WILLIAMS
LAKES:
KAIBAB
LAKE - Stocked last week with 3,492 trout. Fishing
is best bite at first and last light. Try night crawlers,
salmon eggs, Power Bait, spinners or corn.
Angler reports:
Garrett: After getting skunked at Kaibab Lake, went over to Cataract
Lake, shore fishing next to the dam. Hooked into three nice trout
in 30 min....5/6/09
Darron Khan: Hit Kaibab today (5/9/09). Water temps are rising
and the fish have turned on. Campgrounds are now open including
the east end which provides good access to some nice bank fishing
spots. Anglers are catching trout on Power Bait (all colors) and
night crawlers under bobbers and on the bottom. Water clarity is
still chocolate milk but the fish are still biting. Good luck all!
CATARACT LAKE - Stockd last week. Fishing should
be good. Campgrounds are open.
CITY
RESERVOIR - Stocked last week with 873 trout. Fishing
should be good.
DOGTOWN
LAKE - Campground is open. Scheduled to be stocked
this week.
JD DAM - Road is open.
RUSSEL TANK - No reports. Has been stocked.
SANTA FE - Lake is full. Fishing has been good.
WHITEHORSE
LAKE - No reports. Campgrounds are open. Has been
stocked. In all likelihood, fishing should be fair to good.
Try Power Bait, night crawlers, corn, salmon eggs, or small
spinners.
FLAGSTAFF LAKES:
LOWER
LAKE MARY - Fishing is good for trout. This lake was
stocked liberally in late winter, but stocking has ceased for this
year. Those stocked rainbows are not fat and feisty.
Fly anglers have been doing well in the evenings on dark colored
surface flies.
R.
Jenkins: My wife and I fished at Lower Lake Mary Saturday, May
9, and had no problems catching our limits, plus we were able
to teach a couple kids fishing there how to catch the fish. They
ended up with more fish than their parents.
Fishing 2-pound test line with the bait about 30 inches under
a bobber got me limits within 20 minutes of arrival. My wife fishes
4-pound test and the fish do not take it nearly as much. She switched
to 2-pound test to finish off her limit. Fishing anything heavier
than 4-pound test is a waste of time there. The fishing is wide
open with the right bait but night crawlers, Power Bait and corn
is not it.
UPPER
LAKE MARY - The lake is full. Anglers are catching
some nice sized northern pike. Try spinners, crankbaits or
swim baits.
Angler reports:
Mike
Bright: My dad Gary, son Levi, daughter Ella and me were fishing
Upper Lake Mary at dusk on May 15 and the morning of May 16 by
the dam from shore. We caught 1 largemouth bass, 4 Yellow Perch,
1 crappie, and 6 Northern Pike. We used silver KastMasters for
the Pike and worms with bobbers for the other fish. It was the
best fishing I have had at that Lake and a beautiful mini trip
out of the valley of heat.
Dennis
Stuhr: Fished from 1600 until dark again for Northerns 5/08/09.
Caught a dozen little Northerns & 1 small Perch. Largest
Northern was 17" long. An Osprey had pretty good luck plucking
fish at the shore line. Did not see anybody else catch a single
fish except for the Osprey.
Robert Bonnewell;
May 9, 2009. Put the boat in around 6:30 a.m. and trolled the
south shore till around 10:30. Water depth around 5-10 feet.
Wind started kicking up early. Caught10 northerns all in the
1/2- to 1 1/2-pound range. All pretty small, but it was still
nice to see the fish active finally. Caught them on #3 spinners;
silver and orange colors. Fish size could be relative to the
lure size. Plan on taking some #4 & #5 spinners on our next
outing to see if we can get the attention of some larger fish.
ASHURST
LAKE - The lake is full. Fishing was good last Saturday
or corn and worms. Scheduled to be stocked this week. Trout anglers
sometimes hook into monster northern pike here this time of year.
FRANCIS
SHORT POND - Scheduled to be stocked this week with trout.
Fishing was fair on hotdogs for catfish and worms for trout.
KINNIKINICK LAKE - Road is open. Has been recently
stocked.
MARSHALL LAKE - Road is open and the lake has been
stocked. This small lake will not be stocked again this year.
LONG LAKE - Stocked last week. Lake is open. Water level
is good.
Angler report:
Jeff Matthiesen caught 4 trout in about 2 hours with Berkley Gulp
at Long Lake.
SOLDIERS & SOLDIERS ANNEX - Lakes are open.
No report.
STONEMAN LAKE - NO FISH.
VERDE
VALLEY
BEAVER
CREEK -- Has been stocked with trout this spring. No recent
reports. It is possible to catch small smallmouth bass in the deeper
pools, especially in the canyon upstream from the campground.
DEAD
HORSE STATE PARK -
Fishing in general has been okay. Try getting there early for
the trout. It should begin slowing soon. Trout were last stocked
the week of April 6. This was the last scheduled stocking until
the fall. Try using white Power Bait, homemade dough baits, flies
or small spinners. If you’re not catching anything you may
want to try a different bait or another location. Some places
in the lagoons are much better than others. Don’t be afraid
to move around if you are not having success.
Bass and Bluegill are moving around. Most of the bluegill are
small, but still fun for kids to catch. Some of the bass are on
beds.
OAK
CREEK - Fishing is good for rainbows fair for brown trout.
Stocked weekly.
VERDE
RIVER (throughout Verde Valley) - No new reports-
Trout were last stocked the week of March 16.
WEST CLEAR CREEK -- Has been stocked with trout this spring. No
recent reports from anglers.
PRESCOTT
AREA
FAIN
LAKE - Trout are scheduled to be stocked this week,
the week of May 4; 1,325 rainbow trout will be stocked again
this week. Trout fishing is best immediately following the
stocking. For trout try using spinners or bright colored Power
Bait.
Catfish and sunfish were stocked the week of June 23.
GOLDWATER
LAKE - Trout were stocked on Saturday and Sunday for
fishing clinics. Trout were easily caught on both days. Power
Bait usually works well for trout. If that does not work, you
may want to try using KastMasters. Look for the trout to be most
active in the early morning and late afternoon, but they can be
caught all day.
Catfish and bass were stocked the week of Sept. 15. Game and
Fish biologists weighed a 22-pound channel catfish that was caught
at Goldwater in March. On July 11, a 26-pound catfish was caught
on a hotdog and an 11-pound catfish was caught since then.
Game and Fish Biologists surveyed Goldwater on Sept. 16, 2008
and found the trout and sunfish plentiful. While the number of
catfish was low, the quality was exceptional. One 19lbs and a 14lbs
catfish was sampled and released. No bass were sampled this 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 - No new reports. Bluegill and bass are plentiful in
this lake. The aquatic vegetation has not been bad this year
making fishing this lake easier than normal. The bite should begin
to pick up around then end of May or beginning of June as the water
begins to warm. 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 -
Rainbow trout were stocked last week, the week of May 11, as
well as 1,600 brook trout. The brookies were about 3 to the
pound. Look for the fishing to really pick up due to the stocking
last week. Trout are scheduled to be stocked again the week
of June 15. If you are not having success fishing in one spot,
then try walking the shore and throwing a small spinner.
Try
using chartreuse Power Bait on the bottom for these pretty little
fish. Try using night crawlers or hot dogs for the catfish. Catfish
will be stocked again sometime this June.
MINGUS LAKE -
Trout are scheduled to be stocked this week, the week of May
18. The gate is open. The best bait is usually orange, pink,
or white Power Bait, fished on the bottom with a treble hook
and an egg sinker. Anglers often have success with flies and
spinners as well.
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 -
The fishing at Watson has been slow. As the water begins to
warm look for the warm water species to become more active around
the end of May or June. Crappies are found in low numbers. Bullheads
are easily caught using a small piece of worm.
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 -
Bass, bluegill, and bullhead are plentiful. Most of the bluegills
are on the small side, but the bullheads are thick. The bass
should be moving up to spawn soon if they have not already. Bass
usually spawn in this lake as early as April. They seem to
be starting a little later this year. 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
