Arizona Lake Fishing

Carp are the number one sport fish in Europe and are quickly catching on here in the states as well, especially here in Arizona. If you have fished for carp, you’ll know why they have become so popular - they fight like crazy! They also get huge and you can fish them all day.

1. Roosevelt Lake - Is one of the best lakes for fishing carp in Arizona. In fact they hold their annual Camp Carp at the end of May which has been running now for 18 years.
2. Apache Lake - This is a good lake for fishing carp. Dough bait and corn on treble hooks work best here. Look for carp in the murky coves around the marina.
3. Alamo Lake - You can expect to fin carp around 4-6 pounds in this Arizona lake. The traditional worm-on-a-hook works best here.
4. Silverbell Lake - You’ll find the big ones at Silverbell lake with some in the range of over 20 pounds. Chicken liver and a slip sinker work well here.

Apache Lake is around 90% full, the fishing is good and more anglers are getting out there.

Channel cats are hanging in the marina, Hackberry Cove and Goat Ledge. Try hot dogs, chicken liver and stink bait.

Yellow bass are where the substrate levels off. Use silver. Silver spinners, cranks, what have you.

Small mouth and largemouth bass are biting on plastic worms like Robo Worms. Put them on a drop shot around overhanging vegetation, boulders or ridges.

Carp are biting on yellow canned corn.

Apache Lake is 95% full with an elevation of 1900 feet.

Apache is a very good yellow bass lake with total hawgs hanging out where the substrate takes a dip. Anglers are reporting bites from bass, walleye and catfish. For bass and catfish use worms or minnows. To go for the walleye try shad like lures.

For best results: Go to the Crab Tree area in the morning. Use your fish finder to locate the lunkers and throw out your blue and silver Kastmaster.

Lake elevation is 1,909 feet (95-percent full).

Channel catfish, largemouth bass, crappie, trout and small mouth bass are all being caught at Apache right now.

Go to the coves for the catfish or try Alder Creek.

For trout, try the cooler water near Horse Mesa Dam or by the fish habitat. Use power eggs.

Small mouth bass can be found near rocky shores.

Walleye were stocked at the end of April; 2.4 million walleye sac fry, to be exact. Walleye are biting the best. Try trolling with shad-patterned crank baits just off Bronco Creek.

Water elevation is at 1,908 feet, which is 94-percent full.

A surplus of 21,000 rainbow trout from Canyon Creek hatchery were stocked into Apache Lake this week. They were released half at the main launch and half at Burnt Coral. The average fish was around 7 inches.

These smaller fish should get the bass and walleye excited so use a trout-like lure.

The yellow bass are also biting. Use KastMasters and spoons.

Water elevation is at 1,907 feet, which is 93-percent full.

Good time of year to catch yellow bass. And reports of anglers catching catfish.

Apache Lake will be stocked with rainbow trout this winter.

Get out and fish Apache Lake this winter. There will be rainbow trout and Apache also has a decent population of large mouth bass.