Note: Northern Pike have been illegally stocked in Francis Short. If you catch a Northern Pike at Francis Short Pond please REMOVE IT FROM THE POND.
WILLIAMS LAKES:
KAIBAB LAKE — Campground area is open. Main parking lot and boat launch open for day use only. Some trout are being caught. Scheduled to be stocked this week. Free Fishing Day Clinic June 14 9-12
Where: Kaibab Lake
When: 05/03/08
Caught: Rainbow Trout
Technique: Multi Colored Power Bait with glitter 24 inches up from the bottom.
Comments: My wife and I caught the 7 trout in four and a half hours. My wife had not been fishing since she was a child.
Name: Wesley Peacock
CATARACT LAKE — Campground is open. Lake is open for walk in fishing. Some fish being caught on flies and worms. Stocked with catfish. Scheduled to be stocked the week of June 9.
CITY RESERVOIR — Road is open. Lake is full. Stocked with 900 rainbow trout. catfish Scheduled to be stocked the week of June 9.
DOGTOWN LAKE — Campground area is open. No Report Some browns are being caught on lures. Scheduled to be stocked the week of June 9.
Where:Dogtown
When: 05/23/08
Caught: 10 trout
Technique: worms
Comments: Caught more fish when snowing than when sunny.
Name: shiela
JD DAM — Road is open.
RUSSEL TANK - Recently stocked.
Where: Russel Tank
When: 05/03/08
Caught: Rainbow Trout
Technique: Power Bait and spinners.
Comments: Average 10 inch, limit out within an hour. Locals were doing just as good. I will be headed back up there for the second opening day for spring turkey; if I can’t seal the deal with Mr. Tom I’ll just catch some trout.
Name: Gilbert
SANTA FE — Lake is full. Anglers are catching trout and yellow perch. Stocked with 900 rainbow trout last week.
Where: Sante Fe Dam in Williams AZ
When: 06/01/08
Caught: Rainbow Trout
Technique: Worms
Comments: When I was a kid I fished this lake every day, but last Sunday pulled the largest trout I’ve ever seen in Arizona. Wife as my witness. Most fish were small normal trout size. Fished west side off Dam.
Name: Ron Bykerk
WHITEHORSE LAKE — Stocked this week with 2,700 rainbows and the water temperature was 61F. No report from anglers. Campground area is open. Lake is open for walk in fishing. Lake is full.
Where: White Horse Lake
When: 05/24/08
Caught: Rainbow Trout
Technique: Worms 18″ below a bobber and Yellow Power Bait with glitter on the bottom.
Comments: On the 24th, mid morning, my son and I caught nine trout in an hour and a half in a snow storm. We release six and gave three others to a couple of little guys next to us that did not have our luck. On the 25th, early in the morning, in three hours I only caught-and-released two trout, but my two nieces and one of their friends, each caught their limits right off the loading ramp on Power Bait. Very exciting for the kids. Me too. Trout ranged from 8″ to 12″.
Name: Richard Bettes
Where: white horse
When:05/19/08
Caught: trout and crappie
Technique: all types of lures
Comments: caught and released well over 100 fish in two days of fishing all stockers nothing with any size but had a blast and I’m sure this next cold front will mess up the fishing for the memorial day weekend
Name: JARED PENSINGER
FLAGSTAFF LAKES:
LOWER LAKE MARY — This is still a trout-catching hot spot. A total of 28,000 trout have been stocked into the lake fishing is fair to good depending on the wind.
Angler reports:
Where: Lower Lake Mary
When: 05/25/08
Caught: Trout
Technique: Worms with bobbers
Comments: Great fishing for all, especially the kids. Every cast would get a bite within 30 seconds, it was unbelievable! The trick was hooking them and trying to help watch all the kids’ bobbers. Just about everyone was leaving with their limit!
Name: AlexTheis
UPPER LAKE MARY — The lake is full. Some Pike are being caught on anchovies.
Where: Upper Lake Mary
When: 06/12/08
Caught: Northern Pike
Technique: Large spoon with steel leader.
Comments: Was at least 2 feet and very fat, pushing 10 pounds. I caught it just a little past the dam. These fish are fun to catch.
Name: Chris Rybacki
Where: Upper Lake Mary
When: 05/31/08
Caught: Northern Pike
Technique: Frozen Anchovies
Comments: Nice 22″ and 23″ Pike. Be sure to take your STEEL Leaders. Lake is full and was a Beautiful day….
Name: Gary Webb
Where: Upper Lake Mary
When: 06/09/08
Caught: 2.5lb Northern Pike
Technique: Trolling Rapala Crankbait
Name: Joe Carpenter
Where: Upper Lake Mary
When: 06/08/08
Caught: Nothing
Technique: Spinnerbaits & Jerkbaits
Comments: Fish were just not biting. Hopefully next week will be a different story.
Name: D.N.
Where: Upper Lake Mary
When: 06/05/08
Caught: 3 Northern Pike
Technique: Anchovies, worms.
Comments: We fished for about 2 hours down by the spillway. We were getting bites the whole time, and we were able to hook three fairly large Pike. We had several other bites where the pike took the anchovies almost completely off the hook. Beautiful day.
Name: Evan Shaw
Where: upper lake mary
When: 06/02/08
Caught: northern pike
Technique: steel leader, egg weights and number 2 hook and frozen anchovies
Comments: huge 26 1/2in 4.5 pound northern pike I had another one but in took all my line out and I couldn’t reel it in; too big and heavy,
Name: Brandon
ASHURST LAKE — Stocked this week with 3,600 rainbow trout. The water temperature was 62 F. The lake is full. Some larger hold-over trout are being caught. Recently stocked. The road is open. Some trout anglers are catching northern pike.
Where: Ashurst lake
When: 05/10/08
Caught: caught limit of trout. one big rainbow. big enough for two.
Technique: used worms with a floater. size eight hook.
Comments: they start biting the first five minutes. it up to you when to hook’em
Name: Ryan Becenti
Where: Ashurst Lake
When: 04/05/08
Caught: trout
Technique: rainbow KastMaster, trolling
Comments: Fishing is slow but patience will be rewarded. There are some huge hold-overs
Name: Corey Myers
FRANCIS SHORT POND – Stocked this week with 700 pounds of channel catfish. Fishing was fair to good for trout on flies or Power Bait. Catfish are being caught on night crawlers. Please remove all pike caught to save stocked trout for the anglers! Scheduled to be stocked with catfish the week of June 9.
KINNIKINICK LAKE — Road Open. Scheduled to be stocked the week of June 9.
Where: Kinnickinick
When 05/04/08
Caught: Rainbows
Technique: Night crawlers, grubs, small brown Power Bait worms with chartreuse eggs in front of the worms, eagle claw double hook assembly.
Comments: Caught 9 pan fries and put them back to grow. Hooked an 8 + lb.
Name: Thom Rogers
MARSHALL LAKE — Recently stocked.
Where:Marshall Lake
When:06/05/08
Caught:Limit of Rainbow, 1 Brook Trout
Technique:Worms with a dab of Power-Bait 2-3 feet below a bobber.
Comments:Hit the boat launch at about 9A.M. and by noon we had all caught our limits! Several smaller trout and a few larger ones. The key was to let the fish take the hook all the way, trying to set it didn’t seem to work at all. There also seemed to be a hot spot right in the middle of the boat launch hole; sometimes we would get a bite within about 30 seconds of casting! It was a great time, and I can’t wait to get back out there as soon as we eat all these!
Name:Evan Shaw
OAK CREEK — Stocked with 1,800 rainbow trout and the water temperatures ranged from 60 to 70 F. Fishing is generally slow for browns although some large ones have been caught recently, but is okay for rainbows.
Where:Oak Creek
When:06/03/08
Caught:Rainbow Trout
Technique:Fished off the bottom of the deeper pools with night crawlers slowly reeled in, fish were biting heavy until around noon. Easily caught limit both days we fished
Name:Loma McAloon
LONG LAKE — Stocked recently with 2,700 rainbow trout and the water temperature was 57 F. Lake is open. Water level is good. Some nice fish are being caught near the ditch.
Where:Long Lake
When:06/06/08
Caught:Nothing
Technique:Small spinners, Rapalas, spoons, Power Bait.
Comments:The lake looked very “cloudy” and murky from shore. Fished all morning with not so much as a bite. Wondering if the water level had anything to do with the crappy water condition? Don’t bother fishing this lake unless you have a boat.
Name:Phil Tumbleson
SOLDIERS & SOLDIERS ANNEX — Lakes are open. No report.
BEAVER CREEK — No reports.
WEST CLEAR CREEK — No report.
STONEMAN LAKE — Low water. NO FISH.
MINGUS LAKE – The seasonal gate across the access road is open. Rainbow trout are being stocked twice a month. Mingus was stocked on June 16th. This is the last scheduled stocking until September. The best bait has been white Power Bait, fished on the bottom with a treble hook and an egg sinker. Several 6-fish limits of trout were caught this way. Fishermen using night crawlers under a bobber are also having some success.
Someone illegally stocked yellow bullhead into Mingus several years ago. These fish compete directly with the trout and keep growth rates very low. If you witness anyone, anywhere, moving fish like bass, bluegill, catfish and stocking them, please report it to our Operation Game Thief Hotline. Illegal stockings cost YOU money!
DEAD HORSE STATE PARK – Trout fishing success has slowed since the last seasonal fish stockings April 1st. The best bait has been kernels of canned corn with a split-shot sinker, fished about 3 feet under a bobber. Power Bait fished on the bottom with an egg sinker is also catching a few trout. Largemouth bass fishing is fair. Try using small plastic jigs, plastic worms, or small spinnerbaits near deeper cover. Catfish stocked June 9th. The catfish bite has been pretty good on night crawlers. The time of day that they are biting varies, so you may need to be patient.
Bluegills are very abundant, but most are small. This is a great opportunity to teach kids how to fish. Try using a #8 hook with a small piece of worm under a bobber and you should have success. While the crappie numbers are up a little, most are small. Look for the crappie fishing to be good late this year or next year. Catfish are scheduled to be stocked the week of June 9th.
VERDE RIVER (throughout Verde Valley) – No new reports. Trout fishing success is waning since the last seasonal fish stockings occurred March 17th. A few rainbows are still being taken near Riverfront Park in Cottonwood on night crawlers and dry flies. Largemouth bass fishing is fair. Best bet is throughout the Camp Verde reach using small plastic jigs and in-line spinners. Channel catfish action is starting to pick up in the Verde Valley. Most success on catfish is by using night crawlers and chicken liver after dusk.
LYNX LAKE — Catfish were stocked June 9. Trout are scheduled to be stocked this week, the week of June 16. While fishing has been slow, these two stockings should help. Try using night crawlers for the catfish. The hot ticket for the trout is salmon egg scented power bait.
Game and Fish Biologists installed PVC fish structures on Jan. 3. These structures should protect small fishes from predation. Some 7-inch brook trout were in February and 5-inchers in September. Game and Fish stocked catfish the week of June 4. There were 200 pounds of bluegill stocked on March 29. Game and Fish biologists surveyed Lynx in May and found that the brook trout stocked in September 2006 were still present.
FAIN LAKE —Fain is scheduled to be stocked with rainbow trout this week, the week of June 16. This is the last trout stocking scheduled until September. Catfish are scheduled to be stocked the week of June 23. For trout try using spinners or bright colored power bait. Fain lake was stocked with brook trout on Feb. 25.
GOLDWATER LAKE — Trout were stocked last week, the week of June 9. Fishing success should be good following the stocking. Recently one angler reported catching a 13- and 14-inch trout in two hours of fishing. While there is no shortage of fish, most people report catching only one or two fish. Try using KastMasters. If that does not work you may try worms or Power Bait. Early in the morning and in the evening the bite may be a little better. Some days the fishing seems to be better than other days as well. The next trout stocking is scheduled for the week of June 23. Bluegills were stocked Feb 25. Game and Fish biologists weighed a 22-pound channel catfish that was caught at Goldwater in March.
Game and Fish Biologists surveyed Goldwater during the middle of May 2007 and found the trout and sunfish plentiful. While the number of catfish and bass was low, the quality was exceptional. One 16-pound catfish was sampled and released. The bass averaged about 3.5 pounds. On March 29, 2007, there were 400 pounds of bluegill stocked. These fish were hand-sized and should be easily caught. Try using worms or mealworms on a bobber. Small spinners may work as well. If you fish Goldwater and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.
