The Most Unique Fishing Spots in Arizona

Here are, in my humble opinion, the most unique fishing spots in Arizona.

Fossil Creek 

Fossil Creek is unique for two reasons, it's stunning beauty and it is the only blue ribbon roundtail chub fishery in Arizona, probably in the United States. 

Fossil Creek looks like Havasupai in the Grand Canyon with its stunning turquoise blue pools and waterfalls. The scenery alone is worth the trip.

But the fishing is pretty good too. I have caught and released easily over 50 roundtail chubs in just a couple of hours of fishing every time I have visited Fossil Creek. Fishing is open from the first Saturday in October until April 30, which is also generally the season in which you DO NOT need a permit to access Fossil Creek. A permit is required from April 1 through April 30. Fishing for roundtail chubs is catch and release only. Only flies and lures with single barbless hooks are allowed. We catch a ton of roundtail chubs on Trout Magnet jigs. Anglers may fish from the waterfall about a mile above the Flume Trail parking lot along FR708 and the downstream-most power line crossing (immediately below Sally May Wash).

The easiest way to access Fossil Creek is via Forest Road 708 off of State Route 260 about 10 miles east of east of Camp Verde. It is 14 miles down a bouncy dirt road. High clearance vehicles are highly recommended, but I did have a buddy make it in a Prius.

Lake Mary

Lake Mary is located on Lake Mary Road southeast of Flagstaff. Lake Mary is unique because it is the best place to hook into a Northern Pike in Arizona. 

Fishing for pike at Lake Mary is best from ice out (usually some time in February) until maybe early June. Lake Mary is on a windy plateau so the water is always muddy. The lake is also weedy. For those reasons you want to throw a lure that is weedless and moves a lot of water or produces a lot of vibration. My personal favorite is a chartreuse, 1/2 or 3/4 ounce Chatterbait. Johnson weedless spoons in the 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce size also produce. As far as location, walk across the dam on the lower end and fish the shoreline. Or, hike around to the far side of the lake on the shallow, upper end and fish that shoreline. One more tip, pike hang out near structure closer to shore. Don't cast your lure straight out, perpendicular to shore. Try to cast your lure and retrieve it as close to parallel to shore as possible. You'll catch more fish doing that. 

Click here for our Lake Mary Pike Fishing YouTube video.

Lake Pleasant

Lake Pleasant is close to the Phoenix metro area in the northwest valley, just a few miles northwest of Peoria. What makes Lake Pleasant unique? It is the only lake entirely in Arizona where you can catch striped bass and the ONLY lake in Arizona where you can catch White Bass.

Lake Pleasant is best fished from a boat, but you can be successful from shore during certain times of the year. During the spring white bass can be caught from shore in the northern creek arms, Castle Creek and the Agua Fria Arm. 1/4 ounce Kastmaster spoons and white curly tail grubs on an 1/8 ounce jig head are solid lure options.

Click here to watch our Lake Pleasant White Bass Fishing video.

Night fishing for striped bass in the summer can be spectacular. I've had plenty of 50+ fish nights. But, you really need a boat with a fish finder. Popular areas are the Castle Creek arm, the Agua Fria River arm, and the tires surrounding the Pleasant Harbor Marina. Find a school of fish on your fish finder, drop your floating lights overboard and wait for this fish to show up! Anchovies cut into thirds or night crawlers are an excellent bait choice.

Lower Salt River

The Lower Salt River below Saguaro Lake is one of my favorite places to fish! Trout are stocked throughout most of the year. There is a solid population of bass, some going 4 - 5 pounds. But what is most unique about the Lower Salt is the healthy population of big Sonora suckers. Some people consider suckers trash fish. Those people are ignorant. These beautiful fish put up a great fight on a 5-weight fly rod. Sonora suckers will take a variety of flies including brightly colored nymphs, San Juan worms, egg patterns, and anything that resembles moss like an olive Wooly Bigger or Simi Seal Leach. Fishing for suckers is best during the winter when tubers don't infest the river and the flows are generally lower. Any of the popular access points hold fish, Water Users, Blue Point Bridge, Granite Reef.

Click here for our Salt River Fishing YouTube video.

Gila River near Phoenix International Raceway

The Gila River is unique because of the variety of fish that can be caught there. I routinely catch largemouth bass, channel catfish, Flathead Catfish, Rio Grande Cichlids, Redbelly Tilapia, Nile Tilapia, Blue Tilapia, and bluegill. Occasionally we even catch Armored Catfish aka Plecostomus that have been dumped from people's aquariums.

Fishing here is simple. I tie on a number 6 or 8 hook about 3 feet below a weighted bobber. For bait I use half a nightcrawler. Just hike, find fishy looking areas, and cast your bait. 

Crystal Gardens

Crystal Gardens in a series of man-made lakes in Avondale. They are HOA lakes but they are managed by Arizona Game and Fish Department and anyone can fish there with a valid Arizona fishing license. Crystal Gardens holds largemouth bass, channel catfish, Nile tilapia, yellow bass, crappie, Rio Grande cichlids, Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, and common carp. But what makes Crystal Gardens stand out is the colorful Koi that can be caught fly fishing. The water in Crystal Gardens is typically clear and mostly shallow. You can see the Koi cruising and eating. It is fun and challenging to sneak close to them and cast a fly in their feeding path. They put up a solid fight too. You can walk the shoreline of and fish over 20 individual ponds. Good fly choices are egg patterns and brightly colored nymphs. Remember, Koi must be released unharmed.

Click here for our Crystal Gardens YouTube video.

Silver Creek

Silver Creek is the place in Arizona to catch monster trout. Silver Creek is a small, spring-fed creek just east of Show Low in the White Mountains. From October 1st to March 30th the creek is stocked with HUGE trout. Fishing is catch and release and limited to artificial lures and flies. From April 1st to September 30th, bait is allowed and the fish can be kept. Silver Creek can get crowded because of the big fish and easy access. I would avoid weekends if possible.

East Verde River 

The East Verde River just north of Payson is your best bet to catch Gila Trout, one of two trout species native to Arizona. AZGFD regularly stocks the East Verde River with Gila Trout when water levels permit. Spring and early summer are usually the best months. Bait is allowed and fish can be kept, but check the limits! 

Standard trout baits all work. I like fly fishing for them using prince nymphs or throwing Trout Magnet jigs on an ultralight spinning rod. There are a number of day use areas at road crossings including First Crossing Day Use Area, Water Wheel Falls Hiking Trailhead, Second Crossing Day Use Area, and Third Crossing Day Use Area. Any of these are solid place to fish. If you want to escape the crowds, hike a bit away from the day use areas.

Click here for our East Verde River Gila Trout YouTube video.

As always, fire away with any questions and we will help as best as we can! 

Fishing in Arizona is Unique and Special

I've fished Arizona for more than 30 years now. Arizona is a unique, special place to fish. I've fished in other states where the fishing was probably easier. There was more water, more fish and they were generally easier to catch. But Arizona is different. Arizona is special. Why? I think Arizona makes you work for your fish more than any other state I've personally fished.

Arizona is a desert. We have less water. We have fewer lakes and rivers. Those that are easily accessible are often crowded and highly pressured (by fisherman and recreational boaters) often forcing anglers to adapt, experiment and really work to catch fish. You might have to use lighter line, fluorocarbon line, smaller baits, or slower moving baits. You might have to fish at night rather than during the day. Some of our most memorable fishing trips are those where we have had to think, work, adjust, experiment and really grind it out to catch a few fish or the specific species we were after. That's fun. Those trips are rewarding and you go home feeling accomplished.

To fish lakes and rivers that are not highly pressured and crowded, we often have to hike or 4x4. We've caught species in Arizona where we've had to backpack 4 or 5 miles down a steep trail, fish, spend the night, fish some more and hike back out in the morning. Some of our favorite, most productive fishing holes require us to walk a ways and get off the beaten path. And we've put more than few desert pin stripes on our 4x4 truck and had a couple of flat tires chasing fish. But, we seem to value more what we've worked harder for and those experiences won't be forgotten.

Fishing might be easier elsewhere. But there's nowhere I'd rather call fishing home than Arizona.

Bed Fishing Bass on the Lower Salt River in Arizona

Late February, March and into early April can be a great time to fish the lower Salt River for largemouth bass on beds. It's an easy and entertaining way to get kids on some fish. Click here to see the YouTube video. It is as simple as finding deeper, slower stretches such as near the Blue Point Bridge, Water Users, Granite Reef, Phon D. Sutton, or Coons Bluff. Just walk along the river with a decent pair of polarized sunglasses and look for bass on beds. Once you find them, bounce something like a twister tail grub on a jig head (that's what we did), a small bucktail jig, a rubber lizard/worm or almost anything up and down on their bed in front of their nose until they get irritated into biting it. We did find that smaller baits worked better. We were using medium and medium light spinning rods with 6 and 8 lb fluorocarbon line. They are bed fish, so quickly release them so they can get back on their beds. And don't catch the same fish multiple times.

Crystal Gardens Bass Fishing

Crystal Gardens is one of our favorite places to go when we only have 2 or 3 hours to fish. Click here to see  the YouTube video of our latest trip. It is a rare day when we get skunked there. We can usually catch something. It can be a great place to take kids.Crystal Gardens has 21 man made ponds to fish. Crystal Gardens has largemouth bass, yellow bass, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, mirror carp, grass carp, koi, and tilapia, I've even caught one smallmouth there. In this post we will focus on the bass fishing. Check back in the future for posts about catching the other species.

Important Information

These ponds are open to the public. An Arizona state fishing license is required. There are very specific rules. Please follow them if you'd like these ponds to remain open to the public. There has been discussion by the Avondale City Council in the past of closing these ponds to fishing. Fishing is strictly catch and release. Lures and flies must have single, barbless hooks. Prepared baits are not allowed. The only live bait allowed is worms. Respect the fish. Don't drag them onto the gravel or grass. Use a net or unhook them in the water. Lip the bass while holding them vertically. Respect the residents, do not litter or leave a mess.

What Baits to Use

Lures with treble hooks are not allowed. These ponds are part of the city of Avondale's water treatment facilities. They have plastic liners that could be torn by treble hooks snagging the bottom. Lures must have single, barbless hooks. We mainly use soft plastics... senkos, texas rigged rubber worms or craws, twister tail grubs on a jig head, flukes, paddle tail swim baits, carolina rigged lizards, drop shots, etc. If you're taking a kid fishing I would recommend floating a live worm under a bobber. But since fishing is catch and release, use a circle hook to prevent the fish from swallowing the hook. Remember, when using a circle hook don't set the hook by jerking the rod tip up like you'd normally do... just start reeling when you see the bobber sink.


Where to Fish

We've caught bass all over. Some of the ponds have patches of reeds in deeper water. Pitch soft plastics to the reeds and hop or swim them back. If possible, hop, swim or drag your soft plastic along the edge of the reeds. Some of the ponds have large, shallow flats where we've caught bass that are chasing minnows. Cast flukes, paddle tail swim baits or twister tail grubs on to the flats and hop or swim them back. Many of the ponds have large flats or rock reefs adjacent to deeper channels. These are obvious on Google Earth and the water is usually clear enough you can physically see these areas. Bass often hold in the transition area between flats and deeper channels. We also regularly see bass just cruising the deeper channels. In the hotter summer months, small bass often congregate near concrete ramps that extend into the water. These could be fun for kids to catch.

Other Keys

This water is usually very clear and there is little or no structure. Fishing pressure in these ponds is also probably high. We use fluorocarbon line and never use line heavier than 8 lb test and we often use 6 lb line.

Combat Fishing for Stocked Rainbow Trout at Fain Lake, Arizona

On Wednesday, March 15th, 2017 we hit Fain Lake in Prescott Valley, Arizona. See the YouTube video at https://youtu.be/m8Kj9Uk7lwE. We fished from 3:00 until dark. We fished where Lynx Creek flows into the lake on the west end. We caught and released (mostly... we gave a couple away) over 20 Rainbow Trout. They were small, but feisty and fun to catch. We caught fish on Gulp Worms, orange and chartreuse Power Bait eggs, and 3" Berkley Natural Trout Worms. We saw other people catching trout on flies and small minnow lures. The trout would hit just about anything. One key to trout fishing the clear water in our Arizona lakes is light line. We were using 5 and 6 pound fluorocarbon line. We saw several people not catching fish... and you could see their line from 40 yards away. Also, keep your rigging simple. We were using one single split shot about 18" up from a size 8 or 10 hook. Swivels (unnecessary), snelled hooks, multiple split shot, huge bobbers, etc. can make line shy fish not bite.

The Wrong Question vs. the Right Question - Finding Fish

After posting YouTube videos of successful fishing trips or Instagram photos of fish we've caught... the usual question we get asked by most fisherman is what bait or lure we used to catch the fish. If you're interested in catching fish, that is the wrong first question. Before worrying about what bait or lure to use, you should concern yourself with FINDING FISH. It doesn't matter what bait or lure you use if you're not fishing where the fish are! Once you've found fish, a variety of baits or lures will often work. We were fishing at a lake near Prescott a few days ago and we were catching trout regularly. So were many of the people fishing near us. And we were all using different baits. One guys was using a small minnow lure, another was getting them on flies, and still another was catching them on Power Bait. We were using Berkley 3" natural trout worms on a split shot rig. The key? We are all fishing in the right spot... where the fish were. Other anglers fishing other locations on the lake were not catching any fish.

It is impossible to cover in a short post how to find every fish species you might target in every body of water you might fish. But, do your research. Go online or talk to other fisherman. Learn about the habits and preferences of the fish species you are chasing. Learn where they might be in a lake or river during certain times of day or year. Learn how water temperature, oxygen levels, water levels and weather conditions might affect their location. Study the body of water you plan to fish. Learn where fish might hold in the lake or river. Find out if a contour map of the lake is available. Use it to search out points, creek channels, ledges, submerged humps, etc. Use Google Earth to search for deeper pools or bends in a river. If you fish from a boat invest in a fish finder.

A few brief examples: In Arizona urban ponds, stocked trout usually are found cruising nearer the shore lines. So casting to the middle of the lake will often be less effective. Or, during the winter time at Lake Pleasant, striped bass are usually found in deeper water in the northern coves and creek arms so fishing the main lake would be less successful.

Your first priority when planning a fishing trip is to find the fish. Then figure out how to catch the fish. My experience has shown that once we have found the fish, we can often catch them using a variety of lures or baits.

If you have any questions on finding fish, let us know and we'll do our best to help.

Who Are We?

We are a dad and two sons enjoying fishing in Arizona and around the United States. We fish A LOT, 5 or 6 trips a month and even more during the summer when we are all off of school. We are not tournament or professional fisherman. We don't wear jerseys. We are not guides. Our gear is not the most expensive. But it catches fish. We spend a fair amount of time shore fishing or fishing urban lakes and ponds. We like variety in our fishing. We don't target just a species or two. We're happy to catch carp and suckers as well as bass and trout and whatever else we can hook. Check out our Instagram (Arizona_Anglers) and you will see a variety of species. Our boat is a 16 foot aluminum fishing boat. It only has a 50 HP Mercury and it's pretty slow. Some guys use fish finders that cost more than my boat. Not us, ours are basic and inexpensive. We fish for fun, to be outdoors, to spend time together, and for the challenge. I've been fishing around Arizona, Idaho and Utah for about 40 years. My two sons have been fishing me since they were old enough to hold a fishing rod. Why did we start a blog, get on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube? We want other people like us, who just fish for fun, to catch fish and enjoy the great outdoors. We are free with information. We'll tell you where we caught the fish, how, what lure or bait we used. If you've got a questions for us, ask. If you've got a topic you want us to cover, name it. If there's a body of water you want information on, let us know. We'll do what we can to help you catch fish because fishing, even though it is always a good time, is better when you catch fish Here's to tight lines and bent rods.