Note:  Always check on road conditions before venturing afield.
Williams Lakes:   No new reports

KAIBAB LAKE — Lake is accessible. Campground area is closed.  Has been stocked with rainbow trout. Anglers have reported good fishing.

Angler report:

Darron: Hit Kaibab today (3/28/09). Great weather and no less than 75 people fishing the waters, mostly for trout. Not many catching anything today. Folks are using Powerbait (rainbow, yellow, etc.) Lures (super dupers, spoons, etc). Even the folks in boats aren’t getting any bites. I fish for bass and they’re still not moving. I suspect they’re holding up on the East end of the lake as they usually do until early May.

CATARACT LAKE — Campgrounds are closed. Must walk in to fish. Has been stocked According to the few anglers I talked to fishing is good.

CITY RESERVOIR —   Road is open, has been stocked.  Anglers say fishing is good.

DOGTOWN LAKE —. Campground area is closed. Road is open.  Has been stocked.  Anglers say fishing is good.

JD DAM — Road is open.  No angler reports.

RUSSEL TANK -  No reports

SANTA FE — Lake is full. Has been stocked. Fishing is good.

WHITEHORSE LAKE — No report from anglers.  Campgrounds are closed.  Must walk in to fish, but might be worth the hike.  Scheduled to be stocked this week.

FLAGSTAFF LAKES:

LOWER LAKE MARY — Fishing is good for trout with many anglers reporting limits of small football-shaped fat trout .  Was liberally stocked in mid-winter.
.

Try any of the Power Baits, corn, small spinners, spoons, or Rapalas.

Thank you Rory, we just got back and had a wonderful time. We only
fished lower lake Mary and boy did my son knock them dead. In a day and
a half we caught 50 – 60 they were all stockers, we released all of
them for someone else to catch. Well we did keep two to go with our
venison tenderloin we had for dinner at camp. I have also included a
photo of my son’s first pike I think the photo tells it all. I did not
know if Game and Fish want pike in with the trout? So we did release
it back too. Let me know for the next time please.
Rick and Zack

UPPER LAKE MARY — The lake is full. Some anglers have been doing well fishing for northern pike. Try spinners and spoons.

Angler reports:
Darron Khan: Fished Upper Lake Mary 3/31/09 from my boat (noon to 6:30 p.m.). Weather: 60 degrees and sunny. Water temps: 48-50 degrees. My buddy and I mostly fished the southern shoreline & coves (Newman cove, etc.) until 4 p.m. We had two bites. Switched to N. shoreline and started catching them in the shallows. Used: jointed crankbaits. Some folks bank fishing around the W. boat ramps were really nailing them using crankbaits. Caught: 3 pike, 16″ / 1.5-pound range.
Where: Upper Lake Mary
When: 03/14/09
Caught: 5 Northern Pike
Technique: Long casts from shore today over a two hour period produced a few fat healthy Pike. Tossed shallow running Rapala stick baits across shallow rock and weed covered flats. Pike were working the wind blown shallows and ambushed a slow moving lure. Pike were in two feet of water or less when they hit. Big fish was 5.4 lbs. and very feisty.
Comments: Beautiful but cool blustery weather: even snowed on us a time or two. Fish came from the extreme southern end of the lake. Returned the fish to the lake to be caught again. Can’t wait to get back out there.
Name: Jeff Bierer

ASHURST LAKE —  The lake is full, The road is closed for maintenance. The road may be open by the end of the week.  Scheduled to be stocked,

FRANCIS SHORT POND – fishing is good.    Stocked last week

KINNIKINICK LAKE — Road is closed.  Has been stocked

MARSHALL LAKE —  Road is open and the lake has been stocked.
LONG LAKE — Lake is open.  Water level is good.  Lake has been stocked.

SOLDIERS & SOLDIERS ANNEX — Lakes are open. No report.
STONEMAN LAKE — NO FISH.
Verde Valley

BEAVER CREEK —  Stocked with trout this week. Fishing should be good. You can also hike upstream into the canyon and catch trout and bass in the deeper pools, but there may be some boulder-hopping involved.

HI Rory,
We had a great time at Beaver Creek.  We caught 3 total and gave them away to local campers.  Here is a picture of the kids.
Thanks again for your help.   I really appreciate it.
Ryan
DEAD HORSE STATE PARK – Fishing in general has been very good. If you are willing to fish all day you should be able to get a limit.  Trout were last stocked the week of March 9.  This is the last scheduled stocking until the fall, but rainbow trout are still abundant in the lakes.  Try using white Power Bait, homemade dough baits, flies or small spinners. If you’re not catching anything you may want to try a different bait or the other lagoon.  It is not uncommon for the anglers at one lagoon to do better than the anglers at the other lagoon.

Bait, homemade dough baits, flies or small spinners.    If you’re not catching anything you may want to try a different bait or the other lagoon.  It is not uncommon for the anglers at one lagoon to do better than the anglers at the other lagoon.

Catfish were last stocked on Sept. 17 in both the middle and lower lagoons.  Verde River day festivities on Sept. 27  were a success with around 300 people attending.  As the water temperature continues to cool, the bass, bluegill and catfish become less active.

OAK CREEK — Fishing is good.

VERDE RIVER (throughout Verde Valley) – Trout were last stocked the week of March 16;  2,400 rainbows were stocked into all four sites.  Those sites are Tuzigoot Bridge, just down from the Dead Horse Bridge or “Jacks”, Bignotti Beach or the Thousand Trails site, and the bridge out of Camp Verde.

WEST CLEAR CREEK —   Stocked this week. This is a good place for those who like to hike and fish. Access it off General Crook Highway or via the road into Beaver Creek.

Prescott Area

FAIN LAKE —Trout were stocked last the week of March 23rd.  1,325 rainbow trout will be stocked again the week of April, 13th.  Trout fishing is best immediately following the stocking.  For trout try using spinners or bright colored Power Bait.
Catfish and sunfish were stocked the week of June 23.

GOLDWATER LAKE —Trout were last stocked the week of March 2nd, and are scheduled to be stocked again this week, the week of April 6th.  Look for the fishing to really pick up following the stocking.  Some anglers are having  limited success on worms and night crawlers.  If that does not work, you may want to try using KastMasters.  When the weather is cold, the bite may not pick up until 10 or 11.

Catfish and bass were stocked the week of Sept. 15th.  Game and Fish biologists weighed a 22-pound channel catfish that was caught at Goldwater in March.  On July 11, a 26-pound catfish was caught on a hotdog and an 11-pound catfish was caught since then.

Game and Fish Biologists surveyed Goldwater on September 16th, 2008  and found the trout and sunfish plentiful. While the number of catfish was low, the quality was exceptional. One 19lbs and a 14lbs catfish was sampled and released. No bass were sampled this year. If you fish Goldwater and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

Where:
Goldwater lake
When:
03/20/09
Caught:
trout and bass
Technique:
corn and panther martin
Comments:
I fished Goldwater on 03-20 and caught the best limit of trout i ever caught. Fishing corn on the bottom I caught 2 12inchers,3 13inchers and one 17incher that weighed 21/4 lbs. I returned on 3-24 and caught 5 more trout and a 2lb bass. I caught 4 trout on corn again, one trout and the bass on a Panther Martin. Both my luck was best between 11am to 1pm.
Name:
Ray Strom

Granite Basin – Bluegill and bass are plentiful in this lake.  The aquatic vegetation has not been bad this year making fishing this lake easier than normal. The bite should be pretty slow all winter.  If you fish Granite Basin and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.
LYNX LAKE — Rainbow trout were stocked the week of March 9th  and are scheduled to be stocked again the week of April 13th.  The fishing has picked up following the stocking, as well angler use when the weather is nice.  Sub-catchable brook trout were stocked on September 24th.  Try using chartreuse Power Bait on the bottom for these pretty little fish.  Catfish were stocked June 9 and again on June 25.  Try using night crawlers or hot dogs for the catfish.

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.

MINGUS LAKE – Mingus was stocked the week of October 20th.  Trout are scheduled to be stocked next week, the week of April 13th.  Last I heard, the gate was still closed and will remain closed until road conditions improve.  If the gate is closed you can hike in.  The best bait has been orange or pink Power Bait, fished on the bottom with a treble hook and an egg sinker.

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 at 1-800-352-0700.  Illegal stockings cost YOU money!

WATSON – NO NEW REPORTS: Bass, Bluegill and catfish are common in this lake. One angler reported seeing several 5lb catfish recently.  Another angler reported catching 3-8 nice bass per evening on green or chartreuse “woolly bugers.”  As the water begins to cool this will slow, so get them while you can.  Crappies are found in low numbers. Bullheads are easily caught using a small piece of worm.

Game and Fish Biologists surveyed Watson on September 17th, 2008  and found the bass,  sunfish, and bullhead to be plentiful.  Crappie are also doing well.  Look for the crappie fishing to pick up in a year or two. If you fish Watson and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.
WILLOW CREEK RESERVOIR – NO NEW REPORTS: Bass, bluegill, and bullhead are plentiful.  Most of the bluegills are on the small side, but the bullhead are thick.  If you fish Willow and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.