URBAN LAKES — The next four weeks offer some of the best fishing available at Urban Program lakes.  The lakes have been loaded with catfish all fall with one last stocking the week of Oct. 27 – Nov. 1.  Stockings of hybrid and redear sunfish took place Oct. 23 at all lakes.  The first trout delivery for the winter season begins Nov. 13. Finally, juvenile largemouth bass under the 13-inch legal length are being stocked at the end of October.

Top baits for catfish are shrimp, stink baits and hot dogs.  Activity is best in the evening and early morning.

Hybrid sunfish, redear sunfish and bluegill are biting well throughout the day on a variety of baits (mealworms, bread, hot dogs) and are ready to take wet flies in the late mornings and afternoon. Using light tackle with small hooks and bobbers will keep you and the youngsters busy catching bluegill.

The Green Valley Lakes (Payson) were stocked with rainbow trout on October 17, kicking off an eight month stocking season.  Fishing is excellent for the 11-14 inch trout.  Best trout baits include Power Bait, small spinners and lures, and worms.  Some 3-4 pound trout were included in the first load. If More than 700 rainbow trout were stocked last week at Green Valley Lakes in Payson (yes, these are Urban Program Lakes in the cool pines).  Limits on trout are four per day for licensed anglers and two for unlicensed youth under age 14.

LAKE PLEASANT – Water elevation is 1649 ft, which is 47-percent full. One angler caught 14 stripers in the morning from 8 to 10:30 a.m. trolling 2 mph at 40 feet with 4-inch shad looking lures.
Another couple of anglers fished the main lake using swim baits and caught 20 largemouth bass; a few were lunkers.

You might have to search to find the moving fish boils, but when you connect, the fishing can be great. Stripers have moved more into the northern coves, especially the Agua Fria Arm of the lake. Go armed with topwater lures, lipless crankbaits and casting spoons (KastMasters work great). If you can net some live shad (there are huge schools roaming about), they make superb bait either straight-lined or slow trolled. Frozen anchovies can work especially well for roving schools of stripers patrolling the submerged creek channels. Don’t forget to chum.

Angler report from Ron Swierski: 8-10:30 a.m. trolling at 40 feet with 4-inch shad pearl or chart at 2 mph caught 14 stripers for 19 pounds.

Where: pleasant
When: 10/26/08
Caught: 29 Stripers, 1 Cat
Technique: Cutthe head and tail off of anchovies and use for chum. use body pieces at 40′ in 60 to 70 feet of water on a 1.0 hook. The fish hook themselves.
Comments: Fished South of Castle Creek from 0600 – 1100. Bite lasts about 2-3 hours but it’s fun. All fish were 2-4lbs
Name: J. Morrison

Where: lake pleasant
When: 10/25/08
Caught: stripers
Technique: anchovies from shore at the north end of the lake
Comments: we caught 10 stripers the 2 days we were there,but the bite was sporadic so bring your patience.the biggest we caught was about 3 pounds and th rest averaged 1.5 pounds.
Name: brian davis

Where: lk pleasant
When: 10/06/08
Caught: 11 stripers for 16 lbs
Technique:trolling at 50 ft art/bait speed 1.8 mph using 4 hp kicker
Name:ron and linda suncy west
ROOSEVELT LAKE – Lake Elevation is 2,142 ft (89-percent full).  Tonto Creek runoff is at 0 cfs while inflow from the Salt River is at 280 cfs.

Water temperatures are in the mid to high 60s. Slow trolling is the technique of choice for crappies. Tonto end is getting some good reports. Largemouth and bluegill are hitting jigs and spoons. Bluegill like crickets too.

White worms are working for some anglers as well as some John Deer grubs in the Tonto Arm and coves on that end.  The Salt end seems to attracting some angler attention as well.

Topwater lures are working well for some anglers in the early morning and then try switching to Texas-rigs and flipping worms below overhanging vegetation or near structure.  Angers are reporting largemouth spitting up crawdads, so try bumping crawdad imitations along the bottom in shallow water.

Other anglers are reporting catching fish with plastic worms on Carolina rigs from 20 to 50 feet in depth.  The drop-shot method seems to always work.  Swim baits and other reaction baits are attracting some bass attention as well as shallow crankbaits and jerkbaits in blue and yellow colors.

APACHE – Lake elevation is 1904 ft (90-percent full). We are seeing a few more fishermen at Apache.  Anglers reported catching channel catfish around the marina, Hackberry Cove and Goat Ledge; large carp are in the coves (use corn); yellow bass are hanging out on the points where the substrate levels off, and someone caught a 12-inch walleye, no details on the location of the walleye.

KastMasters and silver spinners are attracting the yellow bass and sunfish.  Try using Robo worms around the overhanging vegetation for largemouth bass and try areas with boulders and big cobbles for the smallmouth bass.

This lake is also in prime Gambel’s quail country, so it is a great spot for a cast-and-blast camp out.

Department biologists surveyed Apache Lake and the best place to catch walleye is above Burn Corral on the points.  We caught a few nice ones.  We also caught quite a few catfish at both ends of the lake in coves.  Largemouth bass seemed to be dispersed pretty evenly although some anglers said Burnt Corral was a good place to nab them, using plastic worms and jigs.

CANYON LAKE – Lake elevation is 1,658 feet, which is 96-percent full.
Canyon Lake is home to lots of real nice 2-3 pound bass.  Water temps are around 66 F and visibility is about 4-5 feet. Anglers are catching them with jerkbaits and Texas-rigged plastic worms. They are hanging on the shallow ledges by deep water.
Game and Fish sampled the lake and lots of very large bass are hanging around the Boulder Recreation Area.  Bluegills are congregating in the coves and will take small spinners and KastMasters.

Don’t forget about the fishing habitat that was installed at Beaver Landing, Teddy Bear and Mormon Flat.  One knowledgeable angler suggests throwing jerkbaits or spinnerbaits along the banks around Tortilla Bay at the drop-offs.  Texas -rigs and drop-shotting plastic worms are producing results.

Where:canyon lake
When:10/12/08
Caught:7 Largemouth Bass
Technique:Silver and blue Rat-L-Trap and 4″ Senkos
Comments:Good to see Canyon coming back. Latched a 4 lb, 2 lb, and 1.5 lb. The rest were small but fun. All fish released.
Name:Bud Russman
SAGUARO LAKE – Lake elevation 1524 feet at 91-percent full. One angler caught 16 largemouth bass with the big boys being elusive but the little ones were plentiful.   Cranks didn’t work this time around but drop shots were the ticket.

A few big ones are being caught around the points about 20 feet deep.

Largemouth bass are partial to the plastic worms but KastMasters are working for the rest of the fish.  One small group of anglers caught a few small bluegills, a nice channel catfish, quite a few largemouth bass, and 92 yellow bass, most were caught in the upper lake.

Where:Saguaro
When:10/09/08
Caught:Small bass
Technique:Robo worms and Chad Rap
Comments:We let the Robo go straight to the bottom. Drop shot was effective but little results. The morning bite is great but by eleven it’s time to pack it up and mow the lawn. The big bass are still very illusive.
Name:Charles Greco
BARTLETT LAKE – Lake elevation is 1,772 feet, which is 65-percent full.  Reservoir release is 950 cfs.
Lots of small largemouth bass taking jigs and minnows. Crappie bite is there and they are taking jigs and minnows as well.
Nighttime crappie fishing is producing some happy fishermen. The green lights seem to be the favorite right now.
One angler caught two largemouth bass in the 3-pound range using crankbait from shore and in the coves.  If you have a trolling motor, troll your jigs.
Bass anglers are pretty happy.  A group of anglers and caught quite a few bass on drop shots and topwater lures.  The boils are short lived but are all over the lake.  The water is dropping fast.

Plastic worms on drop shot are enticing quite a few fish and boils are plentiful.  The white or clear topwater lures that look like shad are producing pretty well.

Don’t forget Bartlett is a very good catfish lake; shore and boat fishermen both do very well.  Use chicken liver, worms or any kind of leftovers you might have that will stay on your hook. Channel catfish are taking jigs and spinnerbaits as well. For flatheads try some live bait in the upper end of the lake by ship rock at night. They like the full moon.

Try fishing under the no wake line by the Jojoba Boat Ramp in 5-8 feet of water.  Look for the submerged yellow pipe; the bass like to hang out there.  Last year at this time the fish were being caught in the west end of the lake in the mornings and on the east end of the lake in the evenings.
Where:Bartlett
When:10/08/08
Caught:bass
Technique:crankbaits
Comments:fast retrieve caught and released 9 bass, 2-pound average
Name:Bud Tutrone
Where: Bartlett Lake
When:10/06/08
Caught: largemouth and 1bluegill
Technique: white 1/4 oz. spinner, silver and blue Rat-L-Traps, and a 8 ft diver bomber green
Comments: great day we fish the Yellow Cliffs and the Bartlett Flats; our best fish came off the inside of main channel points
Name: josh

HORSESHOE LAKE – Lake elevation is at 1,952 feet, no pool. This is barely more than a wide spot in the river. They are releasing water at 150 cfs.

VERDE RIVER – Verde River flow at Tangle is 184 cubic feet per second.  Release from Bartlett Lake is 950 cfs.

SALT RIVER – Salt River into Roosevelt is 280 cfs, and Salt River Canyon is 503 cfs.  They are releasing 8 cfs out of Stewart Mountain dam from Saguaro.  .

LOWER SALT RIVER (below Saguaro Lake) – Trout stockings are not scheduled again until the week of Nov. 3, but you can still catch bass, catfish, carp and sunfish. Worms are a good all around bait and jigs will work for the sunfish and bass.  Corn will entice the carp.  You can catch roundtail chub (a delectable native fish) in the deep water around Coon Bluff, Phon D. Sutton and Granite Reef areas (they are all past the confluence with the Verde River). They will hang out in the pools. You can catch them with trout lures, KastMasters, Mepps or worms. Make sure you have your Tonto Pass which can be purchased from a variety of convenience stores and sporting goods stores.

CREEKS – The creeks below the Mogollon Rim are not currently being stocked, but it is still possible to find trout in the deeper pools for those willing to invest the time and fun to find them. Brown trout are starting to spawn and terrestrials like hoppers are still producing.

Anglers are also using copper johns, small flies, pheasant tailed flashbacks, Simi Seal leeches, and zug bugs.

Haigler Creek – Use small dry flies

Canyon Creek – Midge patterns

Tonto Creek – Midge patterns

Christopher Creek – No recent reports, but try live night crawlers on light line.

East Verde – One angler reported good fishing for larger trout in the deeper pools.

Workman Creek – Terrestrials are the ticket – especially hoppers.

HORSETHEIF BASIN LAKE – Probably not worth driving to just for fishing, but it might be worth a visit if you are prowling the Bradshaw Mountains and want to wet a line for some small sunfish or bass.