Caught:5 northern pike 1@ 30 inches , 3 @ 24 inches 1@ 20 inches Technique:anchovies , no weights, Name:Tom Garbade   ASHURST LAKE � The lake is full. Some larger hold-over trout are being caught. Stocked last week. The road is open. Some trout anglers are catching northern pike.   Where:Ashurst Lake When:04/05/08 Caught:trout Technique:rainbow KastMaster, trolling Comments:The fishing is slow but patience will be rewarded. There are some huge hold-overs Name:Corey Myers FRANCIS SHORT POND � Has been recently stocked. Fishing was fair to good for trout on flies or Power Bait.  Catfish are being caught on night crawlers.  Please remove all pike caught to save stocked trout for the anglers!!! KINNIKINICK LAKE � Road Open. Stocked last week. Where:Kinnickinick When:05/04/08 Caught:Rainbows Technique:Night crawlers, grubs, small brown Power Bait worms with chartreuse eggs in front of the worms, eagle claw double hook assembly. Comments:Caught 9 pan fries and put them back to grow. Hooked a 8 + lb. Name:Thom Rogers MARSHALL LAKE � Stocked with 900 rainbow trout on April 25. Scheduled to be stocked this week.  Open, accessible. Angler report: Where:marshall lake When:04/09/08 Caught:rainbow trout Technique:spinner/spoon slow retrieve with an occasional jerk of the rod. fish are about 6-10 in in length Comments:caught all at the boat launch. Name:Brian Atkins OAK CREEK � Stocked weekly. Fishing is slow for browns, but okay for rainbows. Where:Oak Creek When:05/04/08 Caught:1 tiny stocker Technique:Flies, nymphs Comments:Walked nearly all of the hot pools up the creek (above Slide Rock) didn't see any of the stocked trout. Most likely b/c it was the weekend. Name:Nathan Where:Oak Creek, Don Hoel's cabins When:04/26/08 Caught:1 Rainbow trout, and wife caught 1 bow Technique:Flyfishing, tried Bead headed Copper John, Simi Seal Leach and Hopper. Comments:Water was crystal clear but kinda low. Large slow pools with lots of fish, but didn't catch any in the pools. Caught 10-inch rainbow in riffle using Simi Seal. Name:Lonnie Nordby   Where:Oak Creek When:04/16/08 Caught:Rainbow trout, brown trout Technique:Different colored Power Baits and salmon eggs. Comments:The rainbows were plentiful in places where they were stocked (when you could find them). We caught a few brown trout and caught our limits of rainbows. Name:Mike McBeath Where:Oak Creek Canyon When:04/19/08 Caught:Rainbow Trout Technique:Spin casting rooster tails Comments:Fished below slide rock up to the bridge and into the park. Fishing was slow, water is still a bit high. Caught one rainbow just above the bridge in the park. Maybe the fish have not made it to below the bridge as of yet. Name:Bradley Mihalik LONG LAKE � Lake is open.  Water level is good.  Lake has been stocked with 4,300 trout. Some nice fish are being caught near the ditch.  Two anglers report catching limits of trout from their boat but were challenged by windy conditions at times. SOLDIERS & SOLDIERS ANNEX � Lakes are open. No report. BEAVER CREEK � Has been stocked with 900 rainbow trout and the water temperature was 53 degrees. No reports.  Where:Beaver Creek When:04/10/08 Caught:Rainbow Trout & Bass Technique:Night Crawlers no weight Comments:Fished from the Bridge at the Camp Ground all the way up north to the Southwest Academy and only found a pocket of 8 Stocker Trout & 4 dead Trout and very few Bass. Water is clear. I would recommend that you try your luck south of the Bridge/Red Rock Ranger Station. Because we were unable to locate the 900+ Recently stocked Trout, north of the bridge! Name:Jesse F. WEST CLEAR CREEK � Has been stocked with 450 rainbow trout and the water temperature was 55 F. No report. STONEMAN LAKE � NO FISH. MINGUS LAKE � The gate is closed until the spring, but you can walk in and fish.  The gate is scheduled to be unlocked the first week in May.  Trout were stocked last on the week of Oct 15.  Stocking should resume early in May. Try bright-colored Power Bait like chartreuse, salmon eggs, or various spinners.  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.  Illegal stockings cost YOU money! Where:Mingus lake When:04/23/08 Caught:Rainbow trout Technique:Worms/rooster tails Comments:Caught 15 in 3 hrs. Most fish were less than 15 feet from shore. fished bait 4 foot deep. Great place to take a kid, my boy had a blast. Name:ac guy MINGUS LAKE � The gate should be getting unlocked either this week or next week.  Trout are scheduled to be stocked this week (April 28) and are scheduled to be stocked again the week of May 12. Try bright-colored Power Bait like chartreuse, salmon eggs, or various spinners.  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.  Illegal stockings cost YOU money! DEAD HORSE STATE PARK �Fishing has been hit-and-miss.  While some angler�s are doing well, others are not as successful.  One angler was having success on artificial flies.  You might also try using KastMaster, worms, or Power Bait.  Trout were last stocked the week of April 1; this was the last scheduled stocking for the year.  Trout are still very numerous in both the middle and lower lagoons.  The largemouth bite has picked up, so you may want to try throwing some plastics.  Bluegills are very abundant, but most are small.  This is a great opportunity to teach kids how to fish.  Try using a #8 hook with a small piece of worm under a bobber and you should have success.  While the crappie numbers are up a little, most are small.  Look for the crappie fishing to be good late this year or next year. Catfish were stocked the week of Sept. 24, for Verde River Days festivities.  Several largemouth bass, including a 10-plus pounder were caught last summer in the middle lagoon.  In-line spinners, plastic grubs, and small crankbaits have been the ticket. The bluegill fishing has been good using a salmon egg or small worm on a small bait hook below a bobber. The bluegills are plentiful in both the middle and lower lagoons, so between trout and catfish stockings try your luck with the bluegill.  VERDE RIVER (throughout Verde Valley) � Trout were last stocked the week of March 17. This was the final stocking for the year.  Look for the catfish bite to pick up in May.  On Saturday March 8 Camp Verde Parks and Recreation and Arizona Game and Fish provided a fishing clinic at the White Bridge.  While success was limited, all participants seemed to enjoy themselves.  Where:Verde River When:04/24/08 Caught:2 Rainbow Trout and 1Large Mouth Bass Technique:Fly-fishing, using pheasant tail bead headed nymph and flashback bead headed nymph. Comments:Water was low, slow and murky. Fished just above the bridge going into Dead Horse Park. Caught and released 2 trout and 1 bass in same hole. Trout were 10 inches, Bass was 6 inches. Also tried down stream from the bridge, but nothing. Name:Lonnie Nordby MINGUS LAKE � The seasonal gate across the access road is open. Rainbow trout are being stocked every two weeks. The best bait this week is white Power Bait, fished on the bottom with a treble hook and an egg sinker. Several 6-fish limits of trout were caught this way. Fishermen using night crawlers under a bobber are also having some success. 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.  Illegal stockings cost YOU money! DEAD HORSE STATE PARK � Trout fishing success has slowed since the last seasonal fish stockings April 1st. The best bait has been kernels of canned corn with a split-shot sinker, fished about 3 feet under a bobber. Power Bait fished on the bottom with an egg sinker is also catching a few trout. Largemouth bass fishing is fair. Try using small plastic jigs, plastic worms, or small spinnerbaits near deeper cover. The largemouth bite has picked up, so try throwing plastic worms or lizards.  Bluegills are very abundant, but most are small.  This is a great opportunity to teach kids how to fish.  Try using a #8 hook with a small piece of worm under a bobber and you should have success.  While the crappie numbers are up a little, most are small.  Look for the crappie fishing to be good late this year or next year.  Catfish are scheduled to be stocked the week of June 9th. VERDE RIVER (throughout Verde Valley) � Trout fishing success is waning since the last seasonal fish stockings occurred March 17th. A few rainbows are still being taken near Riverfront Park in Cottonwood on night crawlers and dry flies. Largemouth bass fishing is fair. Best bet is throughout the Camp Verde reach using small plastic jigs and in-line spinners. Channel catfish action is starting to pick up in the Verde Valley. Most success on catfish is by using night crawlers and chicken liver after dusk. LYNX LAKE � Rainbow trout were last stocked April 14 and are scheduled to be stocked again the week of May 12.The fishing should improve following this stocking.  Some 7-inch brook trout were stocked the week of Feb 25.  Game and Fish Biologists installed PVC fish structures on Jan. 3.  These structures should protect small fishes from predation.  Brook trout were stocked in September.  The brooks were in the 5-inch range, but hopefully they will be catchable size for the fishing in the spring.  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. FAIN LAKE �Fain lake was stocked rainbow trout the week of April 14 and is scheduled to be stocked again this week (April 28).  While some were doing very well others were not.  Try to fish were the water is clearer.  Use spinners or bright colored power bait.  Fain lake was stocked with brook trout on Feb. 25.  Prescott Valley Parks and Recreation held the annual Gold Fever Days at Fain Lake in mid October, were nearly all of the kids that participated in the fishing clinic caught fish.  Five-inch brook trout were stocked in Sept. 24 and rainbows were stocked Oct. 12 & 15.  GOLDWATER LAKE � Trout were stocked April 21 and are scheduled to be stocked again the week of May 5.  One angler reported catching a 13- and 14-inch trout in two hours of fishing.  While there is no shortage of fish, most people report catching only one or two fish.  Fishing should really pick up following the stocking this week.  Try using KastMasters. If that does not work you may try worms or Power Bait.  Early in the morning and in the evening the bite may be a little better. Some days the fishing seems to be better than other days as well. Bluegills were stocked Feb 25.  Game and Fish biologists weighed a 22-pound channel catfish that was caught at Goldwater in March. Where:Goldwater lake When:04/23/08 Caught:trout- limit Technique:Panther Martin lures worked great. Power bait was also working. Comments:The weather was beautiful, and the fishing was great. Name:Andrew Samsill Game and Fish Biologists surveyed Goldwater during the middle of May last year and found the trout and sunfish plentiful. While the number of catfish and bass was low, the quality was exceptional. One 16-pound catfish was sampled and released. The bass averaged about 3.5 pounds. On March 29, 2007, there were 400 pounds of bluegill stocked. These fish were hand-sized and should be easily caught.  Try using worms or mealworms on a bobber.  Small spinners may work as well. If you fish Goldwater and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

Flagstaff fishing is always fun and is usually productive. Come on out.

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