Fishing at Lower Lake Mary for folks using bait slowed over the weekend but fly anglers continue to catch large numbers of fish in the early mornings and the evenings.
Ashurst Lake’s water level has dropped to the point that launching boats is not allowed. In addition the water quality has deteriorated to the point that trout stocking is no longer possible. There are still large numbers of trout in the lake so fishing should be OK.
Stocking in the upper reaches of Oak Creek have been canceled as a result of the Slide Fire. Stocking locations from Sedona downstream are still being stocked.
WILLIAMS LAKES
KAIBAB LAKE — Campground is open. The lake has been stocked. Water levels are really low this year. The lake is no longer stockable. Fishing for warm water species such as bluegill, black crappie and largemouth bass should be picking up with the warmer temperatures. Fish around the submerged trees.
CATARACT LAKE — Lake is day use only no camping allowed. All additional stockings scheduled for 2014 are being moved to Dogtown because of low water levels. Fishing for warm water species such as bluegill, black crappie and largemouth bass should be picking up with the warmer temperatures.
CITY RESERVOIR — Closed due to fire danger
DOGTOWN LAKE — Campground is open. The water level still looks good and the water quality was OK when I checked it today. Stocked last week. Scheduled to be stocked this week.
JD DAM — No report.
SANTA FE — Closed due to fire danger
WHITEHORSE LAKE — Campground is open. Water levels are really low this year. Stockings for this year have been canceled
FLAGSTAFF LAKES
LOWER LAKE MARY — Fishing slowed this weekend as the water temperatures warmed. The fish are still active on the surface in the morning and evenings and fly anglers are still catching lots of fish on dry flys. Bait fishermen who make long casts out toward the middle using power bait or worms on the bottom are still catching fish.
UPPER LAKE MARY — Campground is open. There have been reports of crappie being caught on the lake but fishing was slow on Sunday. I had a report of one angler catching quite a few walleye over the weekend.
ASHURST LAKE — Campground is open. The Boat Launch on Ashurst has been closed by the Forest service because of unsafe launching conditions caused by low water levels. The water quality is no longer acceptable to stock trout so scheduled stockings have been canceled until water quality improves.
FRANCIS SHORT POND – The last scheduled stocking of trout on Frances Short occurred last week. Scheduled to be stocked with catfish this week.
KINNIKINICK LAKE — The lake is full.
OAK CREEK — Stocking in the upper reaches of Oak Creek have been canceled as a result of the Slide Fire. Stocking locations from Sedona downstream are still being stocked.
LONG LAKE — No report
BEAVER CREEK — No report.
WEST CLEAR CREEK — No report.
STONEMAN LAKE — No fish.
BLUE RIDGE — Road is open
KNOLL LAKE — Stocked last week
MOGOLLON RIM LAKES
Note: Stage II Fire Restrictions are currently in effect on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, State Trust lands, and Arizona Game and Fish Department Wildlife Areas.
BEAR CANYON LAKE — Fishing is good. The lake was stocked last week with 1,748 rainbow trout.
BLACK CANYON LAKE — Fishing is fair to good. Anglers are catching trout on PowerBait in the mornings and evenings. The lake level is down about 10 feet and launching boats is difficult.
CHEVELON LAKE — Fishing is fair for carry-over rainbow trout and fair to good for wild brown trout. The road to the dam has been improved, but is open only to vehicles 50” wide or less (ATVs).
WILLOW SPRINGS LAKE — Fishing is fair to good. The lake will be stocked this week with 3,600 11-inch rainbow trout. Anglers are catching trout on PowerBait.
WOODS CANYON LAKE — Fishing is good to excellent. The lake will be stocked this week with 3,062 rainbow trout. Anglers are catching trout on green PowerBait. The Woods Canyon Lake store is open and boat rentals are available.
LAKE POWELL AND LEES FERRY
LAKE POWELL — From Wayne Gustaveson: Lake Powell is still coming up and will break the 3600 MSL barrier today, but stripers are the big news now. Striper slurping boils are seen lake wide. Young stripers that live in the warm surface layer are finding larval shad (less than an inch) near the surface. Young shad cannot swim fast enough to elude stripers which line up and methodically “mow” the surface area chomping down all shad in their path. From a distance the feeding activity looks like another boat wake, but after closer examination the disturbance is made by a platoon of fish swimming in an orderly line. It is really cool to watch the action but it is even better to participate.
See the full Wayne Gustaveson June 11 report at http://www.wayneswords.com.
LEES FERRY — From Lees Ferry Anglers: For fly fishing up river, summer weather and the corresponding higher water flows have arrived right on schedule. It took a few days – really maybe 72 hours – for fish to settle into their high water mode, but once they did it was business as usual.
— Arizona Game and Fish