Summer Fishing Forecast: Southeast Region
We recently stocked 224 Gila trout into Frye Mesa Reservoir averaging 17 inches in length.
Rose Canyon Lake
Fishing Rating: Good
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.
Parker Canyon Lake
Fishing Rating: Good
As the fishing enters into the summer months, anglers can expect fishing to slow during the hottest parts of the day. Early mornings and late evenings will be the most productive times during this time of year. With the end of the largemouth bass spawn, fish will become more active feeding to build reserves lost during the spawn. Look for largemouth bass along the shoreline in shallower water at sunrise and evenings and in deeper water during the heat of the day. Good oxygen will be found down to around 30 feet at the beginning of summer and decreasing until fall. Rubber worms and plastics are the bait of choice. Top-water action can be found during the early mornings and late evenings with the best action just after sunset. A survey in 2019 indicated a largemouth bass average length of 12 inches and one pound although fish over 5 pounds are in there. Sunfish remain active during this time of year — anglers can fish a bit deeper as fish will seek cooler water temperatures as the heat of the day raises surface water temperatures. Sunfish anglers should use live worms and mealworms. Vary the depth you fish at until you find where the fish are hanging out. Channel catfish will become more active as water temperatures continue to rise. Expect the best fishing to be at night. The best bait options include prepared catfishing baits, chicken livers and frozen shrimp.
Patagonia Lake
Fishing Rating: Good
Summer months means night fishing for the best action. Plan to be on the water early prior to sunrise and late as the sun sets. During the heat of the day, fishing can slow as fish seek deeper cooler water. Anglers should anticipate this and look for fish in deeper water or heavily shaded areas. Water quality taken late in May 2019 indicated good oxygen past 30 feet which will decrease through the summer. Largemouth bass can be found along the shoreline holding tight to cover. Anglers working the breaks in cattails with plastics find the most action. Flipping into the deep cover of the cattails can also produce fish but getting them out of that deep cover can be challenging. A survey in 2019 indicated an average largemouth bass length of 14 inches and 1.9 pounds; however fish 6 – 9 pounds are not uncommon. Anglers looking for catfish should focus their attention on the nighttime hours of sunset to sunrise. For channel catfish, use prepared catfish baits, chicken livers and frozen shrimp. Large numbers of perfect-eating size channel catfish can be found throughout the lake. Anglers looking to catch flathead catfish should be using live bluegill sunfish caught at the lake prior to sunset. Rig the bluegill with an appropriate sized hook through its body just below the dorsal fin.
Pena Blanca Lake
Fishing Rating: Good
Summer fishing is the best during the cooler parts of the day, meaning anglers should be on the water before sunrise or plan to stay until after sunset. Night fishing can be the most productive time as fish become more active with cooler temperatures. Largemouth bass fishing in June and July will remain productive with fish being found holding close to cover and in shady areas protected from direct sunlight. A survey in 2019 indicated a largemouth bass average length of 11 inches and 1 pound; however, fish more than 8 pounds are in there. July remains a great time to catch sunfish and anglers should again focus on the shady locations of the lake out of direct sunlight. Live worms and mealworms are the best bait options for catching sunfish. Channel catfish opportunities will pick up during the next several months with the best opportunities during the night times. Tried and true catfish baits of chicken livers, frozen shrimp, stink baits and other prepared catfish baits are the key to success. Preferred oxygen levels only reach down to about 7 feet during the summer so focusing any deeper may not yield much success.
Arivaca Lake
Fishing Rating: Good
As the fishing enters into the summer, expect fish to become less active during the heat of the day. Anglers should concentrate their efforts during the early hours around sunrise and the late evening hours around sunset. Night time can be the most productive during the summer months as fish are more active when the temperatures are cooler. If you do fish midday, look for fish in deeper water during the hottest part of the day. However, preferred oxygen levels only reach down around 10 feet during the summer, so fishing any deeper may not yield much success. A 2019 survey indicated a largemouth bass average length of 12 inches and 1.5 pounds although fish approaching 10 pounds are there. Arivaca can be tough to fish if you’re not accustomed to the aquatic vegetation that grows thick at this lake. Plastics are a good choice this time of year but the top water action early mornings and through the night can be the most productive. Whatever bait you choose, make sure it’s weedless to combat the thick aquatic vegetation. Bass anglers who focus their search along the edges of the weed line 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.
Roper Lake:
Fishing Rating: Fair
Roper Lake is a shallow (less than 15 feet) small waterbody that should heat up quickly this summer. Look for largemouth bass, bluegill and redear sunfish and even some black crappie all seeking structure that provides plenty of shade. As temperatures rise during the heat of the day expect fish to be deeper. The best fishing will be early mornings and late evenings when temperatures are the coolest. 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 of more than 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 drop shot, 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.
Cluff Ranch Pond:
Fishing Rating: Fair
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.
A survey in 2019 indicated an average largemouth bass length of 15 inches and weight of 2.5 pounds in addition to a few over 20 inches. 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.
Black crappie and 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.
Frye Mesa Reservoir
Fishing Rating: Good
Frye Mesa Reservoir presents a unique opportunity to catch a native Gila trout. The reservoir receives fish from Mora National Fish Hatchery as well as our Page Springs Hatchery. The reservoir was stocked with 224 Gila trout averaging 17 inches during late May. 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 wells as PowerBait or worms can work. The road to the reservoir is rough and a higher clearance all-wheel drive vehicle is recommended.
Riggs Flat Lake
Fishing Rating: Hot
More than 10,000 rainbow trout have been stocked and anglers can expect the fishing to be excellent. 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.
Dankworth Pond
Fishing Rating: Fair
Summer fishing means hitting the water during early mornings and late evenings. Plan to be out during the coolest times of the day and expect fish to move into deeper water as daytime temperatures rise. 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. Fishing early in the morning or late in the evening generally will lead to more success.
Look for largemouth bass and bluegill sunfish close to structure and in the shady spots. 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.
Channel catfish may also be a target and success will pick up as the water warms through the summer season. 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, barrel swivel and a short 1-2’ leader to a hook. Baits vary widely but several nightcrawlers on one hook, chicken liver, prepared baits (dip, dough, etc.), entrails/heads from cleaned fish, and the list can go on.
