Arizona Lake Fishing

Lake Powell has risen 45 feet this year providing an optimal habitat for all it’s aquatic life. Food is abundant, shelter is easily found and the angler is left a little frustrated. This season the fish are fat and happy and are less likely to strike a bait when their stomachs are full.

If you’re lucky to find a striper boil, you will probably leave for the day with you full catch in hand. However, most of us aren’t quite as lucky. But not all is lost and Lake Powell is still one of the best freshwater fishing lakes in Arizona.

Lake Powell fishing tips

• Trolling is working great for anglers down around the inflows where abundant shad are hanging out.
• You can also get out to the Hite or San Juan and use a diving lure down to about 20 feet.
• Early morning use surface lures around shad schools. During the day try drop shots at about 25 feet.
• If you’re shad looking lure is not working, try a bright colored lure like a fire tiger crankbait. This might trigger the striper into striking out of frustration.

We can expect 2009 fishing season to be excellent as the fish continue to eat to their fill and live relatively safe in all the new shelter created by the rising waters.

Willow Springs Lake was stocked last week so we can expect the action to go up a little. The lake has gone down about 3 feet but fishing is fair to good.

Willow Springs offers an angler a full day of fishing. In the early morning you can fish for trout which have been active until about 10 am at a water depth of about 15 feet. Try worms, power bait, salmon eggs or lures like z-rays and spinners. At mid-morning you can troll the lake with a cowbell and relax. Early afternoon is the best time to fish for bass and crappie. And in the evening, trout will be active again.

Fly anglers use peacock ladies, wooly worms, wooly buggers or black nymphs.

For best results: Troll with a down rigger at about 2mph at 35-40 feet in the old creek channel.

Woods Canyon Lake is down about 2 feet and the fishing is fair to good. The boat ramp is still accessible even with the loss of water.

Night crawlers are what’s working out on the water this summer. You can expect to see 10-15 inch rainbows.

The trout have been active at about 10 feet at early morning and late evening.

For best results: Get out early and troll with a KastMaster or a PantherMartin. Trolling a cowbell with a worm is also working well.

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.

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.

After a long winter, Blue Ridge is open and accessible. The lake is also full and spilling over.

This lake is best accessed with a boat as there is very little shore to launch your line. However, there are a few great fishing holes deep into the lake where you can tie up your boat and do a little shore fishing. Blue Ridge is a popular lake for float tubes, kayaks, and canoes.

Trout fishing is picking up. Expect larger hold-over trout.

For best results try trolling with spinners or fishing off shore with corn, worms or power bait.

Woods Canyon is stocked weekly with catchable size rainbow trout.

Anglers are catching hold-over trout around 1.5 pounds. The trout have also been active at the surface down to 10 feet. Try worms, power bait, and salmon eggs. For lures try spinners like z-rays, super dupers and small spoons. For fly fishing try wooly buggers, peacock ladies, and nymphs.

For best results try blown up worms fishing from the bottom. Trolling with a KastMaster or Panther Martin is working as well.

trolling motor – A small electric fishing motor, typically mounted on the bow, which is used as secondary means of propulsion for positioning or maneuvering a boat quietly in fishing areas.

trolling – Towing a lure or several lures behind a boat. When a fish is caught on the trolled lure, the boat is typically stopped and the fish is reeled in.

Super Duper – A brand of lure typically used for trout fishing. It can be cast but is often trolled.