Arizona Lake Fishing

Fishing Dead Horse Ranch State Park

Dead Horse Ranch State Park boasts of 423 acres of outdoor opportunities for fishing, hiking, camping and several other outdoor actives. The Verde River runs through the park and forms large lagoons which are called Dead Horse Lake by some. There are 80 miles of fish able water in the park and the lagoons are stocked regularly by the AZ game & fish.

Dead Horse Ranch is a great place for both spin anglers and fly fishing. Spinners focus on using spinners, worms and power bait.
Fly fishing is best along the Verde River between the River Front Park and Dead Horse State Park.
Dead Horse Ranch Fish

• Rainbow trout
• sunfish
• Channel Catfish
• Largemouth bass

Dead Horse Ranch Rules

• No Amplified Music and PA systems
• No Swimming in lagoons
• No Firewood gathering
• No Generators
• No Rowboats and float tubes are only permitted in lower lagoons

Small boats are permitted along with float tubes but restrictions do apply.

Dead Horse Ranch Amenities

These amenities are at Fain Lake.

• Handicap access is available including cabin rental with accessible showers and restrooms near camp site.
• Bathrooms & Showers (with hot water)
• Picnic area (covered Ramadas)
• BBQ grills
• Playground
• Camp Sites
• Hiking Trails
• Visitor Center (open 8 am to 5 pm)

Getting to Dead Horse Ranch State Park

The easiest way to get to Dead Horse Ranch is to take the I-17 towards Cottonwood. Then Exit on Highway 260 for Cottonwood. Stay on Main Street (Hwy 260) and follow the signs to Dead Horse Ranch State Park.

Map To Dead Horse Ranch State Park, AZ

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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

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For the next 10 months all urban lake anglers can look forward regular fish stocking. The stocking season began last month with catfish but once the catfish cycle ends after 4 deliveries through the fall, there will be 9 stockings of rainbow trout and back to catfish when the water temp warms back up through the summer.

Catfish will be stocked mid-September through mid-November, stop for the winter and begin again in mid-March through June.

Trout will be stocked beginning mid-November through mid-March.

Sunfish will be stocked mid-October through to the end of November and again at mid-March through the end of April.

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Due to high water temps and the absence of AZ Game Fish stocking the urban lakes, the fishing activity has slowed dramatically.

There have been some reports of 2-4 pound catfish being caught but the overall bite is low. The last stocking of catfish was back on June 25th.

For best results: To get anything to bite this time of year a little luck will be required. But for those few, myself included, who just can’t stay away from a quiet lake try stink baits for those 2-4 pound catfish. Also try shrimp fished off the bottom without a sinker.

There are some sunfish biting. Small worms seem to be working the best with a bobber. Try hitting the morning bite for your best odds at getting anything.

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Spring fishing is HOT! HOT! HOT!

Don’t wait another day to go fishing. Fishing activity at Urban Fishing Program lakes and ponds is excellent with anglers reporting nice stringers of catfish, aggressive bluegill and hybrid sunfish, some nice bass and a few remaining trout.

Fish have been stocked three weeks in a row with channel catfish and hybrid sunfish

On top of all the stockings of big fish, the lakes are producing good action for largemouth bass, bluegill and redear sunfish as all three of these species are in spring spawning mode and moving close to shore.

Stockings of the 1-3 pound catfish will continue every two weeks through June. So get out now during these cool spring days to enjoy fishing that is hot, hot, hot!

Use:worms, stink baits, and shrimp fished on the bottom with a sinker attached about a foot above the baited hook should work well for catching catfish.

Daily bag limits are four catfish per person at Urban Lakes, and two catfish per person at Urban Ponds (note regulations and park signs for lake and pond designations).

If you’re missing the trout here in the vallye and Tucson try going a little north. The beautiful 13-acre Green Valley Lakes in Payson are unique within the Urban Fishing Program because they continue to receive stockings of rainbow trout through early May. While only trout are stocked there, there are at least four other popular sport fish commonly caught: crappie, largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish.

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Black Canyon lake is down about 6 feet making the boat ramp very low, so use caution.

Fishing is fair with the water temp at 77 degrees.

Try using worms, meal worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, and lured such as spinners, and crank baits.

Shoot for the rocky area for bass and sunfish.

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Water release from Paker dam has dropped off and the fishing has picked up. Parker Strip on the Colorado River, smallmouth bass have been biting, bulking up for the colder winter months.

Try crank baits with shad colors (black and white).

Smallmouth bass can be found throughout the Parker Strip and down river and prefer the rokier shorlines.

Catfish are also biting but only at first light or early evening. They have slowed for the cooler weather. Try night crawlers, goldfish and sunfish.

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With the water temps getting lower as nights are getting cooler and the days shorter the bass are feeding heavily before winter.

You can expect bass, stripers, walleye, and sunfish to be hitting.

Bass are feeding on shad, sunfish and crayfish. Large mouth bass are very shallow as they live in the grass with the sunfish. They can be caught next to the shore or on very shallow flats which won’t be deep enough for boats. Look for weeds and you will find bass.

Use surface lures.

Smallmouth bass will be on the rocks in their preferred habitat. They will primarily be looking for crayfish at the bottom. Try bottom bouncing grubs/tubes in open water.

The best technique is to use crayfish looking lures and slowly bounce them along the rocks at the bottom.

Striped bass are hungry and active. They will respond to shad (spoon) dropped in a school. Stipers are very aggressive and competitive. Catch one and keep the others coming to the surface with anchovy chum. Spread it at 10 minute intervals and the school will pace under the boat and feed.

A good place to start is Warm Creek near the floating restroom. Also try Rock Creek, Oak Canyon, Piute and Neskahi Canyon.

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This is a great weekend to go fishing at the Green Valley Lake in Payson. This lake is part of the Urban Fishing Program by the Arizona Game and Fish.

Rainbow trout are stocked 8 months of the year beginning in mid October through late May. 800 rainbow trout plus an extra 25% will be stocked in Green Valley Lake.

Use small spinners, and spoons, scented dough baits, worms, or salmon eggs with a light line (2 to 6 pound) and small hooks (10s).

For fly fishing use nymphs and wet flies.

You can also expect to catch bass, crappie, and sunfish.

Finally, don’t forget your license. You will need at least an urban fishing license or a Class A general fishing license for Green Valley Lake.

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warmwater – Refers to fish habitat or fish that are warm water species, such as largemouth bass, sunfish, and catfish, as opposed to cold water species such as trout, grayling and salmon or cool water species such as northern pike and walleye.

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