White Mountains

January 3rd, 2008

Note: Lakes and streams are ice-covered.  National forest roads are closed in most areas.

State Highway 261 is closed to Big Lake and Crescent Lake, as well as most interior Forest roads due to a recent snow storm. State Highway 273 on the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest is undergoing reconstruction and realignment and the following closures are in effect. State Highway 273 from the Forest and Fort Apache Indian Reservation boundary to Crescent Lake is closed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will remain closed until the road construction project is complete.    

BECKER LAKE —The lake is ice-covered with a few open water areas. Unsafe ice conditions.  

BIG LAKE — Highway 261 is closed.   

ACCESS: State Highway 261 is closed from Eager. State Highway 273 from the Forest Service-Fort Apache Indian Reservation to Crescent Lake is closed for road construction.  

CARNERO LAKE — The lake is ice-covered. Unsafe ice conditions.  Forest Roads 117 and 117A are snow packed and many vehicles are getting stuck. Please use caution and common sense. 

CLEAR CREEK RESERVOIR — The lake is 70-percent ice-covered. Fishing has been fair for bullheads and sunfish, fair for bass, and poor for trout. Try fishing off the bottom with worms. Try worms, meal worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, lures (spinners, Z-rays, and spoons, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and Rapalas), and flies (wooly worms or wooly buggers, zug bugs, prince nymphs, and peacock ladies). The northeast boat ramps are usable but the middle boat ramp is steep and has soft sand. There is also an old concrete dam structure across from the middle boat ramp so use caution when motoring on the lake. There are no motor restrictions on the lake when using larger watercraft. Clear Creek Reservoir has largemouth bass, sunfish, black bullheads, and channel catfish.  

CONCHO LAKE—The lake is low, weedy, and ice-covered. Unsafe ice conditions.    

CRESCENT LAKE — Highway 261 is closed from Eager. Highway 273 from Forest Service-Fort Apache Indian Reservation to Crescent Lake is closed for road construction.    
  
FOOL HOLLOW LAKE —The lake is ice-covered. Unsafe ice conditions.

GREER LAKES — All Greer Lakes are ice-covered.  Unsafe ice conditions.    

HULSEY LAKE — Forest roads are snow packed. The lake is ice-covered. Unsafe ice conditions. 

LEE VALLEY RESERVOIR — Access to the lake is closed.        

Access: State Highway 273 from Sunrise Lake to Crescent Lake is closed for road construction and Highway 261 from Eager is closed due to recent storms. 

LUNA LAKE — The lake is ice-covered. Unsafe ice conditions. 

LYMAN LAKE —The lake is ice-covered. Unsafe ice conditions.

NELSON RESERVOIR — The lake is ice-covered. Unsafe ice conditions.  
                
RAINBOW LAKE — The lake is mostly ice-covered with a few open water areas. Unsafe ice conditions.         

SCOTT’S RESERVOIR — The lake is ice-covered. Unsafe ice conditions.      

SHOW LOW LAKE — The lake is ice-covered with a few open water areas. Unsafe ice conditions.
  
SILVER CREEK — Fishing has been good. Silver Creek on the Arizona Game and Fish Department property is now open to catch and release fishing, artificial lure and fly only and barbless hooks only from Oct. 1 through March 31.  The upper section (big fence boundary) is open to fishing. Try small lures such as Mepps, Rooster Tail, and Panther Martin spinners; fish upstream or downstream.

Fly-fishing anglers may want to try peacock ladies, beadhead black or green wooly buggers, prince nymphs, zug bugs, bead head nymphs, mayfly and caddis fly nymph imitations, and shrimp patterns. Fish your flies upstream and dead drift them downstream or cast your fly downstream and retrieve the fly slowly upstream. Try small dry flies such as Adams, parachute Adams, midge imitations, and caddis fly patterns in sizes #16 or #18 or # 20.

Night crawlers, Power Bait, and mealworms work well. The stream was stocked two weeks ago. 

WOODLAND LAKE — The lake is ice-covered except by the fishing pier. Unsafe ice conditions.

WHITE MOUNTAIN STREAMS:

WEST FORK OF BLACK RIVER – The river is ice-covered.  Forest roads are snow packed and Highway 261 is closed.

EAST FORK OF BLACK RIVER – The river is ice-covered. Forest roads are snow packed and Highway 261 is closed. 

SHEEPS  CROSSING – Not accessible. Highway 273 is closed for the year due to road construction.

LITTLE COLORADO RIVER – GREER – The river is ice-covered.

 

Leave a Reply