Arizona Lake Fishing

Willow Beach is a great trout fishing hole as it’s regularly stocked with trout every Friday. A great place for the first time angler.

A newly installed pier has become the hot spot right now. Most success is with using green Power Worms or salmon eggs.

Black Canyon Lake is almost full, the boat ramp is accessible and the fishing is fair.

Green and yellow power bait seems to be working well for most anglers, on shore or in a boat. You can also try, salmon eggs, spinners, or wooly buggers.

For best results: Get out on the water at first light. Troll with a cowbell and a worm on the hook.

Bear Canyon Lake, like Chevelon Lake, is a hike-in lake. There is a short but steep trail that’s winds down to the water. There is nice shore access for the shore fisherman but Bear Canyon Lake is best experienced with a float tube, inflatable or canoe.  You can use an electric motor but not gas motors.

The fishing is fair to good out at Bear Canyon Lake. You best shot at a catch is at first and last light. Just about anything used to catch trout works here, from salmon eggs, to z-rays and power bait and zug bugs.

The water temp is getting warmer in the basin of Lake Havasu and the larger fish are beginning to move into the cooler water at Willow Beach.

The trout stocking takes place every Friday giving shore fisherman a 50/50 shot at going home happy. But most of the success has been around the new pier. Try Power Bait, green Power Worms, or salmon eggs.
For best results: Get out on the water early. The action seems to be dieing off by 7:30am. Use green Power Bait on a hook with a small sinker about 2-3 feet above the hook.

The bite from stripers has been picking up as well.

The road is open at Willow Springs Lake and the lake is full. The boat launch accessible and Willow Springs Lake allows only electric trolling motors and/or 10 hp gas motors.

The lake has been stocked with nice sized trout and anglers are catching them on lures. Trout have also been active at the surface down to 15 feet. Try worms, power bait and salmon eggs on a small hook. For lures try z-rays, spinners and rapalas. For flies try wooly worms, wooly bugers, peacock ladies and prince nymphs.

For best results try trolling with a lure.

Anglers are catching their limits out at Bear Canyon Lake. It was just stocked last week and fishing is pretty good.

Bear Canyon Lake is a hike-in only lake. The trail down to the lake is short but steep and winding. Keep this in mind for the way back up after a day of fishing.

The lake is best accessed with float tubes and other small carry-in water craft. However, there is good shore fishing access.

Try worms, power bait, salmon eggs. You can also try lures like spinners, z-rays and super dupers. For fly fishing use wooly worms, wooly buggers, peacock ladies, and zug bugs.

For best results try a yellow Rooster Tail, Berkley Gulp or a silver spoon.

This lake is open to electric trolling motors only.

Black Canyon Lake is full and spilling and the fishing is good with reports of anglers catching their limits.

The lake was stocked with decent sized rainbow trout around 2 pounds. Some anglers are pulling in 12 – 19 inch rainbows.

Try worms, salmon eggs, and power bait. For lures, use spinners such as super dupers, z-rays, and spoons. For fly fishing try peacock ladies, wooly worms, and wooly buggers.

For best results try deep slow trolling with a copper KastMaster or yellow Crickhopper.

There are also illegally stocked largemouth bass in the lake.

November 15, trout season officially begins.

To get ready AZ Game and Fish will be stocking all urban fishing areas in Phoenix and Tucson with 11 to 12 inch trout. Each area will get 80 to 100 trout per lake acre. Fish will be stocked every 2 weeks for the next 4 months.

Prepare your tackle for the up coming trout season:

• small spinners
• small spoons
• scented dough balls
• worms
• salmon eggs
• 2 to 6 pound line
• small hooks (size 10)
• small weights

Daily bag limits for urban fishing lakes is 4 per licensed person and 2 for unlicensed kids under age 14. At urban fishing ponds the limit is 2 per licensed person and 1 for unlicensed kids under 14.

Fishing is fair to good and the lake is nearly full, down only 1 – 1.5 feet.

Walk-in lake. There is a short but very steep hike down to the lake.

But plenty of shoreline for fishing. Try worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, and spinners. Flies such as wooly worms or buggers are also working.

This lake is open only to electric motors. For a moderate hike go to the north and south side trail. For a difficult hike to the west side trail.

Access: Take State Highway 261 from Eager. State Highway 273 will be closed throughout the year for road construction.

Boat ramps are low but still accessible. Big Lake is only open to electric trolling motors and 10 hp gas motors.

Fishing is good with 10 – 12 inch trout to 3.5 pound rainbow trout.

Rainbow, cutthroat and brook are all available for catch. Try worms, meal worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs and lures; spinners, Super Dupers and Rapalas. For flies try, wooly worms, peacock ladies, and zug bugs.

For best results try any color Power bait at 2 feet off the bottom about 100 feet from shore using a boat.