Note: Access roads are open to all the Mogollon Rim lakes. There is a Bald Eagle closure located in the northwest shore area of Woods Canyon Lake. The Bald Eagle closure area is marked by red signs. Access to the shore and parking a boat on the shoreline area that is within the Bald Eagle closure area is prohibited. The closure affects only a small area on the northwest shore and the rest of the shoreline on the lake is open to the public. Boat travel is allowed throughout the lake, but stopping in front of the bald eagle shore closure is not allowed so that the nest is not disturbed. Contact the U.S. Forest Service’s Black Mesa Ranger District office at (928) 535-4481 for more information.
CHEVELON LAKE – This is a hike-in lake via a steep slope. There is not a lot of shore access. It is best fished from a float tube, inflatable or canoe. Fishing is fair to good. The lake is full. Anglers have been catching good numbers of moderate size trout.
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 six 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.
Where: Chevelon Canyon Lake
When:05/20/08
Caught:21 inch Brown Trout
Technique: KastMaster fished slowly right about midday.
Comments: I caught 6 total and my brother caught 8 but other than the German Brown they were all very small Rainbows. Didn’t have a scale for the brown but we figure he is somewhere between 3 and 4 pounds.
Name: Michael D. Lazok
Where: Chevelon
When: 05/21/08
Caught:4 inch rainbow
Technique: Flies, spinners, z-rays, spoons from 6 am to 7 pm
Comments: Caught the little 4-incher on a wooly worm
Name: M&M
Where: Chevelon Canyon
When: 05/18/08
Caught:1 small trout
Technique: Fly fishing from float tubes
Comments: Got down to the lake at 8:30 a.m. Three fishers floated the entire lake from 8:30 to 3 p.m. Caught only one small stocker rainbow. Used a variety of flies, both dry and wet, sinking line, nothing was biting. Lot of work for only one trout.
Name: Ed
BEAR CANYON LAKE - The lake is full and spilling and fishing is very good. The lake was stocked with catchable size rainbow trout and anglers are still hauling in some nice hold-overs as well. This is a hike-in lack down short but steep and winding paths. There is pretty good shore access. This deep canyon lake is great for those with float tubes.
Try worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs, lures such as spinners, Z-rays, Super Dupers, and Rapalas and flies such as wooly worms, wooly buggers, Yeager buggers, peacock ladies, prince nymphs, zug bugs, hares ear and pheasant tail nymphs. The lake is open to electric trolling motors only.
Where:
Bear Canyon and Woods Canyon Lake
When:
05/26/08
Caught:
One 6-8 inch Rainbow Trout
Technique:
Yellow Power Bait fished under a bobber.
Comments:
The trout were really jumping in the mornings from about 8am-10am at Woods Canyon Lake. There were lots of 6-8 inchers cruising along the shoreline feeding. Not so much luck with Bear Canyon Lake as the winds picked up a lot during the week, it made for choppy water and not much fish activity.
Name:
Tommy McNamara
Where: Bear Canyon Lake
When:05/17/08
Caught: A lot of Trout
Technique: Power Bait Flies
Comments: I had a great morning 13-16in. I Limited out in two hour’s. The best fishing on the Rim. I have fished all the Rim lake this year, and this lake is hot !!!!
Name: Tommy Krauter
BLACK CANYON LAKE –- Fishing is fair. The lake is full and spilling. Black Canyon Lake will be stocked this week with rainbow trout.
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.
Where: Black Canyon Lake
When:05/08/08
Caught:16” inch Rainbow Trout
Technique: set-up with a bobber with the hook about two feet and the fundamentals, good old fashion worm.
Name: Chris Spaziano
BLUE RIDGE – Fishing is fair to good. Open and accessible. This is a deep canyon lake that is tough for shore angling, but great for small boats and canoes, or float tubes.
Where: Blue Ridge Reservoir
When:05/20/08
Caught:2 little stocker Rainbows
Technique: Every type of fly or lure I know of.
Comments: Fishing was slow all day. There was a four hour stretch from 2-6 where I never even saw a fish jump or anything. But I did manage to net a few small ‘bows. 6-8 inches. No one else caught anything but small stockers (or maybe they just didn’t admit it?). I was surprised at how crowded and busy it was, it seemed like a holiday weekend, on a Tuesday. Oh ya, winds were bad, worse than Big Lake bad.
Where: Blue Ridge Reservoir
When:05/18/08
Caught: Rainbows
Technique: Trolling with worms
Comments: My wife & I landed and released 8 stockers (9″ to 10″) but definitely had fun. Action picked up as the temps picked up toward midday. Lake is definitely full. Water temps are little cold for the larger ones just yet.
Name: Mike & Nancy
KNOLL LAKE – Fishing is good to very good, with stockers and larger hold-overs being caught. Stocked with 3,330 rainbow trout last week.
Where:
Knoll Lake
When:
05/26/08
Caught:
3 Rainbows. 6 released
Technique:
I caught all 3 trout with a #2 Mepps spinner.
Comments:
Fished with PowerBait most of the morning and got nothing. About 1pm switched to the Mepps. They were hitting all afternoon.
Name:
Frank
WILLOW SPRINGS LAKE - The lake is full and the fishing is fair to good, with various anglers reporting limits of rainbows, occasional browns and even some bass. Willow Springs is stocked weekly with rainbow trout. Anglers have been catching trout trolling lures. Trout have been active at the surface down to 15 feet.
Try worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs, lures such as Z-rays, spinners, and Rapalas, and flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms, wooly buggers, Yeager 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 electro-fishing surveys revealed lots of nice sized smallmouth bass, up to 15 inches, and largemouth bass, up to 21 inches, lots of small rainbow trout and one large 7pound brown trout.
Angler reports:
Where:Willow Springs Lake
When:05/29/08
Caught:Bass and Trout - Caught and Released
Technique:Trolled Wooly Buggers and 1/4 oz. KastMasters from my kayak for trout and used silver Rapala Countdowns #7 back in the inlets for bass in the shallows.
Comments:
The day started a little windy and it picked up more towards noon. I was able to slow troll my wooly buggers - wind aided to net a few rainbows.
Name:
Ed Elefante
Joel Mielke: Sat 05/17/08 at Willow Springs Lake. Marina (my wife) and me caught 32 trout in 6 hours fishing from a small boat and using worms as bait. The average was 9-10 inches, some were 6-inch, and some were foot-long. Kept three nice foot-longs, left the rest for the Memorial Day crowd. Here’s a pic of Marina fishing while she reclined and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Good times! Thanks AZGFD!! Keep up the good work. - Joel
PS. I tried a new fillet technique that I saw on Youtube. It really was just as easy as this guy makes it look! I flipped the trout over and used the same technique on the other side. Fast, easy and who can resist a sautéed trout fillet? Here’s his demo video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtuOGdt-GWw
Where: Willow Springs Lake
When:05/12/08
Caught:4 trout
Technique: Power worms
Comments: Fish not interested in salmon eggs or flies at all. VERY SLOW fishing!
WOODS CANYON – Fishing is fair to good. Boat anglers are catching trout by trolling KastMasters and Panther Martins. Woods Canyon is stocked weekly with rainbow trout and anglers are still reporting catching some larger hold-over trout. Water temperature last week was 68F. Trout have been active at the surface down to 10 feet.
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, Yeager buggers, Peacock ladies, and nymphs in black, brown, or green colors. The lake is open to electric trolling motors only.
There is a Bald Eagle closure located in the northwest shore area of Woods Canyon Lake. The Bald Eagle closure area is marked by red signs. Access to the shore and parking a boat on the shoreline area that is within the Bald Eagle closure area is prohibited. The closure affects only a small area on the northwest shore and the rest of the shoreline on the lake is open to the public. Boat travel is allowed throughout the lake, but stopping in front of the bald eagle shore closure is not allowed so that the nest is not disturbed.
There is a store and marina at this lake – you can rent a boat.
Angler reports:
Where: woods canyon lake
When: 05/11/08
Caught: trout
Technique: fly fishing peacock ladies and Dave’s hoppers.
Comments: the fishing was awesome me and son in float tubes caught our limit of nice 12 - 14 inch fish in less the an hour after sunrise and then caught and released about 30 in the afternoon. Evening about dark the fish went nuts was cast, release cast-and-release had a ball thanks for your efforts fish and game
Name: mike
Marty Nelson: Took my Twin boys, Chase and Gavin fishing for the first time. 5/9/2007 (Woods Canyon) Caught 12 trout in 3 hours all on spinners, No bites on Power Bait.
Where: Woods Canyon Lake
When: 05/15/08
Caught: Rainbow Trout
Technique:
Weighted bobber w/#10 hook 4′ below it using worms.
Comments: Was windy at times but still caught fish near the spillway between 9am & 12pm.
Name: Rick & Steve
