Spring Fishing Forecast: Mogollon Rim and White Mountains regions

MOGOLLON RIM

Bear Canyon Lake

Fishing Rating: Good

Bear Canyon Lake will not be accessible until significant snow melt occurs and Forest Road 300 reopens for the season. Bear Canyon Lake is steep, as well as deep. There is little shallow water, except at the upper end of the lake. Fish using small spinners and lures. If fishing off the bottom, avoid casting out too far where the water is very deep. Bait anglers should try fishing with a worm and bobber. Fly anglers using a float tube can find solitude at Bear Canyon Lake, especially on weekdays. However, fly-fishing from shore or wading is difficult because the tree line comes right to the water’s edge, and the water gets deep close to shore. The lake is usually stocked once a month from April to September with rainbow trout. Stocking should begin in late April unless roads remain closed and snow conditions do not allow for stocking. Check U.S. Forest Service for road closure updates.

Black Canyon Lake

Fishing Rating: Hot

Black Canyon Lake will be the first of the Rim lakes open and accessible to angling. Roads are open and it will be stocked in early April. Good winter storms have filled this lake back up after being very low in 2018. Current lake levels are 3 feet below spilling and will likely fill the rest of the way as spring run-off progresses. Fish using small gold lures or dry flies as weather warms and surface activity increases.

Black Canyon Lake is 78 surface acres, with a maximum depth of 60 feet and an average depth of 35 feet. Like other Rim lakes, Black Canyon is deep, and low in nutrients. Catchable sized rainbow trout are stocked in the spring and early summer. The lake also currently contains illegally introduced green sunfish and largemouth bass; anglers are encouraged to catch and remove these species to help control their populations. There is no limit for bass and sunfish here.

Chevelon Canyon Lake

Fishing rating: Fair

Winter storms have refilled Chevelon Canyon Lake making launching a small boat or float tube easy again. Low water levels in 2018 may have stressed fish; however, fishing should pick up as water warms and aquatic insect activity starts to pick up. Juvenile rainbow trout stocking events are becoming more difficult due to bad road conditions created by excessive and illegal vehicle and UTV use on Chevelon Canyon Dam Road. Only OHVs 50 inches wide or less (those that fit through the metal gate) are allowed on the road. No subcatchable rainbow trout were stocked in fall 2018 because of bad road conditions.

Because of the difficult access, this lake is popular with float-tubers. Its deep canyon and well-forested edges make this lake a cool respite during the summer. Some lures to try are Kastmasters, Panther Martin spinners and Rapalas for stocked rainbows and wild brown trout. Fly-fishermen should try wooly buggers or wooly worms in black or brown colors, crayfish-colored patterns, and brown or black Simi Seal leeches, peacock ladies or other large streamers. Chevelon Canyon is stocked with fingerling trout in the spring and managed as a put-and-grow fishery. Chevelon Canyon Lake is a hike-in or ATV accessible lake only, with a two trout limit and artificial fly/lure only regulations.

Clear Creek Reservoir

Fishing Rating: Good

Rainbow trout are stocked once in April and once in May as a put-and-take fishery; fishing is good after stocking but can diminish as water warms beyond trout tolerance. Fishing for sunfish, catfish and carp remains good throughout the summer. Try small hooks with a worm and bobber near rocks and structure for sunfish. For bullhead and channel catfish, use bait on bottom such as worms and chicken livers, especially at night when catfish are most active.

Willow Springs Lake

Fishing rating: Fair to hot

Lake levels should be increasing thanks to good winter snow storms; however, access to Willow Springs Lake will still be impossible until spring snow melt occurs and Forest Road 300 reopens. Willow Springs is stocked with catchable rainbow trout weekly throughout the late spring and summer, and tiger trout are stocked in May. Stocking will begin in late April or early May when road and lake conditions allow. Try Kastmasters, small Rapalas or Panther Martins for either species. Shore anglers fishing for trout can try nightcrawlers or PowerBait. Green sunfish and smallmouth bass were illegally introduced to this lake. Try a small hook with a worm under a bobber, during the warmer parts of the day when warmwater fish are most active. Stocking should begin in late April unless roads remain closed and snow conditions do not allow for stocking. Check U.S. Forest Service for road closure updates.

Woods Canyon Lake

Fishing rating: Fair to hot

Lake levels should be increasing thanks to good winter snow storms; however, access to Woods Canyon Lake will still be impossible until spring snow melt occurs and forest access roads open. Due to the steep and shaded nature of the road, access to Woods Canyon may not be open until after other rim lakes are opened. If fishing for trout from shore, try PowerBait or worms. Fly anglers may have luck on dry flies or small nymphs right at sunset. Boaters can try trolling a Super Duper or tiny gold Kastmaster lures. The lake is loaded with crayfish; try fishing for large trout with spinners or lures that imitate crayfish patterns. Fish for illegally stocked green sunfish along the rocky shore with nightcrawlers. Woods Canyon Lake is stocked weekly throughout the summer with rainbow trout and in May with tiger trout. Stocking should begin in late April or early May unless roads remain closed and snow conditions do not allow for stocking. Check U.S. Forest Service for road closure updates.

WHITE MOUNTAINS

Becker Lake

Fishing Rating: Hot

Becker Lake can only be fished with artificial flies and lures with a single-point barbless hook, catch-and-release trout only. Big rainbow and tiger trout lurk along the weed beds on the south end, but can be found in the middle of the lake by boat and float tube as well. Try spring dry flies or emerger fly patterns as the weather warms and hatches start, like Parachute Adams, Elk Hair Caddis and Hare’s Ear. There is limited opportunity for shore fishing and wading because of drop-offs and vegetation, but there is a floating fishing pier that is handicapped accessible. Spin fishermen can try Z-rays, small Kastmasters or Panther Martins with the treble replaced with a single barbless hook.

Rainbow trout and tiger trout will be stocked again this spring. Good snow melt has filled Becker Lake back up and it is currently only 20 inches below being full; more snowmelt and spring run-off should fill this lake almost completely. Watch for wind advisories in the spring as storms move through.

Big Lake

Fishing Rating: Hot

As of early March, Big Lake was inaccessible due to snow, road closures and total ice cover. Access will likely not be possible until mid to late April. Check with ADOT for information about Highway 273 and 261 opening. Because of its size, productivity and visitor amenities, Big Lake is considered one of the White Mountain’s best fishing lakes. Fishing is excellent during spring after ice-off when water quality is best and trout are hungry after a cold winter. Try fishing weed edges or in shallower water where aquatic insects are emerging and fish or crayfish may be hunting. Bait and shore fishermen can try anything from worms to PowerBait, especially with strong scents to lure fish out of their winter slump. While all water is cool and fresh, shore fishing should be just as successful as fishing from a boat. Boaters should try trolling spinners and flies. To attract cutthroat, use lures that resemble crayfish or their movement. Brook trout will hit flies, but also try nightcrawlers on the bottom.

Greer Lakes (Bunch, Tunnel, River)

Fishing Rating: Hot

Tunnel and Bunch Reservoirs both are about 10 feet deep on average. River Reservoir is the largest and deepest of the Greer Lakes, with an average depth of 20 feet. All the Greer Lakes are currently full and accessible, though March and April storms could still drop snow and freeze portions of these lakes. Stocking will begin in April, though holdover fish likely exist in all three lakes. Early in the season, cast spinners and small spoons such as Panther Martins, small Kastmasters and Z-rays. Fly-fishing with Prince Nymphs, Hare’s Ear nymphs and Peacock Ladies works well either by wading or in a float tube. You could also try fishing off the bottom with nightcrawlers or PowerBait. Trolling flies, such as brown or black wooly buggers, or spinners, is likely to work well.

Carnero Lake

Fishing rating: Fair

As of early March, Carnero was inaccessible due to snow drifts, poor road conditions, and ice cover. It will not be accessible until spring snow melt, likely in mid-April. Check with U.S. Forest Service for road conditions. Water quality measurements throughout the winter found low dissolved oxygen under the ice and Carnero may experience a partial winterkill this year. Fishing from the shoreline or using spinners or lures is difficult at this lake because of the weeds. The best way to fish is from a small boat, canoe or float tube. Fly fish for rainbow trout and tiger trout with wooly buggers, prince nymphs or light-colored nymphs in open areas. The water is deepest near the islands on the north end of the lake. Carnero Lake is currently still about 5 feet low from poor rain and snow in 2018, however spring snow melt should fill this lake up significantly.

Concho Lake

Fishing Rating: Hot

Rainbow trout are stocked in March when water quality is best. Concho Lake is still low but is filling slowly. Fish now for your best chance to catch a trout here. Float a nightcrawler a couple of feet from the bottom or suspend it under a bobber. Also try trolling flies or small lures from a boat. Use corn to catch common carp. Try chicken liver or worms on bottom in the evening and night for channel catfish.

Crescent Lake

Fishing rating: Fair

Crescent Lake is currently inaccessible due to snow, road closures and total ice cover. Access will likely not be possible until mid to late April. Check with ADOT for information about Highway 273 and 261 opening. Fishing is best in spring after ice off, though occasionally algae can bloom very early in spring, making fishing poor, then die off and fishing improves again. Watch water conditions carefully. Winter water quality surveys found poor dissolved oxygen in some parts of the lake and tolerable oxygen in others. Try fishing in the southern portions of the lake when water quality was best. Bait and shore fishermen can try nightcrawlers and PowerBait. Boat anglers consistently do better at Crescent than shore fishermen. Boaters can try trolling with flies, such as wooly buggers, prince nymphs or peacock ladies, or use spinners like Panther Martins, small Mepps or Rooster Tails. This lake is full of fish, but murky water can make sight fishing and dry fly fishing difficult – use flashy lures or streamers, or bait.

Fool Hollow Lake

Fishing Rating: Good

Fool Hollow Lake is currently full and spilling thanks to good winter storms! Trout will be stocked throughout the spring starting in April, though warmwater fish like bass and catfish will still be plentiful. With a variety of fish species, Fool Hollow Lake, located in the Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area, offers something for everyone, from first-time anglers to seasoned veterans. For kids and novice anglers, nightcrawlers on the bottom or under a bobber in rocky areas are a good way to go for rainbow trout and bluegill or green sunfish. More experienced anglers can try spinner baits, jigs and nightcrawler rigs around underwater rocky structure, where large smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and walleye lurk. This is a great lake to catch trophy-sized walleye.

Lee Valley Lake

Fishing rating: Fair

Lee Valley Lake is currently inaccessible due to snow, road closures and total ice cover. Access will likely not be possible until mid to late April. Check with ADOT for information about Highway 273 and 261 opening. Apache trout and Arctic grayling will be stocked this year, though only Apache trout will be catchable size. Winter water quality surveys found poor dissolved oxygen through the ice, which will likely lead to a winterkill. Lee Valley Lake can only be fished with artificial lures and flies. Float tubes are popular and easy to use at this lake. Lee Valley holds the state record for Arctic grayling (14.65 inches). Fly fishing is usually the most productive technique at this lake. Wet flies to try are Hare’s Ear nymphs, small Peacock Ladies and Prince Nymphs in sizes 14 to 16. Just before dark, surface action is quite good with dry flies, such as small Adams, mosquito or midge larvae, and light Cahills in sizes 16 to 20. Successful spinning lures can be small Panther Martin, small Z-ray or a very small Kastmaster fished from the dam.

Luna Lake

Fishing Rating: Good

Luna Lake had solid ice cover this year but maintained good water quality throughout the winter. Fishing should be excellent this spring as the lake fills and water is cool. Luna Lake is currently totally accessible and only about 8 inches below spill, so it should fill completely with spring snow melt. Luna Lake is the last chance to fish in eastern Arizona before the New Mexico state line. Large and scenic, loaded with visitor amenities, and close to the town of Alpine, Luna Lake offers good fishing for locals and visitors alike. This lake holds the current state record for cutthroat trout at 6 pounds, 5 ounces. Trolling with flies works well in spring and early summer at Luna Lake. Try wooly buggers, a Prince Nymph, Simi-Seal Leech and other large wet flies. Nightcrawlers and PowerBait fished off the bottom also work well. Shore and boat anglers both have success at Luna.

Lyman Lake

Fishing Rating: Good

The largest lake in the region with great amenities and no boat motor restrictions, Lyman Lake State Park attracts anglers, as well as campers and water skiers year-round. Spring 2018 population surveys found large numbers of walleye and channel catfish throughout the lake. Is the new state record lurking in deep water? Walleye will be especially hungry after spring spawn; try large noisy or lighted lures to attract these predators. Try fishing for largemouth bass, walleye and sunfish along rocky or weedy areas of the lake. Fish for catfish with nightcrawlers or chicken livers on bottom at night. Catch carp with corn or dough baits.

Nelson Reservoir

Fishing Rating: Good

A long and narrow lake, Nelson Reservoir follows the Nutrioso Creek Valley for nearly a mile. Fish that remain in Nelson Reservoir after summer stockings can grow to larger sizes, making it a popular fishing site with local anglers. This lake has been known to produce trophy-sized black crappie. The lake is currently full and spilling, but will not be stocked until it has stopped spilling. Keep an eye on water levels and you’ll be the first to know when the stocking truck is coming. When the lake is first stocked in late spring, just about anything works. Try spinners such as Panther Martins or Z-rays, artificial flies and bait, especially nightcrawlers. As the weather warms, fish deeper with bait rigs. The south end of the lake can become difficult to fish in late summer because of weed growth. Illegally introduced green sunfish are plentiful and can be easily caught along the rocky shoreline with nightcrawlers.

* Patterson Ponds

Fishing Rating: Good

Located in St. Johns, this Community Fishing Program water is stocked with rainbow trout in March and April, then bluegill as water temperatures warm and become too hot for trout. In June, July and August, channel catfish are stocked. Fish with chicken livers or nightcrawlers on bottom during the evening and night when catfish are most active. A General Fishing License, Hunt/Fish Combo License, or a Community Fishing License is required to fish here.  The pond daily bag limits in community fishing waters (2 trout; 2 catfish; 5 sunfish) apply.

Rainbow Lake

Fishing Rating: Good

Because so much shoreline is privately owned, Rainbow Lake is best fished from a boat. The spring and early summer are the best times to fish for trout because that’s when water quality is at its best, the weeds are down and catchable rainbow trout are being stocked. Troll for trout with Panther Martin and Rooster Tail spinners, small Kastmasters or wooly bugger flies. Anglers may have some luck fishing from shore with worms or PowerBait, particularly from the dam; casting near structure with spinner baits works well for largemouth bass and Northern pike. Help remove illegally introduced Northern pike by harvesting any caught. Fish on the bottom with nightcrawlers or stink baits to catch catfish. Grass carp (white amur) are stocked into this lake to control weed populations; statewide daily harvest limit is 1 per day, minimum 30 inches. These grass carp have done a fantastic job controlling aquatic plants and should make boating much easier.

Scott Reservoir

Fishing Rating: Hot

After being drained for dam maintenance in 2018, Scott Reservoir is full and spilling this spring! Trout will be stocked in April and May while water quality is still very good. Target trout with PowerBait, small gold lures, or dry fly and emerger patterns. Catchable-size channel catfish will also be stocked this spring to restart the fishery. Catfish are best caught with bait on bottom during the evenings. Help remove illegally introduced common carp by fishing with corn or practicing your hunting techniques in the off season by bow fishing!

Show Low Lake

Fishing Rating: Good

Show Low Lake is full and spilling! It is currently accessible with no ice cover. With campgrounds, bathrooms, fish cleaning station and boat rentals, Show Low Lake is a great place to get away from it all while having amenities close by. Rainbow trout are stocked every other week from April to August, while naturally reproducing walleye, sunfish and channel catfish provide fishing opportunities the rest of the year. Fingerling channel catfish were stocked this year to increase populations in the future. Use nightcrawlers or chicken livers on bottom to target catfish. In spring, walleye are voracious after spawning; use noisy or lighted lures to attract hungry predators. Fishing for trout is good throughout the day in spring; use worms, PowerBait, or small lures.

Woodland Lake

Fishing Rating: Hot

Woodland Lake has filled back up after poor snow and rain during 2018. Catchable-sized rainbow trout will be stocked during April and May, as well as fingerling channel catfish. Despite low water in 2018, Woodland Lake likely has holdover bass and catfish lurking! Channel catfish can be caught using bait on bottom, especially at night. Small bass and sunfish may be hiding under the floating dock and can be fun with a small hook, worm and bobber.

SHOW LOW-AREA STREAMS

Show Low Creek Tailwater

Poor to good

The large pool below Show Low Lake dam is stocked weekly with rainbow trout from May to September to provide local fishing opportunities when water quality at the surrounding lakes is poor. Fishing will be good once stocking starts. Access can be difficult, but the cool water and great fishing during the hot summer months makes it worth it for the agile angler. Try flies or small lures to draw fish from bottom or under cover.

Show Low Creek Meadows * 

Fishing Rating: Good

This new Community Fishing Water located at the Show Low Bluff trailhead in Show Low provides multiple opportunities for anglers and families alike. Hiking trails and a disc golf course provide extra fun all summer long! Angling is permitted from the trailhead and bridge, upstream to the Hampton Inn on Hwy 260/White Mountain Blvd in Show Low. Rainbow trout are stocked throughout the fall, winter and spring, then bluegill and channel catfish are stocked when water temperatures are too warm for trout. Catfish are stocked in June, July and August. Bait can be used, but daily bag limits are 2 trout, 2 catfish, 1 bass (minimum size 13”) and 5 sunfish.

Silver Creek

Fishing Rating: Good

Through March, Silver Creek is open to catch-and-release only.  Beginning April 1, Silver Creek is open to harvest with a 6-trout daily bag limits  Fishing at Silver Creek is good except during the hottest parts of the day. Sight fish with dry flies or small nymphs in the morning and evening. Small Kastmasters and Panther Martins or worms with bobbers can be effective in deeper pools. Because Silver Creek is a Game and Fish Commission-owned property, entry is only allowed from 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset, about 5:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. During catch-and-keep season in the spring and summer, only the lower 1.6 miles, downstream of the marked fence, may be fished; the upper section is closed. No unauthorized entry is ever allowed in the hatchery grounds.

WHITE MOUNTAIN STREAMS

West Fork Black River, East Fork Black River, and West Fork Little Colorado River

Fishing rating: Fair to good

Access may be difficult this spring due to significant winter snow pack and closed roads. Check with U.S. Forest Service for road conditions. Initial spring runoff will also negatively impact fishing.  Fishing will greatly improve when the creeks are on the downside of runoff.  Streams will begin to be stocked in May, but wild fish are always present.

* Community Fishing Program water

Veronica Corbett is AZGFD’s Lakes Biologist out of Pinetop