Arizona Lake Fishing

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.

At Lake Havasu the average day time water temp is between 86-92 degrees right now.

The striper bite is good to fair but they are only small to medium sizes. They will bite on anchovies, squid and mackerel at around 30 - 50 feet deep. Chumming is recommended because the striper schools are broken up due to the low number of shad this year.

Smallmouth bass have been hitting big time with a 1/4 - 3/8 ounce brown jigs, or hula grubs. Try around the rocky points in the main basin south to Standard Wash.

Catfish are also biting. They prefer anchovy this summer and they are most active at night. It’s recommended to go out to Topock Gorge where the sizes have been around 4 - 12 pounds.

For best results: Go for the smallmouth bass. Get out early in the morning and troll with chrome/blue Rat_L-Trap, pointers, or chug bugs. Spin casting is also working well if you don’t like the troll method.

Bartlett Lake has an elevation of 1789 ft making it 87% full.

Anglers are reporting that fishing is good out at Bartlett Lake. The largemouth bass are biting on crank baits, and drop shot with plastics. Bluegills are biting mealworms, crickets or small portions of earthworms on a small hook with a bobber.

For best results: To catch largemouth, try fishing the points at about 20 feet of water. Using the drop shot with plastics seems to be working best. For the bluegills, try shore fishing around rocky areas. They seem to be more aggressive in these areas. Live bait seems to be working best but if you’re not a fan of live bait, try 1/32 oz or smaller jigs, grubs or spinnerbaits.

Bluegill, crappie and bass are all biting at Green Valley lakes in Payson. Cooler waters from the many monsoons this summer have kept the fish active and biting.

For best results: Small jigs and worms on a bobber seems to be working for many urban anglers.

Lake elevation is 1,796 feet, which is 98-percent full.

Fishing is fair to good with the bass biting. Use drop shot, blades, and lizards.

Crappie fishing is a little slow but some are biting. Go to the Yellow Cliffs for your best shot.

Best bet for largemouth - use a Carolina rig with jigs across the bottom.

Water elevation remains at 2,099 feet, which is 45-percent full

For bass the action is at dawn and all but stopped an hour after sunrise. It is expected to pick up with the new moon.

Try deeper water around 20 feet just off the steep rocky shores. Use deep diving crank bait.

The coves are also hitting for largemouth bass. Try using spider jigs.

Fishing is fair but the lake is weedy.

Try small spinners, jigs, spoons and flies such as woolly worms, peacock ladies, prince nymphs and zug bugs.

There is a 2 trout limit.

You must use barbless hooks. No bait allowed.

There is no boat ramp and boats must be electric trolling motors only.

A lot of surface action from trout to be seen in the evenings. Small spinners should work well. Try a small black Mepp.

The surface action is seen out over deeper water.

For bluegill, get out in early morning, the bite is done by 9 a.m. Try spinners, jigs, worms and rainbow Power Bait at 25 feet or less.

Water elevation is 1,758 ft, which is 50 percent

Large mouth bass can be caught with plastics and crankbaits.

Try hitting the rocks with cranks to get fish to bite.

Jigs are also working for the largemouth.

For top water action, it’s a little slow right now but is decent right at dawn until about 9 a.m. Go deeper with drop shot and plastics after 9 a.m.

Also try spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs, and black/silver Hula Grubs.

Best spot:Jojoba Boat Ramp in 5 to 8 feet of water. Also the west end of the lake in the mornings and then on the east side in the evenings.

Flathead catfish are being caught at the upper end by Ship Rock at night with a full moon. Next full moon, October 25.

The cooler weather causes the bite to slow so it is important to work your lures slower and in deeper water.

Put away your top water lures adn switch to plastics, crank baits, spinner baits, and jigs.