Note: All lakes along the Mogollon Rim are now accessible. The Forest Service 300 road opened this week. For more information, contact the Black Mesa Ranger District office at (928) 535-4481 for information.

CHEVELON LAKE - Fishing is fair to good. Anglers have been catching good numbers of moderate size trout near the dam. The lake is ice free, full, and spilling. Anglers are catching trout in the creek downstream of the dam, which is open to statewide fishing regulations.

The lake is open to artificial lure and fly only, trout between 10 and 14 inches may not be possessed, and the bag limit is 6 trout. Try lures such as Z-rays, Super Dupers, spinners, and Rapalas, and flies such as wooly worms, wooly buggers, peacock ladies, prince nymphs, zug bugs, and other small nymphs. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10 hp. gas motors. Access to Chevelon Lake is open on Forest Road 169 from the north, via Hwy 99 from Winslow or via Forest Road 504 from Heber.

BEAR CANYON LAKE - Is now accessible. The lake is mostly ice-free. Fishing should be decent for larger hold-over trout.

Where:Bear Canyon
When:04/23/08
Caught:Limit of trout
Technique:
Hit on yellow Rooster Tail, Berkley Gulp, and silver spoons. Took about 4 hours
Comments:Still some snow on the trail and banks. Road in being graded
Name:Jeff

BLACK CANYON LAKE – The roads are now open and fishing is fair. The lake is ice free, full, and spilling. Recent netting revealed lots of illegally stocked largemouth bass and some nice sized rainbow trout (up to 2 pounds). Try worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, lures such as spinners, Super Dupers, Z-rays, spoons, and flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms and wooly buggers, and Yeager buggers. The lake is open to electric trolling motors only. The water temperature last week was 59 degrees.

Where:Black Canyon Lake
When:04/19/08
Caught:trout planters and hold over 12″ to 19″ 32 trout caught in 3 hours
Technique:slow deep trolling copper castmaster copper super duper yellow crickhopper
Comments:really windy but awesome fishing alot of action caught a couple of 2.5 to 3 pound fat hold over trout
Name:Neil Pitcher
BLUE RIDGE – Open and accessible. The lake is spilling. Expect larger hold-over trout. This is a deep canyon lake that is tough for shore angling, but great for small boats and canoes, or float tubes.

KNOLL LAKE – The Forest Service 300 (Rim Road) is open, but muddy in places with some snow drifts still along the shady edges. If the water is not too cold (no reports yet), it should be decent for larger hold-over trout.

WILLOW SPRINGS LAKE - Fishing is fair to good. The road is now open to the lake. The lake is ice-free and full. The boat ramp is accessible. The lake was stocked last week with catchable size rainbow trout. Try worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs, lures such as Z-rays, spinners, and Rapalas, and flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms, wooly buggers, and nymphs in black, brown, or green colors. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10 hp. gas motors. Recent netting revealed some small rainbow trout and a few largemouth bass. The water temperature last week was 50 degrees.

Angler reports:
The bite was a little slow at first light but was gangbusters for larger hold-over trout and some stockers in the late afternoon, especially on small spinners and spoons. Boat anglers seemedto be doing very well most of the day, although it was a little windy at times.

I and my son were on the water at 10 a.m. fly fishing in float tubes. Noticed the lake was covered with floating ladybugs. Son used a peacock lady, I used a small grasshopper at first. There was nothing till around 2 p.m. as far as hits. Talked to several people who had caught a few from shore using worms and Power Bait. Then about 4 p.m., I caught four – one right after another. My son took three; all were in 12- to 14-inch range. Their stomachs were full of lady bugs. Lots of natural food for them but fishing was good after 4 p.m. and dropped off after six but was a good time. P.S
only one fish was a stocky. Thanks for your tips too — Mike

Where:Willow Springs
When:04/12/08
Caught:nothing
Technique:Tried all sorts of power bait, night crawlers, corn, salmon eggs. with bobbers, and on the bottom
Comments:It was very windy, and we didn’t see anyone catching fish. There were 7 of us in our group, and other than a couple of bites that amounted to nothing it was very slow. It was still great to be up in the mountains, can’t wait for Woods Canyon to open, to go fly fishing!!!!
Name:Brent Uffelman

WOODS CANYON LAKE – Open, accessible and ice-free. Fishing is fair. Forest roads 300 and 105 is expected to open on Friday, April 18. The boat ramp is accessible. Try worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs, lures such as spinners, small spoons (Super Dupers, and Z-rays), and Rapalas, and flies such as wooly worms and wooly buggers, peacock ladies, and nymphs in black, brown, or green colors. The lake is open to electric trolling motors only.

Angler reports:

Caught-and-released 20 larger hold-over trout fly fishing from a float tube at Woods Canyon, then fished Bear Canyon for another dozen big ones. Water is very cold, fishing is great!

Where:Woods Canyon lake
When: 04/19/08
Caught:Rainbow/Brown Trout (holdovers)
Technique:Worms, and Rainbow Power Bait
Comments:The boat store was open but they were not renting boats yet. The Northern section of the lake shore was snow covered. The water was cold but crystal clear. Fished just to the left of the boat dock and pulled out and released 12 rainbows, the largest being 18 inches. Also 3 browns, the largest 16 inches. We were using Power Bait about 1 foot from the bottom and worms on the bottom.
Name:Gabriel Martinez