Arizona Game & Fish Department White Mountains Report


by Arizona Game & Fish Department
1-22-2015
Website

Recommended waters to fish
Recent warm weather has thawed some of the lower elevation lakes, but the higher elevation lakes in the White Mountains and Mogollon Rim area are frozen over. The following waters have open and fishable water: Lyman Lake, Clear Creek Reservoir, Fool Hollow Lake, Show Low Lake, Rainbow Lake, Scott Reservoir, Woodland Lake, Becker Lake, Nelson Reservoir, Black Canyon Lake, and Silver Creek.

Trout stocking schedule
Regular trout stockings for the White Mountains and Rim Lakes will resume in the spring of 2015.

MOGOLLON RIM LAKES
Note: Forest Road 300, from Highway 260 to Woods Canyon, Bear Canyon, and Chevelon Canyon lakes, is closed for the winter.

BEAR CANYON LAKE - The lake is ice covered. Forest Road 300 is closed for the winter.

BLACK CANYON LAKE - Fishing is fair. No ice. The lake level is very low, down about 15 feet.

CHEVELON LAKE - No ice. Forest Road 300 is closed for the winter.

WILLOW SPRINGS LAKE - The lake is ice covered. Forest Road 149 is closed due to logging activity.

WOODS CANYON LAKE - The lake is ice covered. Forest Road 300 is closed for the winter.


WHITE MOUNTAIN LAKES


Note: Highways 273 and 261 are closed for the winter.

BECKER LAKE - Fishing is fair to good. Mostly open water, but may have some ice along the shoreline. Becker Lake is open to catch-and-release only, artificial fly and lure only; single barbless hooks only. No trout may be kept.

BIG LAKE - The lake is ice covered. Highways 273 and 261 are closed for the winter.

CARNERO LAKE - The lake is ice covered and the level is very low. The road is open but is snow packed. 4WD is required.

CLEAR CREEK RESERVOIR - Fishing is poor for trout, and fair for sunfish, bullheads, and bass. The canyon above the bridge likely has some ice cover, but the main body of the lake below the bridge should have open and fishable water.

CONCHO LAKE - No ice, but fishing is poor.

CRESCENT LAKE - The lake is ice covered. Highways 273 and 261 are closed for the winter.

FOOL HOLLOW LAKE - Fishing is poor to fair. No ice. The lake is very low so use caution when launching a boat.

GREER LAKES - All Greer lakes are ice covered with thin/unsafe ice. There has been some melting around the shorelines.

HULSEY LAKE - The lake was drained following the Wallow Fire to help reduce expected flooding on Escudilla Mountain and has not been stocked since the fire in 2011. Plans to dredge the lake are underway.

LEE VALLEY LAKE - The lake is ice covered. Highways 273 and 261 are closed for the winter.

LUNA LAKE - The lake is ice covered with thin/unsafe ice.

LYMAN LAKE - Lyman Lake State Park will be open year round. No ice. Fishing is poor to fair for bass, catfish, and carp.

NELSON RESERVOIR - Fishing is poor to fair. No ice.

RAINBOW LAKE - Fishing is poor. No ice.

SCOTT RESERVOIR - Fishing is poor. No ice.

SHOW LOW LAKE - Fishing is fair. No ice. The store, boat rentals, and some of the campground are closed for the season.

WOODLAND LAKE - Fishing is poor. No ice.


WHITE MOUNTAIN STREAMS


Note: Highways 273 and 261 are closed for the winter.

EAST FORK of the BLACK RIVER - The stream is somewhat ice covered.

WEST FORK of the BLACK RIVER - The stream is mostly ice covered.

LITTLE COLORADO RIVER in GREER - Fishing is fair. The stream within Greer and along Government Springs should have open water.

SHEEPS CROSSING - The stream is ice covered. Highway 273 is closed for the winter.

SHOW LOW CREEK - The stream is ice covered. The access road over the dam is closed for the winter.

SILVER CREEK - Fishing is good. Anglers are catching large rainbow trout on a variety of flies, including white bunny leeches, buggers, simi-seals, San Juan worms, egg patterns, shami leech, and zebra midges, as well as other flies. The upper pool is fishing well, but there are a lot of big rainbows in the meadow and middle section as well. Silver Creek is a spring creek and does not freeze over in the winter like other streams in the White Mountains. The creek is currently open to catch-and-release only, with artificial fly and lures with single barbless hooks only, from October 1 through March 31.

Cinda Howard of Fly Fish Arizona two weeks ago said fishing is good but has been getting tougher. Flies of choice have been bunny leeches in tan or black, Glo Bugs, San Juan worms and zebra midges. There also has been some top-water action, especially when the sun hits the water and generates midge hatches. Water temperatures are in the 40s.





More Reports

Arizona Game & Fish Department Reports
for Thursday, January 22nd, 2015

: Arizona Game & Fish Department Fish Report
Bartlett Lake: Bartlett Lake Fish Report
Roosevelt Lake: Roosevelt Lake Fish Report
Lake Pleasant: Lake Pleasant Fish Report
Saguaro Lake: Saguaro Lake Fish Report
Apache Lake: Apache Lake Fish Report
Canyon Lake (AZ): Canyon Lake AZ Fish Report
: Horseshoe Lake Fish Report