Fall Fishing Forecast: Southeast region
Fishing for flathead catfish can be very exciting during this time of the year at Patagonia Lake.
Arivaca Lake
Fishing Rating: Good
As the fishing enters into the fall time anglers can expect water temperatures to begin to cool and fish to become more active throughout the day. While early mornings and late evenings are still going to be the most productive times, anglers should find fish active throughout the day. Continue to focus on the top 10-12 feet of water until the lake turns over approximately in October. After that, the entire lake from top to bottom may be holding fish. Arivaca can be tough to fish if you’re not accustomed to the aquatic vegetation that grows thick at this lake. Plastics continue to be a good choice this time of year. Whatever bait you choose make sure it’s weedless to combat the thick aquatic vegetation. Bass anglers that focus their search along the edges of the weedline and in the various “holes” in the thick vegetation tend to be the most successful. This is an excellent lake to introduce youth to fishing as the sunfish are high in numbers and size (over a pound). A mealworm or nightcrawler on nearly any shoreline will provide fast action.
Cluff Ranch Pond:
Fishing Rating: Fair
Trout stockings will begin in November. Various baits and lures will catch trout, such as: PowerBait, salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, mealworms, and corn. Lures proven to work include: small spinners (size 0-1), spoons and even small jigs tipped with various plastics imitating worms, minnows or creatures. A good rule of thumb for all fish is having a variety of baits/lures in different sizes and colors, placing it in different depths and retrieving it a different speeds. Continue to change until you find a combination that works. Fishing early in the morning or late in the evening generally will lead to more success.
Anglers searching for warm water species should still find plenty of action as temperatures cool. Largemouth bass can be caught using nightcrawlers or several types of artificial baits and methods. Using lures is a good way to cover a lot of water in a short time, allowing you to locate which depths and locations are holding fish. Try crankbaits, jerkbaits, swimbaits and jigs/hooks tipped with various plastics and methods like drop shot, Carolina or Texas rigs. Colors and lure shapes that look similar to a sunfish may work as that’s what the bass feed on.
Sunfish can be caught using pieces of nightcrawler, mealworms or small plastics. If you’re using a bobber, remember to only use one large enough to float your weight and hook. Often too large of bobbers are used and fish feel the resistance of the large bobber and steal your bait without you ever knowing.
Dankworth Pond:
Fishing Rating: Fair
Rainbow trout stocking will begin in November. Various baits and lures will catch trout, such as: PowerBait, salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, mealworms, and corn. Lures proven to work include: small spinners (size 0-1), spoons and even small jigs tipped with various plastics imitating worms, minnows or creatures. A good rule of thumb for all fish is having a variety of baits/lures in different sizes and colors, placing it in different depths and retrieving it at different speeds. Continue to change until you find a combination that works.
Bluegill can be caught using pieces of nightcrawler, mealworms or small plastics. If you’re using a bobber, remember to only use one large enough to float your weight and hook. Often too large of bobbers are used and fish feel the resistance of the large bobber and steal your bait without you ever knowing.
A survey last May caught a few very nice size Largemouth Bass up to 19 inches and 5 pounds. Try crankbaits, jerkbaits, swimbaits and jigs/hooks tipped with various plastics and methods like drop shot, Carolina or Texas rigs. Colors and lure shapes that look similar to a sunfish may work since that’s what the bass feed on.
Frye Mesa Reservoir
Fishing Rating: Fair
Frye Mesa Reservoir presents a unique opportunity to catch a native Gila trout. The reservoir receives retired broodstock from Mora National Fish Hatchery as well as our Page Springs state hatchery. More than 200 retired broodstock were stocked in early June and should still be available. Those fish were very large and some were up to 17 inches in length! This is one of the very few places in Arizona to catch this rare species. Gila trout can be caught with similar methods used for rainbow trout. Fly fishing with nymphs or wet/dry flies is productive. If using a spin casting reel, small spoons and spinners as well as PowerBait or worms can work. The road to the reservoir is rough and a higher clearance all-wheel drive vehicle is recommended.
Parker Canyon Lake
Fishing Rating: Fair
As the fishing enters into the fall anglers can expect water temperatures to begin to cool but the action can still be hot. Focus on the top 15 – 20 feet of water until the lake turns over approximately in October. After that, the entire lake from top to bottom may be holding fish. Trout stockings will begin in late October or early November. The lake will continue to receive extra trout stockings due to Peña Blanca not being stocked. Various baits and lures will catch trout, such as: PowerBait, salmon eggs, night crawlers, mealworms, and corn. Lures proven to work include: small spinners (size 0-1), spoons and even small jigs tipped with various plastics imitating worms, minnows or creatures. Look for schools of trout cruising just under the surface in the bays. A good rule of thumb for all fish is having a variety of baits/lures in different sizes and colors, placing it in different depths and retrieving it at different speeds. Continue to change until you find a combination that works.
Sunfish will continue to be active much of September but expect that fishing will slow as cooler water temperatures drive fish into deeper water. Live worms and meal worms fished with light tackle are an angler’s best option. Vary the depth you fish at until you find where the fish are hanging out.
Channel catfish are still active and actively feeding even though water temperature is cooling off. Anglers using prepared catfishing baits, chicken livers and frozen shrimp should find success off the edge of the weedline. Night fishing is the absolute best time to catch channel catfish. The standard method is to fish on the bottom using bait. Try using a “slip” sinker instead of one fixed to the line. The “slip” sinker functions like a fixed weight except the line is able to pass through the weight with little resistance, which should equal better success at hooking the fish. To use this method, start with the slip sinker, attach a barrel swivel and then a short 1-2’ leader to a hook.
Fall can be an excellent time to land very big largemouth bass that are hungry in preparation for the upcoming winter. Target the edge of weedlines with crankbaits, jerkbaits, swimbaits and jigs/hooks tipped with various plastics and methods like drop shot, Carolina or Texas rigs. Colors and lure shapes that look similar to a sunfish may work since that’s what the bass feed on.
Patagonia Lake
Fishing Rating: Good
Cooler temperatures mean better fishing with fish remaining active throughout the day. Focus on the top 10 feet of water until the lake turns over approximately in late October – November. After that, fishing likely will be difficult due to low oxygen levels for several weeks. Call the Tucson office (520) 628 – 5376 for up to date information. It is for this reason trout will not be stocked this fall or winter. Warm water species such as largemouth bass and Bluegill Sunfish are still found in the shallows actively feeding well though the month of October. Techniques for Sunfish should focus on live worms and mealworms with light tackle. Largemouth bass anglers should turn to crankbaits around submerged habitat. Channel catfish can still be caught as well as temperatures cool and anglers using prepared stink baits, frozen shrimp or anchovies should find success.
Pena Blanca Lake
Fishing Rating: Good
Cooler temperatures mean better fishing with fish remaining active throughout the day. Warm water species such as largemouth bass and bluegill sunfish can still be found in the shallows actively feeding well in the month of October. However, expect fishing to slow down as water temperatures begin to really cool and fish move towards deeper water in November. Techniques for sunfish should focus on live worms and mealworms with light tackle. Largemouth bass anglers should turn to crankbaits around submerged habitat. Channel catfish can still be caught as temperatures cool. Anglers using prepared stink baits, frozen shrimp or anchovies could find success with catfish.
Riggs Flat Lake
Fishing Rating: Hot
More than 10,000 rainbow trout were stocked before June and another 2,100 will be stocked before the road closes on Nov. 15. Anglers can expect the fishing to be excellent and angler reports of high numbers and large size fish being caught have been submitted this summer. Anglers often catch rainbows on PowerBait, or small spinners and spoons. Fly fishing can be very productive as well using nymphs, wet/dry flies, and streamers. The lake also holds some very nice sized brown trout that can be caught with the above mentioned methods. It is now legal to use the fathead minnows from the lake as bait. A small mesh dip net, cast net or minnow trap can be used to catch the minnows. Fishing from shore through the thick vegetation can be challenging but there should be empty spots to cast through as well as fishing near the concrete platform and dam. White amur (grass carp) was stocked this spring to help control the vegetation. Please return any that are caught back into the lake. Anglers are allowed to keep one white amur over 30 inches.
Roper Lake
Fishing Rating: Fair
Rainbow trout stockings will return in November. Various baits and lures will catch trout, such as: PowerBait, salmon eggs, night crawlers, mealworms, and corn. Lures proven to work include: small spinners (size 0-1), spoons and even small jigs tipped with various plastics imitating worms, minnows or creatures. A survey in 2017 had a small amount of 12-14 inch black crappie show up and is an exciting fish to catch. Target crappie with light everything! Light line, a small hook and bobber tipped with a mealworm or nightcrawler can work, otherwise small jigs tipped with various plastics moved slowly will trigger bites. A survey in 2019 indicated an average largemouth bass length of 14 inches and weight of 1.5 pounds. Largemouth bass over 20 inches have also shown up in surveys throughout the years and can be targeted using crankbaits, jerkbaits, swimbaits and jigs/hooks tipped with various plastics and methods like dropshot, Carolina or Texas rigs. A classic worm and bobber can work also.
A good rule of thumb for all fish is having a variety of baits/lures in different sizes and colors, placing it in different depths and retrieving it a different speeds. Continue to change until you find a combination that works. Fishing early in the morning or late in the evening generally will lead to more success.
Rose Canyon Lake
Fishing Rating: Hot
Fall brings an end to the rainbow trout stockings at this lake (gate closes Oct. 26) but that doesn’t mean the end of good fishing. Almost 15,000 rainbow trout have been stocked this summer with another stocking coming in September. Anglers willing to try techniques beyond bait fishing can find plenty of trout still in the lake. Fly fishing with floating fly’s and small Kastmasters, spoons and spinners are the best bet during this time of year. Even after the vehicle access gate closes anglers can still fish at the lake but they will have to hike in from the parking lot off Mount Lemmon Highway or hike down the trail from N. Willow Loop via S Willow Canyon.
The seasonal stockings of rainbow trout are well underway and anglers should find plenty of fish. Anglers wanting to use bait should try live worms, salmon eggs, various colors of PowerBait, corn, cheese and even marshmallows. Small spinners and spoons can be even more productive for those anglers willing to give them a try. Expect fishing to be the best during the hours around sunrise and sunset. As temperatures warm in the middle of the day expect fish to go deeper. Anglers should vary their depth and not just place their bait on the bottom of the lake waiting for fish to come to them. Successful anglers go find the fish by varying the depth and trying different baits until they start getting bites. Successful anglers will then focus their efforts at that depth with the appropriate baits.
