Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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Trout Unlimited are hosting Salt River Saturday River Cleanups every other Saturday. This is a great event if you are looking to help promote conservation and keep our waterways clean. After a few hours of picking up trash, you can relax and wind down with some fishing on the Salt. This is a great opportunity if you are new to fly fishing, as there will be tons of experienced fly anglers who are willing to help. For more information, check out the FishAZ Network at the link below. The FishAZ... Full story
Good news for southern Arizona anglers! Pena Blanca Lake received monthly rainbow trout stockings starting in the last week of January through March. Pena Blanca Lake is located in the Coronado National Forest 68 miles south of Tucson and 17 miles northwest of Nogales in Peña Blanca Canyon. There is a day-use fee of $8 per vehicle, or you can purchase an accepted pass. Learn more about accepted passes here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/coronado/passes-permits/recreation This is our One... Full story
Payson Wildlife Fair this Saturday, May 3 Free outdoor fun (including fishing - no license needed!) for all from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Green Valley Park PAYSON, Ariz. - Whether it's catching a rainbow trout, taking aim with a bow and arrow, or getting up close and personal with live critters, the family-friendly Payson Wildlife Fair will offer a variety of outdoor fun Saturday, May 3, at Green Valley Park.... 
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Our community lakes are such great places to fish – the Game and Fish stocks them with a variety of fish at different times of year, including trout, catfish, and bluegill. Some of the lakes have bass in them, too! You've probably got an urban lake close by – there are over 50! - and sitting on the bank with a line in the water is one of the best ways to spend a day that I know of. We've been taking our granddaughters to urban lakes since they were very small, and they not only love to fish, but... Full story
Summary Of Fishing Regulations Changes For 2025-26 Below is a list of changes published in the 2025 and 2026 Fishing Regulations: • The special regulations and seasons section is now organized by Arizona Game and Fish Department regions to make it easier for anglers to know which office to contact for additional information. • New regulation to create unlimited daily and possession limits for illegally introduced warmwater fish species at Becker Lake. Catch-and-release only for trout. Trout mus... Full story
Adapted From An Article By Rudri Bhatt Patel For Visit Arizona In Arizona, there are so many opportunities to get out on the water-from the lakes of the Mogollon Rim to the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Here are ten of the top spots to canoe and kayak. 1. Lake Pleasant, Morristown Lake Pleasant, located 45 minutes northwest of Phoenix, is a favorite venue for those on paddle craft. Canyons and cliffs rise over the six-mile lake, islands dot the middle of it and slot canyons hide on the... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has issued a Notice of Intent to Pursue Rulemaking to begin the process to amend its Article 4 rules (live wildlife) to implement the recommendations made in the recent five-year review report. The amendments proposed in the five-year review report are intended to increase the effectiveness of the rules to meet the department’s mission, ensure consistency with state and federal statutes, and to increase the clarity of the existing rules. Except for the a... Full story
Most of the trout in Arizona are stocked fish, which means that trout fishing is mostly a "put and take" game. The Arizona Game and Fish Department puts the trout in, and we take them out. Most of the fish that are stocked are small, what the Game and Fish calls "catchable" trout, but some of our lakes and streams have genuine trophy fish, and the Game and Fish Department usually throws in a couple of bigger fish in each stocking just to give you an incentive to fish. Don't miss the Arizona... Full story
Stockings will mark earliest Canyon, Haigler and Tonto creeks have received fish. PAYSON, Ariz. - As warmer springtime weather approaches, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) will begin its annual trout stockings a bit earlier in some waters near Payson on the Mogollon Rim. Canyon, Haigler, and Tonto creeks began receiving catchable-size rainbow trout in March. This will mark the first time these waters have been stocked this early in the traditional spring and summer stocking season.... Full story
Lakes to receive fish until July; stocking numbers to remain similar to 2023 . The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has announced waters in the Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside areas will be stocked with catchable-size trout from March to July, a change from the traditional stocking schedule of April to September. Those waters include Fool Hollow, Rainbow, Show Low, and Woodland lakes, as well as Scott Reservoir. AZGFD is expected to maintain the schedule change until at least 2026 to... Full story
"Swimbait" is a broad term – it can mean anything from a grub to a 15-inch trout imitation. They are distinct from crankbaits in design and usually in material – swimbaits tend to be made of softer stuff than crankbaits, but they are all designed to imitate some kind of baitfish. Spring is the perfect time to get acquainted with these baits if you aren't already a fan, so here are some tips to help you improve your swimbait techniques. D-Shad And Fluke Baits These little baits are all the rag... Full story
We have established fishing waters in 23 Arizona communities. Whether you are an experienced, occasional or new angler, the Arizona Community Fishing Program offers fishing opportunities that you are sure to enjoy. There are currently more than 50 city park lakes participating in the Program, a partnership between the Arizona Game and Fish Department and 23 communities across the state. Detailed maps and park-specific information on all Community Fishing waters are found in this website... Full story
Whether you're new to angling or a seasoned pro, the fishing challenges provide opportunities to pursue and catch your "big fish" and have it posted on our website. Find your challenge, see how to enter, and explore the official rules. Fishing Challenges Offered By AZGFD Bass Anglers: The Arizona Hawg Bass Challenge Arizona is home to great largemouth bass fishing! The Arizona Game and Fish Department works to provide great opportunities for anglers to catch huge largemouth bass all over the... Full story
We've said goodbye to 2023 and now is a good time to reflect on the changes that we want - or need - to make in 2024; how about adding an outdoors resolution to your list? The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) offers some simple resolutions, any one of which should be easy for an outdoors enthusiast to stick to - • Fish local. Make it a point to wet a line this year at one (or more) of the state's 50-plus waters in the Community Fishing Program that are seasonally stocked with channel c... Full story
The Isle Switch Aren't all kayaks portable? Well, yes, but not all of them fit into a backpack, pump and all, with the whole package weighing just 19 pounds! The Isle Switch is the ideal kayak/paddle board for fishermen, especially fishermen who travel or who like to fish small waters that are hard to get to. One of the features of this kayak is the flat deck – you sit on a chair that is raised from the deck and there is plenty of room and plenty of straps for your gear -- and they've e... Full story
Now that the weather is cooler, the fishing is starting to heat up! It's that time of year when cold water fishing really starts to take off, so make sure you have your gear in order. Whether you are new to fishing or are a seasoned angler, here are a few tips to make sure your gear is ready for the fall. If you are new to fishing and are looking for a rod and reel for cold water fishing, I would recommend a 7-foot, medium-power, fast-action spinning rod with a 2500-size spinning reel. This rod... Full story
Though it’s thought of as a desert state, Arizona has a surprisingly wide variety of climates that support a wide variety of wildlife from rodents to reptiles, birds and large predators be they common and familiar or the rarest and the strange. Here is information about some of the animals in Arizona. Much of Arizona’s wildlife can be found in its state parks and trails. The state parks include Catalina, Cattail Cove, Lyman Lake, Lost Dutchman, Patagonia Lake, Lake Havasu, the San Rafael Sta... Full story
Got fish? Gone fishin'. Go fish. All apply to Arizona and the angling opportunities offered in this state. Bass Junkyz, high school and college programs, Arizona Game & Fish Department are among the outstanding promoters of this family friendly sport. Whether you fish in community waters or head to the high country lakes, you can enjoy the time near and on the water. Fly fishing, striper fishing, trout fishing, bass fishing, blue gill fishing, catfish fishing-- whatever your preference, all are... Full story
AZGFD Reports On All Things Fishing A recent article by Nixza Gonzalez for the A-Z Animals blog/website discusses some of the rainbow trout records in Arizona. The Arizona record for largest rainbow trout caught with a hook and line in an inland water is 15 pounds, 9.2 ounces, caught at Willow Springs Lake on Sept. 29, 2006, by Harold Wright of Sun City. The largest rainbow trout ever caught and released in Arizona’s inland waters is a 32-inch rainbow caught at Silver Creek on Jan. 30, 2010, by... Full story
More than 67,000 rainbow trout varying in size from 3 to 18 inches stocked into Lower Lake Mary in this spring. By Matt Rinker, Senior Aquatic Wildlife Specialist, AZGFD Flagstaff Region If you have ever fished Lower Lake Mary, you know it is a lake of boom and bust. Some years the lake is full and fishing is great and other years the lake is low or just a meadow. Well, the story of Upper and Lower Lake Mary is directly tied to the history of Flagstaff and its early settlers. Upper and Lower... Full story
August 12, September 9: Fishing Regs Changes The Arizona Game and Fish Department is seeking public input on proposed changes to the 2023-24 Arizona fishing regulations. There are four proposed changes: Opening the upper portion of the south fork of the Little Colorado River to catch-and-release angling for Apache trout including a seasonal angling closure. Creating a catch-and-release only fishery for all fish species at Lower Goldwater Lake. Expanding the current catch-and-release section of... Website
The focus is on boating-centric inland lakes with distinction. There are 123,439 freshwater lakes – those water bodies generally larger than 20 acres – in the continental United States. Which ones may be best for recreational boating? BoatUS Magazine senior editor Rich Armstrong and contributing editor Fiona McGlynn consider the question in the magazine's February/March issue with the feature "Freshwater America," which highlights nine boating-centric lakes from New York to Washington. "Am... Full story
Kelsee Haws shows the fish that she caught in Luna Lake; it later became part of a delicious meal. Her outdoors experience is typical of many throughout the state and one of those that we can continue to enjoy even if pandemic restrictions return. (Please, no!) In fact, a whole new group of women anglers will probably be inspired by the great program "Becoming An Outdoors Woman" to be held in Prescott, Ariz., later this month. And, fishing is just one focus of the event; it includes hiking,... Full story
We Had A Delicious Dinner From Luna Lake And we salute a beautiful Arizona town nearby. By Kelsee P. Haws Kelsee Haws, Mesa, Ariz., says "I hooked roughly a 10 1/2 inch cutthroat trout using an Abu Garcia - Black Max 6'6" pole with a double Power Bait egg setup. A garlic red salmon egg was stacked on over a garlic rainbow glitter power egg. This fish was a fun fight and I was appreciative of the sacrifice made for the game and the food it provided." Haws continued, "From lake to plate in three... Full story
'Pick a trail and lace up your shoes.' From Arizona State Parks And Trails Attention Arizona hikers! If you're looking for a great way to get outdoors any time of year with friends or the family, here are some insider tips about the best hiking trails in Arizona's state parks. Explore these diverse options throughout this amazingly beautiful state, and cross these hikes off your bucket list! From Arizona's hiking trails you will come across a variety of amazing sights and experiences that range... Full story
