Fishing News
Arizona fishing outlook is best in 25 years
“2008 is shaping up as the Year of the Pisces”
This is shaping up to be the best fishing year in Arizona in 25 years – this may indeed be the Year of the Pisces.

According to Salt River Project (SRP), the projected runoff from the current snowpack is more than enough to fill Roosevelt Lake – for the first time since the dam was raised in 1996. The tremendous runoff in 2005 almost filled the lake, but was three feet shy at 96-percent full.

“Our most recent runoff forecast is for inflow to exceed the amount necessary to bring Roosevelt Lake to 100 percent capacity,” predicted Mark Hubble, the senior hydrologist with SRP.

Fishery biologists with the Arizona Game and Fish see great things happening this year not just at Roosevelt, but most of the other fishing lakes as well.

“This looks like an historic year in our fisheries, in large part because of the tremendous runoff in 2005 and resulting spawns, but also because of the widespread deep snowpack in the high country we haven’t experienced since at least 1993,” said Fisheries Chief Kirk Young. “The Arizona fishing outlook is the best we’ve seen in 25 years or so.”

Most of the state’s popular high elevation trout lakes should fill-and-spill this year, or have high water levels. Even some ephemeral waters, such as Lower Lake Mary near Flagstaff, should have enough water to be stocked with trout this year.

“In 2005, Lower Lake Mary was transformed from being a large elk meadow into becoming our largest high country trout lake. That could happen again this year,” Young said.

Biologists are also hopeful that the state’s only two natural lakes – Mormon Lake and Stoneman Lake near Flagstaff – will experience significant filling.

The story doesn’t end there.

Young explained that the runoff in 2005 filled most of the inland desert lakes and resulted in a tremendous sport-fish spawn that year. Those abundant sport-fish in the various reservoirs from the 2005 spawn are now three years old, which is a prime spawning age.

Plus, Roosevelt also had significant spawns in 2006 and a decent spawn in 2007. In addition, this year when Roosevelt fills it will inundate around 500 surface acres of habitat that has never been under water before.

“Roosevelt will be going through what we call the ‘new lake syndrome.’ Its productivity will go right off the charts – again. Roosevelt will quite possibly become the best bass and crappie fishery in the Western United States, if it’s not there already,” said Young.

In addition, both Bartlett Lake and Horseshoe Lake have filled – even before the spring runoff commences. Lake Pleasant has also received significant inflows, pumping welcome nutrients into this popular fishery. Alamo Lake west of Wickenburg has also risen significantly the past two months and the fishing outlook there is terrific as well.

The snowpack outlook is also good for the Colorado River lakes, especially Lake Powell. According to the National Weather Service’s Colorado Basin River Forecast Center at www.cbrfc.noaa.gov, the water supply outlook as of Feb. 1 shows the Upper Colorado River watershed at 140 percent of snowpack, the San Juan River watershed at 160 percent, and the Green River watershed at 107 percent.

That is very good news for Lake Powell, which hit record low water levels the last several years. The expected increase in the lake level at Powell should create increased sport-fish reproduction this year. Here’s why. While the lake level is down, vegetation – especially salt cedar – became established on the very fertile exposed lake bed. Much of that vegetation will become inundated this year, providing spawning cover, hiding cover and increased nutrients for sport-fish and bait-fish as well.

If you haven’t bought your license and cleared some time for this spring and summer, this is your wake-up call to do so. You will definitely regret missing this year’s fishing opportunities. “These are the good ole days anglers will be reminiscing about for years to come. Get out and catch a memory,” Young said.

Proposed experimental flow not expected to impact Lees Ferry fishery
An experimental release of up to 40,000 cfs for 60 hours from Glen Canyon Dam proposed for early March is not expected to negatively impact the world-renowned Lees Ferry trout fishery just downstream in picturesque Marble Canyon.

The U.S. Department of the Interior is proposing the experiment to study and improve Colorado River resources in Grand Canyon National Park.

The goal of the experiment is to better understand whether higher flows can be used to rebuild eroded beaches downstream of Glen Canyon Dam by moving sand accumulated in the riverbed onto sandbars. Grand Canyon sandbars provide habitat for wildlife, serve as camping beaches for recreationists, and supply sand needed to protect archaeological sites. For more information, visit www.gcmrc.gov/research/high_flow/2008/ .

Larry Riley, an Arizona Game and Fish Department biologist, said the proposed peak flow of 41,000 cubic feet per second would mean an increase of about 4 feet at the Lees Ferry boat ramp.

”Wild trout are well adapted to stream conditions that include spring flushing flows. The proposed test flows could temporarily displace adult rainbow trout by changing water currents. However, the rainbow trout are unlikely to leave the immediate area and fish will return to desirable habitats rather quickly,” Riley said.

Riley explained that adult trout generally show a high degree of habitat fidelity, and long-term marking experiments at Lees Ferry have borne that out. Trout monitoring associated with the 1996 (spring) and 2004 (fall) high-flow experiments also noted no changes in density of adult trout in the Glen Canyon Reach.

A decision by the Department of the Interior is anticipated in late February, with plans to conduct the high flow in early March 2008, if there is a decision to move forward with the experiment.

The proposed 41,000 cfs flows would be about four times the average flow in recent years; however it’s perhaps a third of the historic pre-dam spring peak flows of around 120,000 cfs and less than half of the peak flow during spill operations in 1983. To put all that in perspective, in late January this year the Salt River was flowing at around 80,000 cfs into Roosevelt Lake.

Riley said the spawn is currently underway at the Ferry. “If the experiment is conducted, some trout redds (nests) could likely be scoured by the flow, as the spawn in recent years has peaked in late March. Also, some fry may be lost. Trout demonstrate compensatory survival to off-set these kinds of events. Increased survival and growth rates of fry not lost or displaced are attributed to reduced competition for food. Likely late spawns can make up for losses of fry as well.”

Riley said that some anglers have expressed concerns that the trout at Lees Ferry could experience a shortage in their food supply, especially freshwater shrimp, because of the experimental flows. “We don’t anticipate that happening. In fact, the flows will more likely have a positive affect on the algae habitats that support the shrimp populations.”

The timing of this high-flow event is at the beginning of the growing season when sunlight is returning to the canyon bottom, and the aquatic algae is poised to exploit the space, increasing sunlight, and available nutrients to grow and expand rapidly. “The experimental flows could trim the important alga beds of dead and aging fronds, just like trimming an aging tree, and could in fact create a bumper crop of high-quality food for trout.” Riley said.

Another concern by anglers is that the trout won’t be catchable after this high flow. “Angler catch rates really did not change significantly as a result of the 1996 experiment. Fish behavior may shift following this event, with trout adopting different feeding habits and seeking out food in locations different than the seasoned Lees Ferry angler may be used to, but it shouldn’t take long for anglers to adapt – it never does,” Riley said.

For example, he said, fish may use deeper water habitats following the high flow to capitalize upon food at depth making it more difficult for the wading angler to fish by sight. ”That’s a challenge to the skill of the angler, but not an adverse effect to the trout,” Riley said.

Guides and staff at local businesses learn quickly about alternative fishing tactics to catch these wild trout. “Consultation with these seasoned anglers and skilled listeners can provide tactics that will broaden an angler’s repertoire and improve their ability to catch fish,” Riley said.

Riley added that Game and Fish Department biologists plan to conduct fish surveys at Lees Ferry both before and after the proposed experimental high flow event. “Every time an experiment is conducted, we learn things that help us better manage these important resources. That is an important part of the adaptive management process.”