Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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This will be the last regular fish report from Lake Powell this year. We have been fall sampling, and when we finish sampling, there will be reports to update everyone about what the fish are up to in this most unusual year. Weather was cold in the springtime and continued into the summer, moisture was above normal, and runoff was strong bringing the lake up 53 feet. Something happened during this strange weather period that the fish really liked. Shad reproduction was unprecedented. Bass and... Full story
AZ Lakes, AZ Pros: Daniel Pecotte At RooseveltDaniel Pecotte of Holbrook has been fishing for bass Roosevelt for many years, and he says that winter is the trickiest time – it's harder to get them to eat. The fish move out deeper and school up, so when you find them you usually find a bunch, but since their metabolism is so slow in the winter, they don't attack a lure the way they might in the summer. Pay Attention To find them pay attention to areas where they don't have to go far to feed, s... 
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These Are Recommended As Summer Temps Continue Into Fall - By Nick Walter For AZGFD Sun sweats, triple-digit fidgets, dog days - they seem to make most outdoors lovers crave cool times in the high country. Some of the best family camping and fishing options include waters with stocked or self-sustaining fish, quality camping amenities, and striking scenery. Those factors were used by AZGFD fishing report editors and regional staff to determine this list. Be sure to check the latest fire... Full story
Apache Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in Arizona, and because the road is not paved, Apache rarely gets crowded, even in summer. Fishing can be awesome here, with largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, trout, yellow bass, catfish, carp, sunfish and crappies all represented. From the main marina west to Horse Mesa Dam the shoreline is mostly steep and rocky. Several good-sized coves cut into the shoreline, though, and provide plenty of good shallow-water fishing at this end, too. Right... Full story
Sun sweats, triple-digit fidgets, dog days -- they seem to make most outdoors lovers crave cool times in the high country. Some of the best family camping and fishing options include waters with stocked or self-sustaining fish, quality camping amenities, and striking scenery. Those factors were used by AZGFD fishing report editors and regional staff to determine this list. Be sure to check the latest fire restrictions. It's a good idea to reserve a campground in advance if possible, but if... Full story
We went to Bullfrog recently to complete a work assignment, which was to collect 200 surface-feeding striped bass. These captured fish are destined to be brood fish used to create hybrid stripers. We chose the date months ago, based on previous fish reports, which indicated slurping stripers would begin feeding on the surface during the first week of June. The report strategy worked great as we caught 100 surface-feeding (slurping) stripers from dawn until 10 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday.... Full story
WDFW's lowland lake trout derby continues in May and runs through Oct. 31. Anglers with a 2019-20 freshwater, combination fishing license, or Fish Washington license, who catch one of hundreds of tagged fish can claim prizes provided by license dealers located across the state. A list of lakes with prize fish and details on how to claim prizes is available at the derby website. With the warmer temperatures heading our way, May is a great time to head outside for outdoor adventures. Popular... Full story
Alamo has great bass, catfish, and crappie fishing. We were up there with Greg Pishkur one May and we caught a bunch of nice largemouth on Chatterbaits in the main lake. Greg also took us up into the submerged trees in the river end and we tied into some big bass flipping white jigs.... Website
At press time, Lake Powell was continuing to drop about one foot per week. The Castle Rock Cut should be passable for another two months. It was recently announced that a High Flow Experiment (HFE) will occur during the first week of November. At that time, the outflow from the dam will increase dramatically to move sediment from the river bottom to the river banks further downstream. This event improves habitat for native fish in the river and in backwaters. It is likely that the Castle Rock Cu... Full story
Wayne Gustaveson has shared this photo of Sharon Hunt who completed her week-long fishing trip to Lake Powell after catching a mixed bag of striped bass, walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass. Her expression makes a good point: Now's a great time to go fishing - and to cool off in the process at one of the Southwest's northern lakes. Even right at home, the Community Fishing Program offers some great fun for the kids and their families. In our "Tackle & Target" section of this issue, reel-in... Full story
Quality of life is measured by amount of time spent fishing. Welcome back to the weekly fish reports from Lake Powell - 2017 was a banner year with high water levels that covered shoreline vegetation and provided extensive habitat for both predators and prey fish. Young fish survived in big numbers and these fat healthy fish will awake and become active as soon as Lake Powell water temperature rises above the 54-57 range. "Warm water" fish residing in Lake Powell really do like warmer water... Full story
Water temperatures are now up into the spawning zone. Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and crappie are on beds now. This is the first spawn and we can expect the nest guardians to spawn perhaps two to three more times before mid-May. Inflow continues to increase the lake level, which is now officially above 3600 MSL. Expect 40 more feet of elevation increase. Make sure to check the boat tie lines each morning if camping on the lake. Weather has been clear but there has been some wind in the even... Full story
Expect to find bass in the spawn and post-spawn modes. Just pick your favorite lake and go. Top picks are Roosevelt, Bartlett and Alamo lakes for largemouth bass.For places like Roosevelt and Alamo, flipping and pitching is a great technique, especially around submerged trees. The Reel Deal The transition to spring fishing conditions is finally setting in -- time to get out and fish! Let's get to some highlights: • Striped bass catch rates are picking up at Lake Pleasant. Check out a... Full story
They are man-made homes for fish, some made of concrete, others of PVC, and like building a neighborhood, provide the architecture for sustainable life. The first step in placing fish habitat into the Central Arizona reservoirs took place on Thursday, April 20 at Roosevelt Lake with Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists dropping Fishiding HighRise structures made of environmentally safe PVC to the bottom of Roosevelt Lake. These recycled items, 8 feet tall and excellent habitat for... Full story
The quality of life is measured by amount of time spent fishing. Lake Powell is rising. Spring runoff has begun a bit early due to warm days in March. That may change as another storm front is now on the way. Early runoff is a double-edged sword for fishing success from Trachyte to Good Hope Bay. This week, reports indicated good steady fishing success for smallmouth bass, walleye, stripers and largemouth. Catching was steady for those using bass jigs along the shoreline and trolling with wally... Full story
Motorized access to the upper arm of the Agua Fria River at Lake Pleasant will again be available thanks to a special development project of the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Boating Access Program. Through the cooperative efforts of the Department, the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department (MCPRD) http://www.maricopacountyparks.net/ and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, this unique boating and fishing opportunity will be available each Friday through Sunday throughout the spring.... Full story
In first phase of long-term project on Tonto National Forest lakes, AZGFD biologists sink fish habitat structures. PHOENIX – They are manmade homes for fish, some made of concrete, others of PVC, and like building a neighborhood, provide the architecture for sustainable life. The first step in placing fish habitat into the central Arizona reservoirs took place on Thursday, April 20 at Roosevelt Lake with Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists dropping Fishiding HighRise structures made o... Full story
I've known Matt Shura since he was just a kid, and he's been a heck of a stick all that time. He started out catching bluegills at a pond at Power and Guadalupe with his dad when he was about five or six years old. That first bluegill had him hooked for life. Going to the lake? Check out the lake level at http://data.hydrometdataservice.info/dwr/ Then he started watching bass fishing on television, and he was fascinated. By age ten he had his first boat - a ten-foot jon boat with a trolling... Full story
Some new fishing regulations took effect on Jan.1, Be sure to look for the full 2017-18 Arizona Game and Fish Department fishing regulations online around the first of the year. Also, the new fishing regulations booklet will be available at all AZGFD offices and license dealers in early January. Here are the changes: • Reduce the daily trout bag limit to five at the Colorado River from Lake Mead to California-Nevada boundary (including Lake Mohave and Willow Beach). • Reduce the daily... Full story
Tip Of The Week Bartlett Lake in the Tonto National Forest can be a great place for winter crappie and bass. Some of the best crappie fishing can be done in the cold of the morning - then anglers can switch to bass. Consider throwing crankbaits and spinnerbaits with a slow presentation. Trailers on spinnerbaits, and slow-rolling across the rock stringers, can work well at times. Once you get a feeling for where the bass are holding, switch to the finesse style of drop-shotting. Did you know the... Full story
Wayne Gustaveson Takes A Break, Thanks Readers 'Quality of life is measured by amount of time spent fishing.' Lake Powell fish at the end of fall were in prime time. Water temperature is in the mid 60s which means that all fish can basically go anywhere they want to. During summer there is a separation of large and small stripers because big fish need cooler temperatures. Those barriers are now removed. http://www.wayneswords.com Consider fishing patterns now to be just like fishing in late... Full story
I'm standing in a small side room at Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery, just off a larger chamber where a dozen concrete raceways lie. Double-doored olive metal cabinets stand against white walls under effusive florescent light. Well-used grease boards smudged with eraser marks under blue-ink to-do lists fit the narrow space on one end opposite an industrial-sized sink. On a long wall, a hygienic 12-foot-long stainless-steel counter is where the work gets done today. Two biologists stand over... Full story
'Quality of life is measured by amount of time spent fishing.' Stripers have moved out of the main channel and toward the backs of canyons. The move indicates that the shad food source has been well used in open water of the channel and bays. Slurping stripers have been relentless in pursuit of small newly-hatched shad. Those shad that have survived are seeking a sanctuary in the brush that now lines the shoreline. Shad have a better chance of avoiding predation if there is some kind of brushy... Full story
Fishing success has been great despite early mid-May's lingering cold and winds. The good news now is that morning water temperatures now exceed 60 degrees, which opens up opportunities for the second round of bass spawning, continuing gizzard shad spawning which will soon be followed by threadfin shad spawning. More forage is on the way for the many predators in Lake Powell. All Fish Are Hungry For this week, all fish are hungry and warming temperatures only increase the desire for food and... Full story
If you haven't already, plan to go fishing and boating this year and enjoy the water, starting with Arizona's free fishing day on June 4. Boating and fishing are fun, stress-relieving activities that you can enjoy with your family and friends anytime. Here are just a few reasons why you should get out on the water and start enjoying these activities: Connect with your family: Family fishing is a great way for family members of all ages to connect and have fun. Connect with nature: 90 percent of... Full story
