Hunting & Fishing Northern Arizona Fishing

[Apothus]

I haven't wet a line in 4+ years, and just recently came across some pictures from my surf fishing days in California. I used to be able to just drive down to the beach, throw some Berkley Gulp sand worms or some live ghost shrimp on a hook and be on fish in 20 minutes or less. Now, I'm living in the Prescott/Chino Valley area, and from everything I read and hear, fishing in this area is less than stellar. I've got the urge to feel some head shakes and hear some drag peeling, so I was wondering if there might be any locals who would be willing to tell of a good spot to fish or even make a new buddy? I know of Fain Park, Goldwater lake, Lynx Lake, and Granite Basin, but they're not exactly known for producing record numbers of fish, especially in summer time.

 

[rhildy77]

Lake Roosevelt isn't bad

 

[Nukes]

Why settle for something that is like a fish only smaller? Consider that Punta Peñasco is about 2½ hours south of Phoenix.

Phoenix Fishing Tackle on 16th St., just south of Camelback, has a good selection of saltwater tackle and can offer feedback on charters.

 

[wapiti16b]

If you are into Trout on the Fly or otherwise Lees Ferry is great , or if lakes are your thing the White Mountain Tribal Lakes are great , with some beautiful scenery . Becker Lake near Springer is small in size but the Trout are large , 17,18,up to 23 inches for me so far .
X2 for Punta Penasco , you can really bring home some meat for the freezer .

 

[ZombieMonkey]

Lees Ferry if you're a good fly fisher. Probably one of my favorite spots to fish is going to be on the Black River, the fish vary depending on what part of the river you're on as well as in size. Most spots I go need a solid 4WD vehicle to get in and are about 45-60 min off-road of the main road. The spot also requires a daily special use permit. You can catch a legitimate 10-20 fish on a single day if you find a good spot. The small mouth can be some of the more fun on that river. If you go far enough upstream the trout can be a lot more enjoyable fishing than you'll find in the lakes as they are a lot stronger on the river vs the stocked lakes.