MOGOLLON RIM LAKES

RIM LAKES Most roads are now open and accessible.  Contact the US Forest Service’s Black Mesa Ranger District office at (928) 535-7300 for up to date information about forest and road conditions.

CHEVELON LAKE — Fishing is fair. The lake is full.  All access roads are open.

Try lures such as spinners (Mepps, Panther Martin, and Rooster Tail), and spoons such as Super Dupers, KastMasters, and Z-rays, and flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms and wooly buggers, and semi-seal leeches.

This is a steep-sided canyon lake that is not shore angler friendly and is best fished from a float tube, canoe or kayak. There is hike-in lake with a steep, challenging trail.

The lake is open to artificial lure and fly only. Trout between 10 to 14 may not be possessed The lake is open to electric trolling motors and /or up to 10 hp. gas motors.

BEAR CANYON LAKE —  Fishing is fair. The lake is full. The lake was stocked last week with catchable size rainbow trout. All Forest roads are open to the lake. The lake was stocked last week with catchable size rainbow trout.  There are also plenty of larger hold-over trout.
Try worms, Power Bait, corn, and salmon eggs, lures such as spinners (Mepps, Rooster Tail, and Panther Martin), Super Dupers, Z-Rays and Rapalas, and flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms, wooly buggers, and small nymphs in black, brown or green. The lake is open to electric trolling motors only.  .

Angler report:

Rory:
Enjoyed the rainbow bite Saturday morning at Bear Canyon from my float tube using
semi-seal leach with a glo-bug dropper. One was plump but only about 12-13 inches. Maybe a holdover, maybe just
a plump stocker. The rest were stockers.
Thanks, Brian

BLACK CANYON LAKE — Fishing is fair to good.  The lake will be stocked this week.  All Forest roads are open to the lake. Try worms, Power Bait, lures such as Z-Rays, Super Dupers, and spinners (Mepps, Rooster Tail, and Panther Martin), and flies such as wooly worms, wooly buggers, Peacock ladies, and small nymphs.
The lake is open to electric trolling motors only and/or up to 10 hp. gas motors.

BLUE RIDGE – Road is open. Full and overflowing. Fishing is fair. It may be possible to catch some nice holdovers here, but the lake is not very shore-angler friendly. This lake is best fished from a small boat, kayak, canoe or float tube.

KNOLL LAKE – This lake is full and accessible but is not scheduled for stocking until the second week of May. Knoll is often good for early-season holdover trout, but don’t expect great numbers.
Try worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, lures such as Z-Rays, Super Dupers, and spinners  (Mepps, Rooster Tail, and Panther Martin), and flies such as wooly worms, wooly buggers, Peacock ladies, and small nymphs.

WILLOW SPRINGS LAKE — Fishing is good, with many anglers catching limits, especially those fishing from boats.  The lake is full. The lake was stocked last week with 2,734 rainbow trout but also has plenty of larger holdover trout, plus smallmouth and largemouth bass. There are even some crappies here.
Anglers are catching trout on worms. Try worms, Power Bait, lures such as Z-Rays, spinners (Mepps, Rooster Tail, and Panther Martin), and flies such as wooly worms, wooly buggers, and peacock ladies. The lake is open to electric trolling motors and/or up to 10 hp gas motors.

Rory;

Went out to Willow Springs Lake yesterday with the canoe, looking for some of those nice holdovers!

Got my limit of nice, long, fat rainbows in about 2 1/2 hours, using half of a dilly worm behind baby cowbells. All were between 8″ – 14″. Trolled them very, very slowly with the canoe. Also caught a small guy on a small gold KastMaster tipped with a couple red glittered salmon eggs.

Beautiful day out! Didn’t get to see any Bald Eagles yet though.

Thanks!
-Tony Lopez

WOODS CANYON LAKE — Fishing is good, with lots of anglers catching limits. This lake was stocked last week and is scheduled to be stocked again this coming week. Fishing is good for the stockers, with some larger hold-over trout still be caught at times.

There is a small area (well signed) on the eastern end of the lake is that closed due to nesting bald eagles. Please respect the closure – it should not interfere with your fishing. This also means that the nesting eagles are aggressively foraging for fish at Woods Canyon and at nearby Willow Springs, so take along your binoculars, it’s a treat. You might even see an exciting wildlife drama unfold when a bald eagle tries to take a fish away from an osprey.

Try worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs, lures such as spinners (Mepps, Panther Martin, and Rooster Tail), small spoons such as Super Dupers, Z-Rays, and KastMasters, and flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms, small nymphs in black, brown or green. The lake is open to electric trolling motors only.

Angler reports:
Tim C.: I went to Woods Canyon last Saturday for my first trout fishing outing ever. I only had my first cast in the water for 3 minutes when I pulled out my first of two 10-inch Rainbow Trout. The bites came slower as the day wore on but, I can’t wait to go back!

Editor’s note: Congratulations Tim. Welcome to the smiling ranks of the fishing initiates.

Where: Woods canyon
When:05/01/09
Caught: Trout
Technique: Flies used: A Dave’s hopper #8 was fishing from float tube they also were hitting peacock ladies
Comments: Was up there for the weekend caught over 50 fish Saturday and 12 Sunday the 12 I  kept were in the 12-15 inch ranges two of the fish had eggs. I cut the stomachs open and some had real grasshoppers in them and some kind of green hard shell bugs
Name:mike