Northern Arizona Lakes

Arizona Game and Fish Department's Fishing Report

FISHING REPORT EDITOR: Rory Aikens, (602) 789-3214

March 10, 2011

WILLIAMS LAKES:

KAIBAB LAKE -  Campground is closed. No report. 
CATARACT LAKE -  Campground is closed. 
CITY RESERVOIR -   No report
DOGTOWN LAKE -  Campground is closed.  No Report 
JD DAM - No report. 
RUSSELL TANK -   The lake is to shallow to stock.
SANTA FE - No Report. 
WHITEHORSE LAKE - Campground is closed.  

FLAGSTAFF LAKES:

LOWER LAKE MARY -  Anglers have been catching some nice size rainbows and quite a few small pike during the warmer part of the day.  Small spoons in silver or gold fished slow seem to be working best.

UPPER LAKE MARY -    Northern pike and yellow perch should be being active right now, but we haven’t received any reports. This lake has lots of pie-sized yellow perch to catch, so it should be good fishing this spring.

Angler report:

Fished Saturday for Northern Pike at Upper Lake Mary. Spent 8 hours on the water (ice) and threw everything but the kitchen sink...bucktails,spoons,cranks, and swim baits. Not a single bite but it was beautiful out there. Lake has overnight icing on east end , but is gone by afternoon. Heading back up in two weeks in hopes of taking advantage of early spawn........if it keeps warming up. Good fishing to all !

Daniel Maas

ASHURST LAKE -  Road closed
FRANCIS SHORT POND -  Stocked last week. 
KINNIKINICK LAKE - Road closed. No report. 
MARSHALL LAKE -  Road Closed. No report
OAK CREEK - No reports.  Stocked last week.  
LONG LAKE - No report. 
SOLDIERS & SOLDIERS ANNEX - No report
BEAVER CREEK - No report
WEST CLEAR CREEK -  Scheduled to be stocked this week. 
STONEMAN LAKE - NO FISH.
BLUE RIDGE -  No report. 
KNOLL LAKE - No report.  

VERDE VALLEY

DEAD HORSE STATE PARK - The last trout stocking was last week, the week of February 21th.  Fishing is usually great following the stocking.  Powerbait or homemade doe baits are your best bet this time of year.

Catfish were last stocked the week of September 20. 

FOSSIL CREEK -- Fossil Creek is open for fishing. Chub were being caught on bead headed patterns in black and gray (doesn’t seem to matter much the actual pattern). The creek is managed as a catch-and-release fishery using flies and lures with single barbless hooks, no bait is allowed. 

VERDE RIVER (throughout Verde Valley) - Scheduled to be stocked this week with rainbow trout. The previous  trout stocking was the week of Feb. 21. 

Stocking sites are at Tuzigoot Bridge outside of Clarkdale, The bridge that leads to the Deadhorse State Park, at Deadhorse State Parks access point called the Jacks, at the White Bridge in Camp Verde, and at Bignotti Beach. Always check your regulations before fishing this area with live bait.  Game and Fish Commission Rule requires anglers to only use live bait that has been caught in the river.  No transporting of live baitfish or crayfish is allowed. 

WET BEAVER CREEK -- Scheduled to be stocked this week with rainbow trout. Try night crawlers on light line with little or no weight. Power Bait can also work well at times. Small spinners can also work in the larger pools.

WEST CLEAR CREEK -- Scheduled to be stocked this week with rainbow trout. Try night crawlers on light line with little or no weight. Power Bait can also work well at times. Small spinners can also work in the larger pools.

PRESCOTT AREA

FAIN LAKE - Fain Lake is closed while it is being dredged.  Stocking will be canceled until the dredging is completed.  The surplus fish that would normally be going into Fain will be stocked in Watson Lake at the new boat launch.  Power Bait and spinners will likely be your best bet.  Try Watson while Fain is closed.

GOLDWATER LAKE - Trout were last stocked the week of Feb. 14 and it is scheduled to be stocked again the week of March 14. The lake is currently not frozen over.   The handicap parking area and boat launch or open for now.  The fishing can be really good at Goldwater this time of year.  Look for the fishing to pick up following the stocking.

In general, fishing has not been as good this year as it was the last few years although a +20 inch trout was recently caught.  Often the trout are schooled in one area. 

Game and Fish has been trying to boost the some of the warm water species in Goldwater.  Bass and catfish have been stocked three times over the last three years.   The bass are being stocked to give a boost to a dwindling population in the lake and to reduce the excessive number of crayfish.  Please practice catch and release with the bass, while the population gets re-established.

Game and Fish Biologists surveyed Goldwater on Sept. 15, 2009 and found bass and catfish populations to be much improved over last year. The number of green sunfish was greatly reduced.  The bass had a successful spawn last year.   If you fish Goldwater and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

GRANITE BASIN LAKE - The fishing has shut down for the winter.   If you fish Granite Basin and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

LYNX LAKE - Scheduled to be stocked this week with rainbow trout. Trout can be caught on Power Bait, corn, power worms, jakes, Panther Martin and Rooster Tails, just to name a few.   

Brook trout were stocked the week of June 21st. Catfish and Bluegill were stocked on June 12th.  Cut anchovies, night crawlers or hot dog are your best bet for catfish.  Lynx can be difficult to fish, if you are not catching anything try moving to a new spot.  There are some good spots on the north end of the lake that don’t get fished as heavily as the south end does.

MINGUS LAKE – Trout were last stocked in October.  The gate to Mingus Lake is locked.   If you choose to walk in, the water level is up and fishing should be fair.  The best bait is usually orange, pink, or white Power Bait, fished on the bottom with a treble hook and an egg sinker.  Fishing can be really good at times, because angler use is lower than other lakes in the area.  This lake is more remote than the other Prescott area lakes and not very big.  Trout stocking will resume in the spring.

Someone illegally stocked yellow bullhead into Mingus several years ago.  These fish compete directly with the trout and keep growth rates very low.  If you witness anyone, anywhere, moving fish like bass, bluegill, catfish and stocking them, please report it to our Operation Game Thief Hotline at 1-800-352-0700.  Illegal stockings cost YOU money!

WATSON - Last stocked Feb. 14. Watson Lake was stocked with 2,332 Rainbow on Jan 13, which was the first time Game and Fish had stocked trout there since 1962.  Try fishing near the new boat ramp.  Power Bait, spinners, and flies will be your best bet.

Watson is surrounded by large boulders limiting shore access to less agile anglers.  Fishing from a boat may improve your odds of success.  Remember, while Watson lake has no motor restrictions, it is flat wake only.

Game and Fish Biologists surveyed Watson last fall and found the bass, sunfish, and bullhead to be plentiful.  Crappies were also doing well.  Look for the crappie fishing to pick up in a year or two. If you fish Watson and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

WILLOW CREEK RESERVOIR - The fishing has shut down for the winter.

If you fish Willow and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

OTHER WAYS TO GET THE FISHING REPORT:
Internet Home Page www.azgfd.com
Recorded Public Call-In Line (602) 789-3701