Arizona Lake Fishing

Carp are quickly becoming a popular sport fish in Phoenix. Fly fishing for carp in particular has become a hot topic in the valley. There are several popular fly fishing locations in Arizona to catch carp. Some are in the Phoenix metropolitan area and some you may need to take a little drive to get to but all are great carp fishing bodies of water.

A reader of Arizona Lake Fishing, Johnny, from Mesa, emailed in with a question:

“Where can I go to fly fish carp in the Phoenix area?”

Well, Johnny, thanks for writing in to Arizona Lake Fishing and if any of you have questions on fishing in Arizona’s freshwater lakes, ponds and other bodies of water gives us a shout at arizonalakefishing {at} gmail dot com we’ll be happy to answer.

So, Johnny, to get to your question, we put our guys out into the local fishing community and have come up with a few top fishing holes for fishing carp around the Phoenix area.

Carp in the Valley

• Salt River Canal – The lower stretch is the most popular fly fishing hole in the valley. But the canals, owned and maintained by the Salt River Project, SRP has introduced a few hybrid carp called White Amur or Grass Carp into their system to help with vegetation over growth. SRP maintains a strict catch-and-release policy for all fish caught in the their canals. Rumors abound of 50 pound carp swimming in these canals but the biggest carp caught has only been in the 20 to 30 pound range with the norm around 4 to 12 pounds. A “bread fly” seems to be working the best.
• Tempe Town Lake – Your best option is on the south side of the lake. Try a “bread fly” here as well.
• Canyon Lake – If a trip to the Superstition Wilderness isn’t too far for you, Canyon Lake is a great lake for fly fishing. Most fly fishing at Canyon Lake is during the winter when fly anglers are going for the nice sized winter trout. But in the spring and summer months it’s great for carp as well as small mouth bass.

Carp in Arizona

If taking a little trip to fly fish for carp is on your list, here are a few popular lakes for catching carp.

• Alamo Lake – The carp population is growing in numbers at Alamo Lake and are expected to be good fishing this season.
• Apache Lake – This is a good lake for carp. Look for them in the murky waters in the coves around the marina.
• Roosevelt Lake – An annual Carp Camp is held at Roosevelt Lake every May and is one of the best lakes in Arizona for fishing carp.
• Silverbell Lake – There are nice sized carp in this Arizona Lake some in the range of over 20 pounds.

Lees Ferry is THE spot to fish in Arizona, especially for fly fishing, and this year will be one of the best yet. The fish are big and healthy, the river has a nice flow, and the 2009 fishing season is going to be great!

It’s early in the season and the water flow is a little high right now. Spin anglers try a bouncing a glo bug off the bottom or maybe a black olive jig. Both seem to be working well.

The upriver fishing is great but it’s the walk-in area that’s worth talking about. Not usually a great spot for fishing but usually pretty decent, this year we are seeing excelent fishing and anglers are going home very happy.

Canyon Lake is about 94% full and the fishing is decent.

Fly anglers are getting the bite using semi seal leeches and woolly buggers at the Boulder Recreation area.

Spin anglers are having great luck catching bass using 6 inch swim baits .Start at first light and the bite should go until about noon.

Remember there is now a slot limit for all Canyon Lake bass

Canyon Lake is part of the chain of lakes created by the Roosevelt Dam. Recently biologists have found Gizzard Shad in Roosevelt Lake and expect them to spread through to the other chain lakes including Canyon Lake.

Dead Horse Ranch State Park

Dead Horse Ranch State Park is on 423 acres of land, includes the Verde River and 80 miles of fishing opportunity.  Located near Cottonwood, Arizona on highway 260.

The Dead Horse Ranch lagoons are pooled bodies of water created by the Verde River and are regularly stocked by the AZ game & fish.

Fishing Dead Horse Ranch State Park

Fishing continues to be good and is a wonderful spot for family day and a picnic. Rainbow trout, sunfish (bluegill and crappie), Channel Catfish and Largemouth bass are all available to be caught.The lagoons have been recently stocked with over 3,000 rainbows.

Results are best for spinner and fly fishing. Spin anglers use powerbait, worms or small spinners. Fly anglers love to fish the Verde River and the state park.

Pay attention to bag limits

The bag limits at Dead Horse Ranch are different than other state parks. So keep them in mind when fishing.

• 4 catfish
• 4 trout
• 2 largemouth bass with a 13 inch minimum length
• 10 sunfish

Ya, I get that you probably think of carp as dirty bottom feeders, that aren’t worthy of your fly rod. But put aside those thoughts for a moment and you will be in for a pleasant surprise.

Carp are one of the most exciting fish to catch especially on a fly rod. Often called “freshwater bonefish,” carp are most often found cruising the shallows or sipping at the surface. This allows anglers to sight fish them but are forced to make precise and delicate presentations if they plan on landing one. This fish will truly test your ability as a fly angler and your gear.

Arizona is home to several species of carp, including, common carp, grass carp, big mouth buffalo and several other varieties of goldfish and koi. Depending on the season, it’s best to get in a boat and head to the big water of Lake Pleasant or head out on foot around some of smaller ponds around Phoenix.

Lake Pleasant (about 30 miles north of Phoenix) is one the of the best lakes to fish in Arizona especially catching carp on the fly.

I understand that there are purists out there that make fly fishing into a semi-religion and fishing for any warm bodied fish be it carp, bass, or any fish other than trout is not worthy of your fly rod. They are knee deep in Lees Ferry every spring and summer. There are also those of use who love fly fishing but don’t have the access to the world renowned Lees Ferry and find ourselves expanding our horizons. And that leads us to fly fishing for carp in a bass boat at Lake Pleasant.

If you’re willing to try something new, you won’t regret it. Carp can be found in just about any body of water in Arizona from a golf course pond, and urban lake or the city canal.

It’s all about the presentation
Carp are as spooky as any bonefish cruising the flats and as selective as any small stream trout. It will take some practice and finesse to present your fly without them scurrying for cover. Even an unwanted false cast or light slaps on the water will results in a quick departure.

Selecting the right fly
There are flies out there designed just for carp. But if your lucky enough to get one to strike, tomorrow they most likely won’t go for the same one. So keep several flies around and see what they like. My most successful fly has been one that imitated a piece of the algae they like so much.

The thrill of sight casting
There are few words to describe the feeling of seeing the giant hanging in the water, carefully placing your fly in the exact location and watching as he takes it in and off you go – the best fight you will have! Hang on and enjoy the ride. He will turn and smack the water with his tail and it’s on! You’re in for a long and steady buzzing on your drag as he pulls the line out of your real and a good strong fight to get him into the boat. That’s if you’re lucky enough to land him. It takes the grace, power and patience it takes to land a fish like that without braking your line.

Fly anglers will be happy. Very good reports are coming in for Lees Ferry. The water flows are back to normal and the fishing is getting better every day.

Trout have moved back into the riffles and are feeding on all the food being stirred up with the fluctuations in the water flow. The trout have been large and healthy.

Fly anglers – Fly fishing is excellent. Try San Juan worms or zebra midges. Wading is a challenge with the fast moving water. Use caution. Not recommended for inexperienced fly anglers.

Walk in anglers – Fishing is very good. The trout are biting and feeding. Take care in this area with the water levels, it is moving very fast, you don’t want to get yourself into a mess and unable to get back.

Spin anglers – Spin casting is also working well for anglers. Try glo bugs bounced off the bottom. Contact the guides and Lees Ferry Anglers to inquire about the correct weight to be used.

Lees Ferry is hands down one of my favorite places to fish and I think many anglers will agree. Not only does it have some of the largest wild trout in the state but it is also a beautiful area.

The fish seem to be moving into the deeper water but the trout are looking healthy and the river is thriving. The spawn this year was 10x normal with a lot of fry and small trout in the river.

The Cicada hatch began in June and by July the trout were starting to jump on them. Here in August the cicada hatch is just about over and it seemed to be any normal hatch not like the “bumper crop” of last year.

Fly fishing on Lees Ferry try a 12′ to 14′ nymph rig with a lot of split shot and indicator from the boat drift. Also carry some scuds and midge patterns.

There isn’t much action for the walk in fisherman but it is better in the morning hours than any other time of the day.

Spin fishing is getting good results right now. Try an egg pattern in the drift or black and olive marabou jigs.

For best results: Get out on a cloudy or overcast day and use cicadas on your line.

Regular summer rain showers aren’t much to talk about but when the summer monsoons come rolling, now that’s a different story.

When the monsoon thunderstorms start building in the mountains, the barometer drops causing the insects to fly low in the sky, prompting the trout to feed actively.

The most active trout will be near the surface catching those unlucky bugs that have either fallen into the water or flying just above the water.

In these conditions most traditional trout fishing techniques will work. However, the best technique will be to mimic the environment. Fly anglers can easily take advantage of this situation but you don’t need a fly rod to mimic flying insects.

For best results try using a casting bubble with a tapered fly line attached with a fly on the hook. You can find the tackle for this rig at any fly fishing tackle shop. It really is a fun technique. Often you will see a trout jump out of the water and strike your fly in the air.

To cast your new rig, just throw it out with the leader and fly attached. Then slowly reel it in with a stop-and-go action. You’ll need to experiment to get the timing right. Sometimes little flicks of the wrist to make the fly dart will prompt a striker reaction from the trout.

Also try live insects such as grasshoppers or cicadas.

Once the thunderstorm opens up; seek shelter. All the new graphite fishing poles make for great lightning rods. So put away the pole and wait for the storm to pass. This is a great time to animal watch. The cooling rain brings out deer and other wildlife.

zug bug – A type of wet fly or fly pattern commonly used by fly fishers in lakes.

wooly worm, or wooly bugger – A popular type of wet fly often used by fly anglers fishing lakes.