Author: admin

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ARIZONA LAKE FISHING RATINGS

The weather has been above normal this past week in Arizona.  Below is the fishing report for following lakes.

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LAKE PLEASANT

Water temperature in the mid 50’s.  The Agua Fria river was closed December 15^th and will remain closed until June 15^th for the eagles.  Fishing has been fair for stripers, white bass in the North end of the lake.  Fish have been caught on shad colored swim baits and Umbrellas rigs, spoons and anchovies in 40 feet of water.  Bass are being caught on drop shot rigs and jigs along steep walls and secondary points.

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BARTLETT LAKE

Water temperature in mid 50’s.  They are releasing water out of the lake.  Some crappie being taken on minnows around the yellow cliffs, and in the center of coves in 30 to 40 feet.  Bass hitting cranks and small spinnerbaits along rocky shoreline in 20 feet of water.  Football head jigs, Texas rigs and drop shots are working as well.

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ROOSEVELT LAKE

Water temperature in upper 50’s.  The past two Saturday’s had tournaments won with weights in the 20 pound range.  Fish being caught on big swim baits, deep diving crankbaits, drop shot rigs and flipping in the Salt end of the lake.

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HORSE LAKE

 

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SAGUARO LAKE

 

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ALAMO LAKE

Water temperature in the low 50’s.  Water is dropping with bass hitting on drop shot rigs and Texas rig baby brushhogs in 25 to 40 feet on outside points.  Few crappie are being caught on mini-jigs or minnows drifting slow in 40 feet.  They should start working their way shallow in the next four to six weeks to get ready to spawn.

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MARY LAKE – NEAR FLAGSTAFF

 

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ARIZONA LAKE FISHING RATINGS

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LAKE PLEASANT

The water temperature has been in low 60’s. Stripers, White Bass have been hitting Umbrella rigs and small swim baits in the Agua Fria river Largemouth bass are hitting drop shot and ned rigs along the steeper banks in 20 to 40 feet of water.  Find the bait and the fish are with them.

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BARTLETT LAKE

Water temperature in the upper 50’s and lower 60’s.  Bass are hitting crankbaits, spinnerbaits, drop shots and Texas rig baby brush hogs along rocky banks in 20 to 35 feet.  Some crappie are hitting small jigs with a live minnow attached in 30 to 40 feet on 4  pound test line around the yellow cliffs and in the middle of coves over brush.

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ROOSEVELT LAKE

Water temperature in low 60’s.  Crankbaits and spinnerbaits are working on rocky banks in the Tonto end, along with drop shots.  Flipping in the salt end of the lake has been catching quality bass.  If you can locate schools of shad, crappie are hitting in 30 to 40 feet on small spoons in the middle of coves.

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HORSE LAKE

Water temperature in the upper 50’s.  If you can handle the road to the lake, you can catch bass on small cranks, swim baits and spinner baits.  A lot of 10 inch bass, but fun to catch.

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SAGUARO LAKE

 

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ALAMO LAKE

 

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MARY LAKE – NEAR FLAGSTAFF

 

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ARIZONA LAKE FISHING RATINGS

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LAKE PLEASANT

White Bass and Striper fishing Good in 35 to 45 feet of water on spoons, in the middle of coves at north end of the lake.  Water temperature has dropped to mid 60’s.  Largemouth fishing good in the river on the walls on crankbaits and jigs, with drop shots also working.

 

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BARTLETT LAKE

Bass fishing is good, with lots of small bass being caught, with some 2 pounders hitting cranks and drop shots on rocky shoreline,  Water temperature in mid 60’s,  Some crappie being caught near yellow cliffs area on minnows or small jigs.

 

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ROOSEVELT LAKE

Nice bass being taken on frogs in back of coves, deep diving crankbaits and chatterbaits in the Salt end. Drop shotting small worms, or Texas rigging Brush hogs and craws working well.  Crappie fishing is good on minnows and small jigs around the windy hill area.  Water temperature in mid 60’s.

 

 

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SAGUARO LAKE

 

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ALAMO LAKE

 

 

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MARY LAKE – NEAR FLAGSTAFF

 

Desert Lakes surface water temperature mid to high 80’s

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ARIZONA LAKE FISHING RATINGS

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LAKE PLEASANT

Lake Pleasant is rated GOOD.

• Be on the water at first light.
• Striper’s are hitting shad / perch Jerk baits, A Rigs
• For Bass target structures Yamamoto large Senko worms 4.5 to 7 inch Wacky, Carolina and Texas rig, Robo Worms for drop shot.
• Deeper water presentations try Strike King and Rapala crank and jerk baits.

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BARTLETT LAKE

Bartlett Lake is rated GOOD.

• Be on the water at first light.
• Best bait presentation Drop Shot Morning Dawn Curly Tail Robo Worm worked the best.
• Fish were in 10 to 20 feet

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ROOSEVELT LAKE

Roosevelt Lake is rated GOOD.

• Be on the water at first light.
• For Bass target structures use Yamamoto large Senko worms 4.5 to 7 inch Wacky, Carolina and Texas rig, Robo Worms for drop shot, For open waters try swim / glide baits by 6th Sense. Deep water try Strike King and Rapala crank and jerk baits.

 

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SAGUARO LAKE

Saguaro Lake rated GOOD

• Be on the water at first light.
• For Bass target structures try Crush City soft baits, Yamaoto large Senko worms 4.5 to 7 inch Wacky, Carolina and Texas rig, Robo Worms for drop shot. For open waters try swim / glide baits 6th Sense.
• Deep water try Strike King and Rapala crank and jerk baits.

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ALAMO LAKE

Alamo Lake is rated GOOD.

• Be on the water at first light.
• For Bass target structure Yamamoto large Senko worms 4.5 to 7 inch Wacky, Carolina and Texas rig, Robo Worms for drop shot.
• For open waters try swim / glide baits.
• Deeper water presentations try Strike King and Rapala crank and jerk baits.

 

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MARY LAKE – NEAR FLAGSTAFF

Mary Lake is rated GOOD.

• Water is super low and stained lots of cruising fish. Use baits with lots of vibration.
• Trout – try small Cast masters, Panther Martin, Rooster Tails, also power bait w/ split shot. Also, try small Cast masters, Panther Martin, Rooster Tails, also power bait w/ split shot. Try Rapala – Stike King lipless crankbaits, night crawlers and power bait on sliding rigs allows you to fish a variety of depths weedlessly.
• Northern pike try Spinner baits Colorado Blades, and Keitech swim baits. Look for narrow cuts in the shore line where pike can corner minnows.
• For walleye try lures and nightcrawler harnesses.

March and April are traditionally known for producing some of the best fishing due to pre spawn and spawning fish patterns. 

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ARIZONA LAKE FISHING RATINGS

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LAKE PLEASANT

Lake Pleasant is rated GOOD.

Stripper’s are hitting shad / jerk baits / A Rigs, Bass are shallow currently chasing baitfish and poppers. You can also try baitfish imitations. Don’t forget senkos, drop shots and skirted jigs for the bass. The crappie the bite has started to improve with anglers having the best success on 2 inch grubs bounced off the bottom.

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BARTLETT LAKE

Bartlett Lake is rated GOOD.

Dropshot and Texas rigs are and have been catching fish. The best bite seems to be later in the day when the water has warmed a bit, the bait fish  are drawn into the shallow water in the late afternoons and the bass and other gamefish follow them. Remember bass can be caught around boulders and in brush lines on senko and spinnerbaits. Crappie can be found in and around the Yellow Cliffs and can best caught with 1/16oz jigs and 2″ Kalins slow trolling can work well . Catfish are becoming active. In the days and weeks to come they will be lurking the shallows in search food.

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ROOSEVELT LAKE

Roosevelt Lake is rated EXCELLENT.

Target bass in shallow water around submerged brush and transitions using topwater baits, spinnerbaits and Texas rigged soft plastic such as craws and senkos. For crappie try using minnows and small jigs in 10-15 ft of water.

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APACHE LAKE

Apache Lake is rated FAIR

Crank-baits, Jerkbaits, Buzz Baits, Drop Shots, 4 Inch Texas Rigged Worms, and Texas Rigged craws for bass. Crappie fishing can be good around brush in water into up to15 feet. When you’re fishing for crappie use minnows or small 1/16 oz. jigs with 2″ curly tail grubs around trees to achieve the best results

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SAGUARO LAKE

Saguaro Lake rated FAIR / Algae issue noted.

Try using square bill crank-baits, spinnerbaits and Texas rigged soft plastics in and around shallow structure in the early morning and as the sun rises higher in the sky start fishing deeper water moving out into15-20 ft or more as the daytime temperatures continue to warm up.

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CANYON LAKE

Canyon Lake rated FAIR / Algae issue noted.

Canyon Lake in Arizona offers a variety of game fish including: largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow bass, rainbow trout. This time of the year we recommend  starting out mid-lake brush or hydrilla and start out with your favorite plastics, and throw top waters by the grass in watermelon and sungill colors. Don’t forget that drop shots can be effective as well with a 4-6 inch robo worms. Top water baits such as buzz baits, spooks and Pop-Rs can and will also produce fish. If you decide to fish for trout try Power Bait, spinners, spoons, and worms on sliding rigs.

 

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ALAMO LAKE

Alamo Lake is rated FAIR/GOOD. (Will continue to improve as the weather continues to warm up)

On this lake it is best to fish structures with Senko worms 4.5 to 7 inch (Wacky Rig) Drop shot , chatter baits and spinner baits, Keitech swim baits. For Crappie try Kalin’s grubs, and Crappie Magnets or white / chartreuse minnow and grubs, minnows and light jigs especially early in the day to achieve the best results.

January is normally the coldest and toughest month to fish in Arizona. But this year we have experienced a very mild Winter, with daytime high temperatures that have reached the 80 degree mark in January. The above average January temperatures, means that we can look forward to increased fish activity and early pre-spawn conditions unless there is a departure from the normal weather patterns in the upcoming weeks and months. We also, have experienced Winter rains intermittently, that have caused runoff into the lakes. This stained water in the coves will be up to 2 to 4 degrees warmer than the clearer water on the main lake (depending on the time of the day and the day time temperatures). In addition, the runoff brings fresh nutrients into the lake. This combination of warmer water and fresh nutrients will attract the bait fish, which in turn it will attract the fish that feed on them. This is especially true, on lakes like Pleasant, Roosevelt, and Bartlett. This means we can look forward to fish increased activity to increase and an early spawn (unless there is significant deviation from the normal seasonal weather patterns in the upcoming weeks and months). The combination of these factors is good news for Arizona fishermen, because it means the fish will be becoming more active earlier in the season, making them easier to locate and catch early in the 2024 season.

Bite Windows are something all anglers should be aware of especially during the colder months when the fish’s metabolism slows down.

After the Bass spawn, the shad spawn occurs, a negative Bite Window occurs after the early morning bite and it last until the fish again become active later in the day.

The Salt River lakes experience a Negative Bite Window when the current suspends, or its reduced, or is interrupted. When there isn’t any current the fish become inactive and become harder to catch. The same thing is true of Lake Pleasant when the pumping station is not pumping water into the lake.

Winter  fishing at first light and again later in the day is your Best Bite Window opportunities almost year round in Arizona, but especially in the Winter.

Spring fishing the good Bite Window is expanded due to water temperatures and daytime temperatures are warming up.

Summer Bass fishing on Arizona lakes the pumping stations tend to pump more water to generate electricity during peak demand times, thusly creating the Best Bite Window for the anglers. Unfortunately, this is usually during the hottest time of the day.
 

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ARIZONA LAKE FISHING RATINGS

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LAKE PLEASANT

 Lake Pleasant is rated GOOD. The Striper and White Bass bite on Pleasant has improved. Fish are being caught on anchovies presented on Drop Shot Rigs, Spoons, shad and perch jerk baits. The Largemouth are deep, but have been following the bait fish into the shallows and will continue this pattern as the surface water temperatures continue to rise. Baits that have proven effective rage from Drop Shot, Carolina Rigs, and Deep Diving Cranks, to Spinner baits Senkos, and the more traditional medium and shallow water baits including: Top Water patterns as the surface water temperatures approach the 70 degree mark. The Pre spawn activity begins as the surface water temperatures approach the 60’s. It looks like a recipe for some good spring fishing.

BARTLETT LAKE

Bartlett Lake is rated GOOD. With best chance at catching numbers of Bass later in the day as the daytime temperatures rise. Be aware of the location of boulders and areas that provide brush lines this time of the year. Texas rigged worms and seiko type baits can be very effective as well as Drop Shots and Spinnerbaits during this time of the year. The Crappie action on the lake is beginning to show signs of increased activity. Small jigs live minnows, and grubs can be very effective during this time.

ROOSEVELT LAKE

Roosevelt Lake is rated GOOD. The best Bass baits include: 4 to 6 inch Texas Rigged worms including: Senkos. Texas Rigged Brush Hogs, medium crank baits and Drop Shot Riggs. The Crappie are becoming more active and are suspended at around the twenty feet next to cover. Crappie fishing will improve as the weather and surface water temperatures begin to warm up. Best baits include: minnows, small grubs, and Crappie Magnets in Spring patterns.

APACHE LAKE

Apache Lake is rated FAIR. Best Bass baits would include: Drop Shot Rigs using your favorite 4inch worms, 4 inch Texas Rigged worms (including Senkos) and or craws. Jerk baits and cranks are also a possibility depending upon the depth and location of the fish. Crappie fishing is slow, but will improve as the surface water and the daytime temperatures begin to warm up. Minnows on light jig heads or small curly tail grubs in black and chartreuse or motor oil would be worth a try depending on water clarity.

SAGUARO LAKE

Saguaro Lake rated FAIR to GOOD for Bass in the 31/2 to 6 lb range. The Fall patterns are in effect and the surface water temperatures are hovering around the mid 60’s. Here to the trick is locating and staying on the bait schools as we approach December and January they normally stock trout in Saguaro. This adds another dimension, Trout imitation swimsuits to your arsenal. Remember the depth of the schools and water clarity are key to selecting the right bait, color, size, and presentation.

CANYON LAKE

Canyon Lake is rated FAIR. With a chance at a Big Fish. Best chance with Drop Shot Riggs using large 7 inch Robo Worms in red color or variations of red. If the fish don’t respond downsize to 4 inch. If you decide to fish the hydrilla try Top water like Spooks or Pop Rs in your favorite Spring patterns. Remember to experiment with retrieves until you find out what the fish want.

 

ALAMO LAKE

Alamo Lake is rated GOOD. Alamo water levels have risen. Try Wacky Rigging Senkos. Begin by searching out deep structure and then work into the shallower structure, Begin with the larger sizes in Green Pumpkin or your favorite Spring colors. If you don’t have success downsize. You can also try a Drop Shot Rig with your favorite Spring color of Robo worm or any of your favorite worms. Again start with the larger sizes and if the fish don’t respond try dropping down to a smaller size and experiment with different colors based upon water clarity. The Crappie bite is still slow, but it will improve as the weather and the surface water temperatures continue to warm up.