Arizona Urban Fishing Report

All lakes were stocked again with channel catfish the week of Oct. 1-6. Fishing for catfish is good to excellent now that the fall stockings have resumed.

Mornings and evenings are the best times as catfish prefer to feed under dim or dark conditions. While the majority of stocked catfish are caught in the first five days of stocking, anglers are still catching cats one to two weeks later at a slower rate.

Top baits for catfish have been stink baits, shrimp and worms fished on the bottom in the deeper lake sections. Use smaller sinkers and 8-pound test line to get more hookups.

Bluegill

Fishing for bluegill is good along the shorelines in 4-6 feet of water. Try mealworms under a small, thin bobber for great action. As lake temperatures fall below 78 degrees, expect better action for largemouth bass, especially in the early morning periods. Try finesse plastics rigged drop shot or Texas style for the bass and mix it up with small crankbaits, soft jerkbaits or spinnerbaits.

Green Valley

At Green Valley Lakes (Payson), anglers are having very good luck for bluegill and crappie using worms and small jigs. Angler access is good with only a few patches of weeds to contend with. The fall kick-off date for trout stockings to resume is Monday, Oct. 15 (see article below).

Last Stockings

• All Phoenix and Tucson Urban Fishing Program waters — week of Oct. 1-6 (catfish)

• Green Valley Lakes (Payson) — Oct. 15 (trout)

• Trout stockings to begin at Green Valley Lakes Oct. 15

Payson residents and visitors welcomed back the trout to beautiful Green Valley Park on Oct. 15. More than 700 Colorado-grown rainbow trout were delivered to kick off the trout stocking season that features 11- to 14-inch rainbow trout delivered every two weeks.

Fall is a wonderful time to visit the Rim country, see the colors, and relax and fish along the grassy shorelines of this popular urban fishery just a mile west of Highway 87 on Main Street.

The fish-stocking program at Green Valley is different from all other Urban Fishing Program waters. Rainbow trout are the only species stocked by the department during an eight-month season that starts in mid-October and continues through early May.

No other fish species are stocked at Green Valley; however, good populations of bass, crappie, sunfish and even catfish can be found in this highly productive lake system. Best bets for trout are worms, Power Bait, and small jigs and spinners.

Lakeside Lake Gets Cats

The low-dissolved oxygen at Lakeside Lake in Tucson gradually increased to levels that allowed for a partial stocking of catfish the week of Oct. 1-6. The City of Tucson and lake consultants have been actively managing the water and aeration system to optimize oxygen recovery, but progress has been slow.

Game and Fish plans to stock the lake with 800 pounds of 14- to 18-inch catfish. A series of monsoon storms in early September brought high inflows into Lakeside Lake, causing oxygen levels to plummet and the first catfish stocking of the fall season to be cancelled.

Remember the Web! See http://www.azgfd.gov for stocking schedules, the “Fish&Boat Arizona” webmap, outdoor-events calendar, and other great fishing and outdoor information.

Also, check out the Web for “Weekly Fishing Reports,” to submit your fishing photos or to send us your latest fishing report. We are also on Facebook.