Arizona is considered a part of the mountain states. It borders New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and California. The Grand Canyon is one of the most popular tourist sites in America. The waters of the Colorado River formed this massive canyon. The Arizona State fish is the trout. What angler would pass up a chance for trout fishing in Arizona?

In addition to some amazing natural wonders and great fishing Arizona is also home to “The Phoenix Suns” and “The Arizona Cardinals” two high profile sports team that you can catch on the radio while spending a relaxing time on the lakes fishing in Arizona.

There are lakes, streams, ponds and rivers across the great expanse that is Arizona. Not a few of them are desert lakes, which offer you adventure as well as great fishing in Arizona.

Bodies of Water

There are a lot of lakes that have their roots in the mighty Colorado River. This includes Lake Havasu, Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, Lake Powell and Martinez Lake all get their start as part of the Colorado River. The Primary desert lakes are Roosevelt Lake, Apache Lake, The Saguaro Lake, Canyon Lake, and The San Carlos Lake, Bartlett Lake, Alamo Lake and finally Lake Pleasant. These are the main bodies of water located throughout Arizona State. And all of them allow fishing in Arizona. There will be more details about this later.

Climate in Arizona

Because it is a very wide state with a lot of variations in elevations throughout the temperatures can vary drastically from town to town. It is not unheard of in the lower elevations to experience desert like temperatures of extreme high during the day and very cold almost freezing nights. Arizona is known to experience a monsoon season that lasts about three to four weeks in July and August. The Northern Plateau has much cooler weather because of its higher altitudes. It also gets weather streams from Canada that makes the winters see temperatures of zero on some nights. It is important to be familiar with the local weather patterns when fishing in Arizona. While lakes have nowhere near the waves as the ocean currents can make it can still be a very dangerous place to be caught off guard, especially by a sudden storm with high winds and volatile rain.

Checking the daily forecast is always a good idea on any fishing trip.

Species of fish

1.     Bass
2.     Trout
3.     Walleye
4.     Crappie
5.     Catfish
6.     Panfish
7.     Stripers

 

Species of Fish by Lakes

Alamo Lake is one of the best Lakes for Bass fishing in Arizona. It is a short drive of 120 miles outside of Phoenix to the northwest. Fishing this lake you will be sharing with a host of swimmers and water ski enthusiast. You will be able to set a hook to a variety of species in this lake. It is home to Bass, Crappie, Catfish and Panfish.

Apache Lake is 60 miles from Phoenix to the east, the lake was created by the Horse Mesa dam. And the fishing there is great, you can expect to catch Bass, Trout, Walleye and Crappie.

Bartlett Lake covers an area of 2,800 acres and is located in central Arizona about 18 miles of Cave Creek to the North – east. The fish you will find in this lake are Bass, Crappie, Catfish and Panfish.

Canyon Lake also in Central Arizona it covers an area of 950 acres and is 10 miles from Apache Junction to the East. This lake has Bass, Trout, Walleye, Crappie Catfish and Panfish.

Lake Havasu is a 20,000 acres of pristine waters on the western border of Arizona. Lake Havasu City is a great getaway for the adventurous angler. Bass, Trout, Walleye, Crappie Catfish, Panfish and Stripers can be found in its waters.

Lake Mead is 160,00 acres of beauty and is just inside the Arizona border at Henderson Nevada. This lake has Bass, Trout, Walleye, Crappie, Catfish, Panfish and Striper in it.

 Lake Mohave yes, it is near the desert of the same name. It is a 28,000-acre lake that sits on the western border at Bullhead Arizona. Bass, Trout, Walleye, Crappie, Catfish, Panfish and Stripers are a few of the favorites caught here.

Lake Pleasant covering over 10,000 acres east of New River Arizona in the central part of the state is a great place for game fishing. You will find fish like Bass, Crappie, Catfish and Panfish in the waters of this lake.

Lake Powell located on the northern border of the state. When you are fishing in Arizona a stop at this lake will yield a bounty of seven of the eight species on the list. It has everything except salmon. It is near Page Arizona. Bass, Trout, Walleye, Crappie, Catfish, Panfish and Stripers are found in abundance in this lake.

Lees Ferry a 15-mile piece of the great and powerful Colorado River up in the north central part of the state near Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona. The varieties of fish are more restricted than other lakes as there are only Trout, Stripers, Panfish and Catfish present in these waters.

Martinez Lake on the southwestern border of the state it is near Yuma, Arizona and covers over 600-acres. The fish you find in this lake are Bass, Trout, Walleye, Crappie, Catfish, Panfish and Stripers

Roosevelt lake named for the president at the time the dam was built on the Salt river this lake gets temperatures of 90 degrees in the summer months. There are still fish that brave these warm waters. The Bass, Trout, Crappie, Catfish and Panfish seem to not mind the heat.

Saguaro Lake ten miles northeast of Mesa you will find a 1,200-acre lake. The fishing here is for Bass, Trout, Walleye, Crappie, Catfish, Panfish and Stripers all the fish of the state seem to converge here.

San Carlos Lake located southeast of Globe Arizona this is a very large body of water covering 20,000 acres. You will be able to catch your limit of Bass, Crappie, catfish and Panfish here.
Wood Canyon Lake is a very small lake that is near Payson, AZ it only covers 52-acres but the fishing is good here if you are after Trout, Catfish and Panfish

Licenses and Permits

All residents and non-residents need a license to go fishing in Arizona. The exceptions are the blind and children under 14 years. Here is a little general information to give you an idea of what types of licenses are needed and prices are in Arizona.

	Residents	Non-residents
General Class A	23.50	70.25
Urban fishing	18.50	18.50
One-day pass	16.25	17.25
5-day pass	N/A	32.00
4-month pass	N/A	39.75
Super Conversion Pass	53.00	63.00
(class A+urban+trout stamp)

 

You will need special stamps for certain types of fishing:

Trout Stamp	15.75	57.25
Two-pole Stamp	6.00	6.00

For more information visit www.azgfd.gov/eservices