Ashurst Lake just east of Flagstaff has again produced a huge northern pike. Two friends, Lewie Sloan and Stacey Ford from Flagstaff shared the honors on May 8 when they caught a 23.78-pound, 42-inch-long northern Pike using a spinner at Ashurst. The two friends took turns fighting the toothy monster. The huge female pike had some eggs remaining, but was mostly spawned out.

Ashurst seems to be the place for big fish. Two weeks ago, Richard Stevens from Peoria caught a 28.9-pound, 45.75-inch pike on Power Bait at Ashurst. About three weeks ago, a Flagstaff angler caught an 8-pound albino trout there as well.

Speaking about big fish, Ron Nuss, Jr. used his bow and arrow at Saguaro Lake to harvest a 35.2-pound, 36.5-inch carp.

By the way, the fishing clinic participants at Camp Carp last weekend at Roosevelt Lake landed about 25 big carp using mostly homemade dough bait, but they also lost about an equal number of carp that broke off in the thick, submerged brush. If you want to catch lots of fish from shore, just load up on whole kernel corn and visit any of our desert lakes: carp are plentiful everywhere. It’s a ball.

With temperatures in the desert starting to soar, it an excellent time for a trout fishing expedition to the high cool mountains. Woods Canyon, Willow Springs and Big Lake are all early-season standouts, but fishing should also be good at Blue Ridge, Bear Canyon, Knoll, Chevelon and Nelson Reservoir. Becker Lake in Springerville has been a top producer for months. All the lakes in the Williams area have been providing some decent fishing as well. It’s that time: Just pick your favorite lake and go.

For those looking for diverse angling opportunities, try Fool Hollow Lake in Show Low where the smallmouth bite has been good, and the rainbow trout bite has been decent. Fool Hollow also has largemouth bass and walleye, just to round out the experience.

Just down the road (or up the creek), Show Low Lake is also doing well for rainbows, but it has a decent population of walleye as well and it is possible to catch largemouth bass there. By the way, Show Low Lake holds the state record for walleye and this might be the year for someone to break that record.

The night crappie fishing at Roosevelt has really taken off, with some anglers racking up dozens of slab-sided beauties around submerged lights. The full moon may slow the bite (you have to compete with the moon to attract plankton and shad), but it may still be worth a try this weekend. You might want to look up the moon rise and set times. During the waning moon, it ought to be great again.

Another good bet for night fishing is Pleasant, with or without submerged lights. Try the northern coves, especially over submerged creek channels (underwater freeways) and use curly tails on jigs, silver-colored (chrome) crankbaits or even poppers for whites and stripers. Live shad or minnows should also work great. Rich Wiggins, who does the fishing report out of our Mesa regional office, had a great time catching whites and stripers on Tuesday night.

Fishing is on fire at Lake Mead! Anglers are catching stripers all over the upper lake from Temple Bar to Sandy Point this past week. Night fishing under lights was yielding limits within two to three hours using anchovies and squid. Trolling during the day was also putting stripers in the boat using deep diving crankbaits or anchovies. The trick to the trolling seemed to be staying 10-15 feet off the shore and paralleling the shoreline.

Lake Powell is an angler’s dream right now. You can catch lots of stripers, including some monsters, plus feisty smallmouth bass, delectable walleye, fun bluegill and slab-sided crappie. Sometimes, you can catch them all in the same stretch of lake. This past week, some giant stripers have been caught up to 38 pounds: this is the time to tie into those striped monsters. See the report below.

Note: The prime bass spawn has already occurred at most central Arizona lakes, although it is still possible to find bass on beds. Expect most bass to be in the post-spawn mode. Some bass may be lethargic following the spawn. Others could have already recovered and should be actively feeding at times. Bass anglers may want to focus on major points, islands and reefs. Expect to find a nice top-water bite in the mornings.

URBAN LAKES – David Welker fished Steele Indian School Park and caught four bluegills and one 18-inch channel catfish, adding he had an “excellent time.”

The urban lakes were stocked last week with channel catfish. Fishing for catfish has been good to excellent, particularly in the first few days following each stocking. The 2-pound catfish are arriving strong and hungry and have been biting best in the evenings. The best baits continue to include worms, stink baits and hotdogs. Due to golden algae, there will be no catfish stockings at Desert West or Alvord Lakes in Phoenix. Fishing for largemouth bass is fair during the post-spawn period. Fishing for bluegill is good at most lakes. Most bluegills are active in the shallows during their spawning activities. Use small worms or mealworms on small hooks and use 6-pound or lighter line. Bluegill can be caught fishing with small, thin bobbers, or by fishing on the bottom with a minimal amount of weight.

TEMPE TOWN LAKE– Dan Fjimagari said he and his daughter recently caught trout, catfish and bluegill using hot dogs and worms, adding, “My two-year-old daughter caught a 10-pound cat on her blue and yellow Shakespeare kid pole.”

Preliminary results from the electro-fishing/gillnetting show big increases in the largemouth bass population. Department biologists caught a large number of bass in the 4- to 6-year classes. There were many fish in the 1- to 3-pound category and several over 5 pounds. Our catch rates for bass were extremely good and all the fish were fat and healthy.   There is a plethora of prey base for these fish; good populations of threadfin shad and bluegill.  Bass fishing is picking up. Yellow bass and bluegill are plentiful in the 5- to 7-inch range and will bite mealworms or night crawlers. Channel catfish averaging 1 to 2 pounds will bite stink baits, hotdogs and shrimp. Carp fishing is getting better.

LAKE PLEASANT - Water level is at 1,696 feet and rising (96-percent full). Fishing is good for white bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie and channel catfish. Fishing at night for white bass and striped bass is very good in the northern coves, especially over submerged creek channels.

This is the time of year for good white bass and striper action during the day, especially by trolling over the creek channels in the northern end of the lake. Also getting reports of a good white bass and striper bite down by the dam. Try using a 1-inch white curly-tail grub on a 1/16-ounce jig. Let it jig sink about 20 seconds before retrieving.

A substantial portion of the bass population has already spawned, although it is possible to find some spawning bass on beds, mostly in deeper water where there is light penetration. You will probably find more spawners in the large, deeper covers nearest the dam off the main lake. A lot of post-spawn bass will be a little lethargic, meaning you should either slow down your presentation, or go for a reaction bite. Hard plastic jerkbaits worked real fast, then stopped, can sometimes be deadly. Try working soft-plastic jerkbaits the same way. Keep a second pole rigged with a flutter-down bait: if you have a bass chase your reaction lure but not hit it, immediately cast the other bait. This is the leading edge of the great top-water bite.

Crappie fishing has slowed in the northern coves, but you can still pick up a few; try jigs or live minnows in 12 to18 feet of water around brush. The crappies are averaging about a pound with some going a pound and a half. The Agua Fria arm of the lake is open. Catfish, sunfish and carp fishing is picking up

ROOSEVELT LAKE - The lake is 73-percent full at elevation 2,127 feet. The Salt River was flowing at 135 cfs Monday morning and Tonto Creek was flowing at 2 cfs. The night fishing for crappies has been terrific, but will likely slow down some during the full moon (probably still worth going). The full moon is often a good time to target bass at night as well. There is still a good bass bite, but a lot of fish are in the post-spawn mode. You will probably find the best fishing on the major points, islands and reefs. Try reaction baits at first light, such as spinners, topwater, or tight-wobble crankbaits, and then switch to slower, bottom-fishing techniques such as drop shots, Texas rigs, Carolina rigs or jigs. You will likely still find some bass on beds, but they will likely be much deeper. Also, looks for signs of bass chasing shad off-and-on throughout the day, and at night.

This is a great time for catfishing for both flatheads and channels. Use live bluegills or small carp for the big flatheads, especially where there is some current. For the plentiful channel catfish, try corn, shrimp, hot dogs or stink bait during the day or at night.

Anglers have been catching lots of nice bluegills lately.

Note: anglers are reminded of the slot bass size limit that remains in effect at Roosevelt. Bass between 13 to 16 inches must be released immediately. Also those bass below 13 inches and above 16 inches that are kept can only be gutted with the head and tail attached so the legal length can be determined. All other fish such as crappie, catfish and bluegill harvested from the lake must have a piece of skin attached to the fillets so species can be determined.

APACHE - Lake is 95-percent full at 1,909 feet. Fishing has been good for yellow bass. Walleye can be caught off cliffs and rocky points with in-line spinners or drifting night crawlers. Try rock-runners with worm harnesses or shad-patterned crankbaits for walleye after dark. Yellow bass are hitting jigs and spoons. Fish for them around balls of shad in 20-60 feet of water. Cut bait also works well for them. A recent fish survey showed good numbers of yellows some world class and also good catfish numbers both channel and flatheads. Catfishing is picking up. Carp fishing is getting good. Largemouth bass fishing is slow, but can be decent in the upper end of the lake right now. Smallmouth fishing is very slow. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is tagging walleye with a blue spaghetti-type tag near the dorsal fin. If you catch one, please note the tag number, location caught and accurate length of the fish and call the department's Mesa office at (480) 324-3544. You can keep the tag and the fish. There is a certified scale at the marina boathouse.

CANYON - Lake is 98-percent full at 1,659 feet. Bass fishing has been decent, especially in the Boulder Recreation Area and small coves. For bass, drop shotting (fish slow, letting the worm rest on the bottom for a few seconds at a time) is still the method of choice. Senkos and Westy Worms have also been catching fish. Night fishing for bass can be good.  This is also a great lake for yellow bass; jig spoons in and around balls of shad. A few walleye are being caught trolling along cliffs. Shad imitation Rat-L-Traps can be effective for walleye here. 

SAGUARO - Lake level is 1,526 feet (95-percent full). There was a recent threadfin shad die-off here due to golden algae. Haven’t had any recent angler reports. This is a good time of year to catch yellow bass jigging spoons (quarter-ounce KastMaster) or cut bait. Try to locate shad in 40-60 feet of water and jig through them. Catfishing had been improving prior to the shad die-off, but could be a little slower right now: it’s possible they have been gorging on the available shad... Try stink baits, hotdogs or shrimp. There is a certified scale at the marina to get an official weight and still release your catch. Two witnesses are needed for the weight to be official. 

BARTLETT – Lake level is at 1,778 feet (73-percent full).Verde River is flowing at 152 cfs. Expect to find most bass in pre-spawn behavior. Try reaction baits like spinners, crankbaits and top-water early in the morning, then switch to bottom-fishing techniques such as drop shots, Texas-rigged worms, Carolina rigs and jigs. Crappie fishing has slowed during the day, and with the full moon coming, this is probably not a good time for night fishing yet. This is an excellent time to target flathead and channel catfish, day or night. You might still find some bluegills on beds. Big flatheads can often be found raiding those nests in the backs of coves or along rocky ledges. Use live bait such as bluegill or small carp for the flatheads and shrimp, hotdogs or stink bait for the channels. Remember the live bait most come from the lake itself (excluding minnows, waterdogs or worms) not transported from another body of water! This is a good time to take the kids bluegill fishing. Mealworms and a small bobber in the backs of rocky coves can be the ticket.

HORSESHOE - Lake is empty.

VERDE RIVER – Fishing is poor for largemouth, smallmouth and catfish. Remember that no baitfish can be transported into this part of the river (above Horseshoe). For further information concerning regulations, call the Arizona Game and Fish Department at (480) 324-3544. This morning flow was 270 cfs at Tangle Creek station above Horseshoe Lake.  Horseshoe release remains at 200 cfs.

LOWER SALT RIVER (below Saguaro Lake) – Rainbow trout have been stocked recently at Blue Point Bridge and Water Users Park. Try inline spinners, Power Bait or drifting night crawlers. Fly-fishing can be good with nymphs, Painted ladies and Wooly Buggers. We have mixed angler reports: some aren’t catching many fish, others are catching limits. Some bass can be found in the portion above the Verde confluence.

CREEKS- Canyon, Tonto, Christopher, Haigler, and Workman have been stocked with rainbow trout.  Use spinners, night crawlers and corn.  Brown trout can be found bellow the OW Bridge in Canyon Creek in the deeper pools.  Remember if you must fish this part of the creek artificial baits only.

LAKE POWELL – By Wayne Gustaveson. Lake elevation: 3,592. Water temp: 60-70 F. Fishing prospects are great with high numbers of fish hungrily waiting in shallow water. The same stretch of shoreline may yield striped bass, large and smallmouth bass, crappie, walleye, bluegill and catfish.  Warming lake conditions put all game fish in the same general location.  Look to the back of almost any canyon around brushy coves with murky water to find the hot spot. 

Striped bass are attracted to main channel current which draws pre-spawning schools to main channel points. But food is in the back of the canyon where shad spawn and sunfish hide in the brush.  Stripers cruise from the back of the canyon to the main channel and then back again. Look along their travel route.  They will be shallow in the brush at first light. At midday they will be holding on the breaking edge of the main channel at the mouth of the canyon before returning to the back of the canyon in the evening. Fish anchovy bait along the walls and troll or cast shad lures in the murky water and flats at the back of the canyon.  

Trophy stripers are most vulnerable to anglers from now till mid June while water temperature is moderate and big stripers can still live in the 60-70 degree surface layers. A 34.5 pound female was caught by Michelle Gonzalez this week in Last Chance. Last years biggest fish (38 pounds) was caught June 16, 2005 by Dan Porter while trolling in Rock Creek. If targeting big fish I would recommend the main channel and canyon mouths from Padre Bay to the mouth of the San Juan. 

Bass have spawned once and will spawn again during the next two weeks. Continue to search the edges of spawning flats near the deep water access route to find both shallow males and deep females in close proximity to each other.  The most productive bait is the soft plastic grub or tube in watermelon pepper, green pumpkin or black sparkle, but your favorite bass lure will work.  Always use a confidence bait that has worked for you in the past. That way the only variables are depth and habitat – not lure choice.  The breaking edge of open water shoals and reefs is the most productive spot.  The shoreline is being flooded and changing too fast to be a reliable indicator of fish presence and habitat. Fish shallow structure in open water for best results.

Walleye fishing is peaking.  Troll shallow flats at the backs of canyons with Wally Divers, Hot-n-Tots, worm harnesses or lipless vibrators.  Make the lure drag bottom at 10-15 feet. Silt stirred by the lure crawling along the bottom will excite a hiding walleye into action. Fish early and late during subdued light or fish under the shade of muddy water to find hiding walleye.

Crappies have one more spawn to complete and will still be holding tight to brush and trees. Use small plastic grubs or tubes fished vertically in tumbleweeds stacked in cuts to find crappie up to 2-pounds. Retrieve the jig as slowly as possible to entice crappie. Another approach is to suspend a tiny jig 3 feet under a bobber and let it dangle just above brush to draw crappie out of their lair. Bluegill will be caught in the brush with crappie. Catfish will surprise when it is least expected by hitting any lure that resemble a shad dinner.

LEES FERRY — Report courtesy Lees Ferry Guides at http://www.leesferry.com. The morning rise is providing the best fishing, and the afternoon is slowing down significantly.  The clear, warm day helped the morning midge hatch. You can catch some dry-fly action in certain spots in the morning. Catch the rise with a box full of midges and you will be a happy fisherman. For spin anglers, Marabou jigs and small in-line spinners are the way to go.

LAKE MEAD – This is a hot spot.  Fishing is on fire at Lake Mead!  Anglers were finding and catching stripers all over the upper lake from Temple Bar to Sandy Point.  Night fishing under lights was yielding limits within 2-3 hours using anchovies and squid. Trolling during the day was also putting stripers in the boat using deep diving crankbaits or anchovies. The trick to the trolling seemed to be staying 10-15 feet off the shore and paralleling the shoreline. Largemouth bass were also being caught using drop-shot rigs and Power Worms.  Catfish were being caught in good numbers on anchovies, dip-baits, and squid.  Bottom line is you almost can’t go wrong at Mead right now unless you don’t go!  So get out and give it a try.  Water levels are at 1,135 feet and should stay fairly stable throughout the week.  According the Park Service officials, the courtesy dock will be pulled out at South Cove when water levels hit 1,132 or when safety concerns merit. The rafters or commercial dock should be available for use after that. 

LAKE MOHAVE – Striper fishing has been good.  Most were having good luck around Arrowhead Cove and around Katherine Powerline Cove. Anchovies continue to be the most popular bait for stripers, but if you want to try something different, use shrimp or squid. Spring fishing is here.   Expect largemouth bass to start staging for the spawn: you might even find spawning bass in the warmer, shallow water in the backs of coves. Nevada Telephone Cove and the power lines have been good for stripers and largemouth bass. Also, there is a wheelchair accessible fishing pier just south of the main launch ramp at Katherine’s Landing.

WILLOW BEACH – Fishing for trout at Willow Beach was fair after the stocking on Friday. While the anglers at Jumbo wash did not do very well, the anglers that were fishing near the picnic area did well with most anglers catching their limit. Anglers fishing near Monkey hole caught two trout that were over 4 pounds using Mepps spinners; they had six smaller trout (12-14 inches) on the stringer also.  Jakes and Mepps were the preferred lure by all trout anglers contacted. Striped bass activity has increased with anglers catching them from the shore using cut anchovies.

TOPOCK MARSH – Larry Drum said he used anchovies and night crawlers to catch a couple of small striped bass. Two other anglers recently caught two stripers over 30 pounds. Many don’t expect stripers in the marsh, and usually most don’t catch them. But every now and then stripers come in through the North Dyke canal and persist. You can access the marsh by boat at North Dike, Catfish Paradise, and Five-Mile Landing. All three also provide plenty of area for shoreline fishing too. For more information on the marsh, contact the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge at (760) 326-3853 or go to http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/arizona/havasu/index.html.

HAVASU — It looks like summer already.  We are in tail end of all spawning activities. Fishing will be best early in the morning and late in the evening. Top-water bass fishing activity should be good as well as spinner baits, work the structures and shallow areas. Smallmouth bass like to forage along the rockier areas, look for plastics or crayfish colored cranks to get a reaction. Catfish will be picking up when the weather starts to warm up.  Try worms or chicken livers just off the bottom. It’s about time for the flathead catfish bite to start.

PARKER STRIP — Everything should be good.  The largemouth and smallmouth bass has improved.  Fishing for redear and bluegill should also be good.  Some catfish are biting now on chicken livers and night crawlers.  Flathead catfish haven’t started yet but it’s not far off.   

MARTINEZ LAKE/COLORADO RIVER — Everything should be good. Stripers are hitting in the lake as well as in the main river channel, at the mouth entrance and on trailing edges of sandbars in the river with chicken liver, worms. Largemouth bass fishing is also on with almost anything you want to toss at them. Skirted spinnerbaits and plastics have been working for some anglers. Flathead fishing is just around the corner.

MITTRY LAKE — Nothing has changed from previous reports.  Bass fishing has been good for fishermen using boats. It was reported a bass in excess of 10 pounds was caught. Shore anglers continue using worms and chicken liver to catch channel cats.

YUMA AREA RIVERS/CANALS — On the Colorado River by Yuma the bass fishery is coming back. Anglers slowly working plastics were very successful catching 1 ½- to 2-pound bass with several 4 and 5 pounders also being taken. Gila Main canal is producing stripers north of Highway 95 crossing; the section near Mittry lake is producing smallmouth bass and large redear sunfish. Other notable Yuma area canals include the East and West Main canals in the Yuma Valley which hold all warm water fish species.

Along the Gila River just about any deep hole you can find will hold monster bass, as well as any warm water fish. A great place to fish right now.

FORTUNA POND — Everything should be good. Channel catfish are biting chicken liver and stink bait.  Bass and other sunfish fishing has also been good.

REDONDO POND — Tube anglers should definitely try their luck here for bass and large bluegill.

YUMA WEST WETLANDS POND — No recent reports. The daily bag/possession limits for fish caught at the Yuma West Wetlands Pond is two trout, one largemouth bass (13-inch minimum), two channel catfish and five sunfish of any combination. For detailed information see the 2005-2006 Arizona Game and Fish Department's fishing regulations.

EHRENBERG — Largemouth bass should be good in the various backwaters along this stretch of the river. Try top-water in the mornings and evenings followed by plastics and spinnerbaits after the top-water bite shuts down. The same fishing for flatheads will continue to bite on bluegill or other live bait in the main channel. Worms and green crankbaits will continue to attract bass in the backwaters. Just a reminder, Cibola Lake is closed to fishing from the first Monday in September (Labor Day) through March 15. 

ALAMO LAKE — Report courtesy Mark Knapp at the Alamo Lake State Park. Well folks, all in all fishing is still pretty good but starting to slow down a bit.  Rory Aikens nailed it right on the head with "post spawn."  Although a few bass are still on beds up by the dam, most have spawned and moved out to sulk for awhile. Top-water is the hot ticket right now. Anglers getting up and out at zero dark thirty are catching some nice size bass on Pop Rs and Chug Bugs.  The last hour before dark is the best fishing on the lake right now. After putting the hurts on my partner nine to zip the other night throwing the old faithful 4-inch lizard, I finished the evening off with a 4 1/2 pounder throwing a bone-colored Pop R. As we put the boat on trailer my smile was a natural as I said, " smell that Randy?" who replied with, " I don't smell nothing!"  "Smells like a skunk to me!"  Needles to say the conversation went down hill from there. You can still catch a lot of dinks throwing training wheels (spinnerbaits) in dingy waters at the upper end of the lake.  By mid morning, you’re better off flipping the trees with a white-colored jig. If you’re like me, fishing clear water can be intimidating. Visibility is 15 to 20 feet in some parts of the lake right now.  When you see a submerged tree, sit on top of it and try dropping a jig or Texas-rigged lizard right in the middle of it. You will be surprised how many fish are hiding in there. I've always thought that if you could see the fish and they could see you, then you’re done, move on.  I am learning that is not always the case. One thing is for sure, when you feel the "tick" or see the line move, set the hook, and reel fast or you’re going to get hung up every time.  Crappie fishing is still holding its own. Once again roadrunner jigs with minnow trailers, and trolling in 30 foot of water is the hot ticket. Although anglers are graphing a lot of crappies by the dam, they’re still giving the nighttime crappie bite a thumbs-down.  A couple of more weeks of warm weather should bring on the night bite. Catfishing is still fair. Some nice size cats are still being caught in the upper end of the lake. Shrimp and liver are the baits of choice. Shore fishing is still lousy. After a guy from Kingman managed to send his Ranger Bass Boat 146 feet nine inches up a shoreline the other night, I feel compelled to take a minute and write about night time boat operations. To start with, make sure you have proper working equipment. Bow and stern lights are required. It’s also good to have a spotlight and cell phone along.  Enough food and water in case you do have to stay out till dawn. These items could save your life. I keep a clear set of glasses in my boat. You’re going to hit a lot of bugs once you get up on plane.  Going across the lake at night is tough enough.  I have found that going across the lake with a bug hanging out of your eye is a real bummer. Hurts too! If you don't know the lake, then don't wait till dark to explore it. I have also found that except for life-threatening emergency rescues, there is no reason to go shooting across the lake at top speed. No matter how well you know a body of water, it is going to look different at night. So slow down; the life you save may be your own. The lake level is at 1,225 with releases of 50 cfs.  Cholla Ramp is still closed during the week, but opens on the weekends.  We’re still getting high winds starting around 1 in the afternoon.  No new word on the store. We do NOT rent boats at this time. Remember to bring sun block, bug spray and water.  There is a fish advisory at Alamo Lake. The advisory recommends that people limit consumption as follows for bass and crappie. Children under age six: no consumption; women of childbearing age one 8-ounce fish meal per month; all other adult women - three 8-ounce fish meals per month; adult men - four 8-ounce fish meals per month. For catfish is the same for children and women of childbearing age, but for all other adult women - five 8-ounce fish meals per month and adult men - six 8-ounce fish meals per month.

Note: Windy conditions last weekend made angling difficult. 

WILLIAMS LAKES:  

KAIBAB LAKE — Fishing good using worms and Power Bait.

CATARACT LAKE —  Fishing good using worms and Power Bait

CITY RESERVOIR — Closed

DOGTOWN LAKE — Fishing is good using worms and Power Bait.  Stocked last week.

JD DAM — Lake level has come up. Some nice fish are being caught.

SANTA FE — Lake is full.  Fishing good using worms and Power Bait

WHITEHORSE LAKE — Fishing is good using worms and Power Bait

 FLAGSTAFF LAKES:

LOWER LAKE MARY — Fishing is good. Most trout are being caught on yellow Power Bait. One trout angler said it was like “catching fish in a barrel,” but added that some anglers are catching pike and just leaving them along the shoreline.  Please take the pike with you from the lake. Small spoons fished slow and deep continue to catch trout (if you fish the spoons faster and off the bottom you catch pike).  Friday fishing was good.  The winds Saturday slowed fishing down.  

UPPER LAKE MARY — Fair for pike, channel catfish and black crappie.  Do not eat walleye from this lake: mercury has been detected in high levels in the walleye. Try to limit consumption of other species to 8 ounces a month.

ASHURST LAKE — Fishing has been good on worms and Power Bait. There was a 23-pound pike caught last weekend, a 29-pound pike caught two weeks ago, and an 8.4-pound albino rainbow trout caught three weeks ago. Stocked last week.

FRANCIS SHORT POND – Fish were caught over the weekend.

KINNIKINICK LAKE — No Report.  Road is open.  Stocked last week.

MARSHALL LAKE — Fishing was good this weekend.

OAK CREEK — Joe Koenig caught-and-released 17 trout fly fishing in the morning using brassies and in the afternoon using olive hare’s ear and prince nymphs. Good for rainbows and fair for browns.  Fly anglers were doing well on nymph patterns. Stocked last week.

LONG LAKE — Lake is 40-percent full. Anglers are catching trout up to 12 inches on Power Bait and lures. Some smaller 7-inch trout were stocked last month. Stocked trout are safe to eat, but for other species, there is a health advisory: do not eat fish from these lakes because mercury has been detected.

SOLDIERS & SOLDIERS ANNEX —There is a health advisory: do not eat fish from these lakes because mercury has been detected.

BEAVER CREEK — Stocked last week.

WEST CLEAR CREEK — Stocked last week.

STONEMAN LAKE — NO FISH.

BLUE RIDGE — No reports. Fishing should be good.

KNOLL LAKE — No reports. Fishing should be good.

MINGUS LAKE –Mingus will be stocked this week.   The Forest Service gate is now open.  Try bright-colored Power Bait or salmon eggs, or various spinners.

DEAD HORSE STATE PARK – Last stocked with trout March 6.  On Feb. 16, there were 4,500 bluegill stocked into the lower lagoon, including a few fish over a pound. Wildlife Manager Dee Pfleger took the kids there and her daughter Anna had a blast catching bluegills off the dock. Dee said there were still plenty of trout being caught and she saw some bass lurking around the dock. The lower lagoon should be a good spot for bluegill.

VERDE RIVER — (throughout Verde Valley) – No new reports. Trout stockings ended on March 13. Rainbow trout fishing has slowed at most Verde River trout stocking locations, but it may still be possible to catch some rainbows. This is also a good time to try for catfish and smallmouth bass. Stocking sites were 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.  The department stocks trout in these waters from November through March, when the water temperature can support a trout fishery. Cold winter water temperatures keep the other game fish fairly inactive until about mid-March.

Tuzigoot Bridge (leading to Tuzigoot National Monument) has decent rainbow trout fishing early and late in the day. Most fishermen concentrate near the bridge, but the pools and currents downstream within 300 yards of the bridge hold trout and do not see much fishing pressure. Small spoons such as Z-rays, Mepps and Panther Martin spinners, and Power bait all work well.

Fly-fishermen seem to prefer fishing the Verde River between Riverfront Park and Dead Horse Ranch State Park in the town of Cottonwood. The trout aren’t too fussy about the type of fly/lure or presentation. The best success here has been first thing in the morning until about 10 a.m.

At Bignotti Beach (between Cottonwood and Camp Verde, near Thousand Trails RV Park)m try in-line spinners, small spoons, or fly-fishing with dark, gold-bead nymphs during mid-day, while fly-fishermen floating a variety of dry flies are having success early and late in the day.

The White Bridge in Camp Verde (Highway 260 bridge over the Verde River) is an under-utilized trout fishery. A U.S. Forest Service picnic area above the river provides convenient parking and a short walk to the Verde River. Try fishing the riffles and pools upstream of the bridge. Mepps in-line spinners, small KastMaster spoons, and bright-colored Power Bait (fished on a treble hook above a sliding egg-sinker) have been the most productive offerings.

LYNX LAKE — No new reports.  Fishing was good at Lynx over the weekend. Success was on wooly bugger flies and Power Bait. The next trout stocking is scheduled for May 22.  Lynx was last stocked March 13 with 1,350 trout and Feb. 16 with 4,500 bluegills.  A few large bluegills over a pound were included in the stocking. Catfish and largemouth bass were stocked at Lynx on Aug. 25. The Game and Fish Department, in cooperation with the Prescott National Forest, installed artificial habitat into four sites at Lynx Lake. It’s hoped the habitat will encourage bluegill and largemouth bass to frequent those areas and make it easier for anglers to catch them.

FAIN LAKE — Catching was good at Fain as well with limits coming out mostly on Power Bait.  Trout stocking is scheduled for this week. Channel catfish are scheduled to be stocked in May as well.

Note: All forest roads on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest are open. 

CHEVELON CANYON LAKE — Fishing is good. Try lures such as spinners, Z-rays, and Rapalas. Try flies such as wooly worms or wooly buggers, KP buggers, peacock ladies, prince nymphs, and brown or black semi-seal leeches. This is a hike-in fishery. There are two steep trails to the lake so a small boat or float tube is recommended. The lake is open to 10 hp gas motors. 

BEAR CANYON LAKE — The lake has been stocked with catchable rainbow trout. Fishing is fair to good. Try worms, Power Bait, lures (Z-rays and spinners), and flies (wooly worms or wooly buggers, KP buggers, zug bugs, and prince nymphs). The lake is open to electric trolling motors only.  

BLACK CANYON LAKE — The boat ramp is only usable with a small carry on boat. The lake has been stocked with catchable rainbow trout. Fishing is fair to good. Try worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, lures (small spinners and Z-rays), flies such as wooly worms or wooly buggers, KP buggers, zug bugs, and prince nymphs. The lake is open to electric trolling motors only.  

WILLOW SPRINGS LAKE — The boat ramp is accessible. The lake has been stocked with catchable rainbow trout this week.  Fishing is fair to good. Try worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, lures (Z-rays and spinners), flies such as wooly worms or wooly buggers, KP buggers, peacock ladies, brown or black semi-seal leeches, zug bugs, and prince nymphs. The lake is open to 10 hp gas motors.  

WOODS CANYON LAKE — The boat ramp is accessible. The lake has been stocked with catchable rainbow trout this week. Fishing is fair to good. Try worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, lures (Z-rays and spinners), and flies (wooly worms or wooly buggers, peacock ladies, zug bugs, and prince nymphs). The lake is open to electric trolling motors only. The store is open and boat rentals are available.

BECKER LAKE — The boat ramp is accessible. Becker Lake is open to artificial lure and flies only with a two-trout bag and possession limit from Oct. 1 through may 24. Fishing is good in the early morning and late afternoon. Try lures such as Z-rays, Super Dupers, and spinners (Panther Martin, Mepps, and Rooster Tails), and flies such as peacock ladies, black or brown wooly worms or wooly buggers, KP buggers, brown Montana stone nymphs, zug bugs, prince nymphs and damsel fly and dragon fly nymph patterns. Fly fishers have been catching 9-16 inch rainbow trout. Becker Lake is open to artificial lure and fly-only, with a two-trout limit from Oct. 1 to May 24. The lake is open to 10 hp gas motors.

BIG LAKE — The boat ramps are accessible. Fishing is good. Try worms and Power Bait, lures (Z-rays, spinners, and Rapalas), and flies (wooly worms or wooly buggers, peacock ladies, zug bugs, prince nymphs, and brown or black semi-seal leeches). The lake is open to 10 hp gas motors. The store is open and boat rentals are available.

CARNERO LAKE — Anglers are catching some larger trout, but the action is a little slow.  Anglers are catching 14- to 15-inch rainbows with a recent report of a 20-inch rainbow. Try flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms, zug bugs, and prince nymphs. The lake is open to artificial lure and flies only with barbless hooks only and a two-trout bag and possession limit. There are no boat ramps so small boats or float tubes are recommended.  Access into the water is difficult due to the weeds. The lake is open to electric trolling motors only.

CONCHO LAKE — The boat ramp is accessible. Fishing is poor. Try worms, salmon eggs and Power Bait, lures (Z-rays and spinners), and flies (brown or black wooly worms or wooly buggers, KP buggers, prince nymphs, zug bugs, and peacock ladies. The lake is open to 10 hp gas motors.

CRESCENT LAKE — The boat ramps are accessible but the west side and south side ramps are the best. The lake has been stocked with catchable rainbow and brook trout. Fishing is good. Try worms, Power Bait, lures (Z-rays, spinners, and Rapalas), flies (peacock ladies, wooly worms or wooly buggers, zug bugs, prince nymphs, halfback nymphs, and brown Montana stone nymphs). The lake is open to 10 hp gas motors. The store and boat rentals are closed at this time but may change this month.

FOOL HOLLOW LAKE — The boat ramps are accessible. Catchable rainbow trout have been stocked. Fishing is fair for trout and good for smallmouth bass. Try worms, Power Bait, lures, and flies near structure such as rocks, tree stumps, and weed beds. Some anglers are catching nice-sized smallmouth and largemouth bass early in the morning and trout and black crappie in the evening on lures such as small spinners. Fool Hollow has trout, walleye, channel catfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, sunfish, and black crappie. There are some trophy-sized walleyes, northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass in the lake. The Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area is managed by Arizona State Parks and excellent camping facilities are available. Anglers wishing to fish the lake only for the day must use the west side boat ramp and parking area. A fee is charged for use of the other facilities, including the east side boat ramp. To create new fish habitat, juniper trees (12) were placed in clusters in deep water in the southern part of the lake. The trees are marked by fish habitat buoys. The lake is open to 10 hp gas motors.

GREER LAKES — Bunch Reservoir is full. Tunnel Reservoir is low, and River Reservoir is filling. The boat ramp at Bunch is accessible. River reservoir’s boat ramp is useable for small boats or float tubes. There is a curb at the bottom of the boat ramp that is just under water. Please use extreme caution. Tunnel reservoirs lake level is below the bottom of the boat ramp. Launching may be difficult, so please use caution. All of the Greer reservoirs have been stocked with catchable rainbow trout.  Fishing is fair to good. Try worms, Power Bait, lures such as Z-rays and spinners and flies such as wooly worms or wooly buggers, peacock ladies, KP buggers, zug bugs, and prince nymphs. Bunch and Tunnel Reservoirs are open to electric trolling motors only. River Reservoir is open to 10 hp gas motors.

HULSEY LAKE — Fishing is good. The lake has been stocked with catchable rainbow trout. Try worms, Power Bait, lures such as small spinners and Z-rays, and flies such as wooly worms, wooly buggers, peacock ladies, zug bugs, prince nymphs, and hares ear nymphs.   

LEE VALLEY RESERVOIR — The boat ramp is low. The lake has been stocked with catchable Apache trout this week. Fishing is excellent. Try small lures such as spinners. Try flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms, halfback nymph, pheasant tail nymph, zug bugs, prince nymph, and hares ear nymphs. The lake is open to artificial lures and flies only, trout minimum size 12 inches, and a two-trout bag and possession limit. The lake is open to electric trolling motors only. The lake also has been stocked with small Arctic grayling (3-6 inches), so the future is bright for this picturesque reservoir in the shadow of Mount Baldy.

LUNA LAKE — The boat ramp is accessible. The lake has been stocked with catchable rainbow trout. Fishing is good. Try worms, Power Bait, lures such as Z-rays and spinners, and flies such as wooly worms or wooly buggers, peacock ladies, zug bugs, and prince nymphs. Trolling lures and flies has been productive. There is a store with boat rentals available at the lake. The lake is open to 10 hp gas motors. 

LYMAN LAKE — Boat ramps are accessible. Fishing is fair. Try fishing for bass, walleyes, and sunfish along rocky areas or weedy areas of the lake. Try worms, Power Bait, catfish prepared baits, and lures (Z-rays, spinners, jigs, and Rapalas). Anglers are catching channel catfish on worms and prepared baits. The Lyman Lake recreation area is managed by Lyman Lake State Park and camping is available. There are also some new cabins for rent. There is a fish-consumption advisory here. Consult the fishing regulations or contact the Arizona Game and Fish Regional office in Pinetop for more information. There are no boat motor restrictions on Lyman Lake. 

NELSON RESERVOIR — Luke Horzec caught five rainbow trout by fishing along the shoreline with a silver KastMaster. Steve Rembusch said the fishing was great and caught about 50 fish in all on Saturday and Sunday, with most of them being stockers but a couple were 1 to 2 pounds. The main boat ramp at the dam is the best ramp to use. Fishing is good. There are some carryover rainbow trout that remain in the lake that are in the 1-2 pound range and the lake has been stocked with catchable rainbow trout. Try worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, lures (Z-rays and spinners), and flies (wooly worms or wooly buggers, KP buggers, prince nymphs, zug bugs, and peacock ladies).  The lake is open to 10 hp motors.

RAINBOW LAKE — The lake is full and the boat ramp is accessible. The lake has been stocked with catchable rainbow trout. Fishing is fair.  Anglers trolling spinners are catching nice rainbow trout. Try worms, Power Bait, lures (Z-rays, spinners, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and Rapalas) and flies, such as wooly worms or wooly buggers, KP buggers, and peacock ladies. Anglers have been catching northern pike and largemouth bass on lures such as Rapalas, spoons, and spinner baits. The lake is open to 10 hp gas motors. Recent netting revealed lots of nice sized black bullheads, some nice sized rainbow trout, largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, and northern pike.

SCOTT'S RESERVOIR — The lake is full. The boat ramp is accessible. The lake has been stocked with catchable rainbow trout. Fishing is good for rainbow trout and channel catfish. Try worms, Power Bait, lures (Z-rays, spinners, crankbaits, and Rapalas, and flies (wooly worms or wooly buggers, peacock ladies, prince nymphs, zug bugs, KP buggers, and brown Montana stone nymphs). The lake is open to electric trolling motors only. Recent netting revealed some nice sized rainbow trout, largemouth bass, and channel catfish. 

SHOW LOW LAKE — The lake is down only about 3.5 feet and the boat ramp is accessible. The lake has been stocked with catchable rainbow trout. Fishing is fair to good. Try worms, salmon eggs, and Power Bait for trout. Boat anglers should try trolling lures such as Z-rays, spinners (Rooster Tails, Mepps, or Panther Martins), jigs (chartreuse and brown), and Rapalas near rocky shorelines for walleye and bass. Fly fishers should try wooly worms or wooly buggers, KP buggers, brown, black, or purple semi-seal leeches. The lake is open to 10 hp motors. Recent netting revealed some nice sized rainbow trout, channel catfish, and walleyes. There is a store with boat rentals.  

WOODLAND LAKE — 

Donna Johnson caught four 7-inch trout in three hours using salmon eggs. The lake is full. The boat ramp is accessible. Fishing is good for trout. The lake has been stocked with catchable rainbow trout.  Try worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait. Try lures such as spinners and flies such as wooly worms or wooly buggers, peacock ladies, zug bugs, and prince nymphs. The lake is open to electric trolling motors only. Woodland Lake has restrooms, picnic tables, verandas, children’s playgrounds, tennis courts, softball fields, and hiking trails.

CLEAR CREEK RESERVOIR — The lake has been stocked with catchable rainbow trout. Fishing is fair to good. Anglers are catching bluegills on worms. Try worms, salmon eggs, Power Bait, lures, and flies. Both boat ramps are accessible but there is a sand bar near the first boat ramp so use caution. There are no motor restrictions on the lake.   

SILVER CREEK — Fishing is fair to good.  From April 1 through Sept. 30, Silver Creek on the Arizona Game and Fish Department property is open to bait fishing. The upper section (big marked fence) is closed. Apache trout will be stocked weekly starting in May. Use worms, salmon eggs, Power bait, or small lures such as Mepps, Rooster Tail, and Panther Martin spinners. Fish upstream or down stream. Fly-fishing anglers may want to try peacock ladies, beadhead black wooly buggers, prince nymphs, bead head nymphs, mayfly and caddis fly nymph imitations, and shrimp patterns. Fish your flies upstream and dead drift them downstream or cast your fly downstream and retrieve the fly slowly upstream, twitching it occasionally. Try small dry flies such as Adams, parachute Adams, midge imitations, and caddis fly patterns in sizes #16 or #18 or # 20. Apache trout are being stocked this week.

STREAMS

Note: All Forest roads are open to streams and rivers.

EAST FORK OF BLACK RIVER – Stream flows are low. Catchable size Apache trout are being stocked this week. Try worms, Power Bait, lures such as small spinners, and flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms, zug bugs, prince nymphs, hares ear nymphs, and black or brown nymphs.

WEST FORK OF BLACK RIVER – Stream flows are low. The campground area has been stocked and will be stocked weekly with catchable size Apache trout as long as water allow. Try worms, Power Bait, lures such as small spinners, and flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms, zug bugs, prince nymphs, hares ear nymphs, and black or brown nymphs. Bait can be used in the campground area to the confluence of the East Fork of the Black River only. The catch and release with artificial lure and fly only area is from Hayground Creek to the Fort Apache Indian Reservation boundary, approximately 10 miles. All tributaries (Hayground, Stinky, Thompson, and Burro creeks are catch-and-release with artificial lure and fly only).    

LITTLE COLORADO RIVER – GREER – Streams are low. Catchable size Apache trout are being stocked weekly, as long as water and forest conditions allow. Try worms, Power Bait, lures such as small spinners, and flies such as peacock ladies, wooly worms, zug bugs, prince nymphs, hares ear nymphs, and black or brown nymphs. 

TUCSON URBAN — Kennedy, Silverbell, Sahuarita and Lakeside will be stocked with channel catfish the week of May 1-6. Catfish stockings will continue every two weeks.  Top catfish baits are worms, stink baits and hotdogs. Catfish have been biting well throughout the day, but early mornings and evenings remain the best times. Most anglers prefer fishing their baits on the lake bottom, but anglers using baits 4-8 feet under a bobber experienced great fishing too. These lakes probably still have some rainbow trout remaining. Try Power Bait or small spinners. The lakes have also been stocked with small sub-catchable sized largemouth bass. Largemouth bass are spawning in shallows at most lakes.  Please exercise catches and release (recycling) for spawning bass and remember the minimum keep able size for bass is 13 inches.  And, they also have been stocked with aggressive, fast-growing, tasty hybrid sunfish.  Fishing for sunfish has been good.  Use mealworms and earthworms on a small hook, size 10 or smaller, under a bobber set at 3 to 5 feet.  Buy a tow-pole stamp and try different baits to double your odds.

RIGGS FLAT —Opened on April 15 and will be open until Nov. 15, 2006. Stocked last week.  For lake information call (928) 428-4150.

CLUFF RANCH —Not being stocked at this time.  For lake information call (928) 485-9430.

ROPER LAKE — Not being stocked at this time.  For lake information call (928) 428-6760.

DANKWORTH POND —Not being stocked at this time.  For lake information call (928) 428-6760.

KEARNY LAKES — Not stocked due to water quality issues.

ARIVACA —The bass fishing has been good to excellent.  The lack of rain has impacted the level of the lake; the water level is low. Use caution when launching boats. A four wheel-drive truck would be beneficial in launching a boat, for the water level has dropped below the cement portion of the boat ramp.  Our fall surveys showed that the changed in regulations to catch and release for all bass has had a positive impact. Several bass in the 7-plus-pound range were surveyed. Remember, powerboats on Arivaca Lake are restricted to the use of a single electric motor only, and all bass must be immediately released back to the water.  The mercury advisory for all fish is still in effect. 

PENA BLANCA – The trout stocking for Pena Blanca Lake ended with the last stocking occurring during the week of March 13.  With the warming temperatures, trout will be hanging out in deeper water. Try fishing off of the bottom using a 2-3 foot leader. Adjust your leader until you find the temperature zone that the trout are in. The bass fishing is fairly good. Due to the lack of rain, water levels remain low.  Please use caution when launching boats. The department’s weed cutting efforts have opened up much of the lake. Remember, powerboats on Pena Blanca Lake are restricted to the use of a single electric motor only. The mercury advisory for all warm water fish is in effect. Bass less than 13 inches long must be immediately released.  The daily bag limit for bass is 4.  The daily bag limit for trout is 6.  Also, if you are fishing for trout and have a general fishing license, you must purchase a trout stamp to validate that license for the take of trout.  Also, be advised that Pena Blanca is not an urban lake; therefore an Urban fishing license is invalid to fish at this lake. 

PATAGONIA — The last trout stocking of the spring occurred the week of March 13. Trout fishing has been fair to good with recent winter stockings. Most are being caught in the marina area using worms and power bait. Some bass are still some being caught by anglers.  Crappie fishing has also been fair using jigs off the reeds. Remember the use of personal watercraft (jet skis/water bikes) is prohibited. Water skiing and towing is allowed Monday through Friday (except legal holidays) from May 1 through Sept. 30.  From Oct. 1 through April 30, water skiing and towing is allowed 7 days a week. For more lake information, call Patagonia Lake State Park at (520) 287-6965.

PARKER CANYON — Has been stocked with trout. Fishing at Parker Canyon Lake is fair to good with some limits being caught. Power Bait, worms fished deep along with spinners and flies on surface are working well. Bluegill and bass are still being caught along weed beds and at depths of 10-20 feet. The water level still good, but weeds along shallower shorelines and in coves making fishing from shoreline difficult. Chip seal work was completed from milepost 3-7 on Highway 83 by ADOT, so road conditions are good.

PICACHO RESERVOIR — No Report.