Spring is here and the fish are biting! Here is our monthly Arizona Fishing Report
Lee’s Ferry - Average
Expect the rainbow spawn to peak during mid to late April. You'll see these fish sitting in shallow tailouts over redds (smoothed out sections of gravel). Both pre and post-spawn fish will be active below these areas.
Spring fishing on the Ferry is often dictated by weather. Warmer, sunny days tend to fish much better than cold, cloudy days where the canyon barely gets any light. If you can, focus your efforts during times when there is direct sunlight on the water. The fish are still sitting pretty deep in slow moving pools; target them with deep nymph rigs or by swinging wooly buggers and small streamers on a sink tip line. As we get closer to the end of April, expect to start seeing more fish moving into shallow riffles for mid-day feeding.
Best Bets:
#20 Bead Head Biot Midge Emerger
Rim Creeks - Good
After a mild winter and an early spring, Rim waters are fishing more like early summer than spring. There is a good mix of bugs coming off the water this time of year - BWOs, small stoneflies, and the occasional large March brown. Both dries and nymphs are producing fish.
It's also time to start packing a box of terrestrials up to the rim. Beetles, ants, and hoppers are out and about and will be for the next several months. These are great options for a surface fly when fishing a dry dropper rig.
Best Bets:
Oak Creek - Good
Fishing has been fun up on Oak Creek lately. Water is clear; expect the opportunity to sight fish for trout in the slower pools, especially towards the top of the canyon. Further down, fish are starting to actively feed in shallower riffles.
Dry dropper rigs have been effective along with smaller streamers. Like the Rim creeks, Oak Creek now has plenty of terrestrials moving around. Ants, beetles, and hoppers are all in play.
Best Bets:
Silver Creek - Average
The catch-and-release season has CLOSED on Silver Creek, and this water is now open to bait fishing. With other lakes and streams now open across the Whites, it's probably better to fish elsewhere.
Best Bets:
Verde River - Good
There's an exciting new fishing opportunity on the Verde! For the first time, AZGFD stocked Gila trout in the lower Verde below Bartlett Dam. These fish were stocked at Needle Rock Recreation Site and will continue being stocked through May 2026. This is a fun chance to catch Gilas close to home in the Valley. Check the stocking schedule here to stay up to date on the AZGFD stocking program.
When fish are fresh from the hatchery, they key in on junk flies that might resemble hatchery food sources: mops, eggs, and worms. As fish settle into their new environment, they will begin feeding on more natural presentations, like caddis and mayfly nymphs. An effective way to fish for these stockers is to use an attractor pattern up top and a smaller, more natural presentation below.
Best Bets:
San Juan - Good
It's spring on this desert tailwater, and fish are keying in on both small midges and mayflies. BWOs (and to a lesser extent PMDs) are out and in the mix with the usual midge selections. The warmer weather should start bringing the first real dry fly fishing windows of the year. Keep an eye out for mid-morning and late afternoon surface activity.
When it comes to nymphing, the bugs this time of year are still quite small. Think #20-#24.
Best Bets:
#20 Bead Head Flashback Pheasant Tail
White Mountains Lakes - Good
White Mountains lakes are opening up and fishing well for the early season. With the warm spring, fish have been more active than usual. The usual lake suspects are working well. If indicator fishing, try leeches and chironomids. Booby flies stripped on a sink tip line are also effective. Stripping smaller streamers has been catching fish as well.
As we get later into April, expect to start seeing some hatches on the water, especially in shallower bays.
Best Bets:
Black River - Average
Like other waters in the Whites, the Black River is heating up this month. Heavier nymph rigs and streamers are the ticket right now, especially as any runoff moves through.
In the afternoons, be on the lookout for mayfly activity, and expect to get into some good hatches, especially during overcast afternoons.
Target smallmouth with streamers, especially crayfish patterns.
Best Bets:
Salt River - Excellent
Lower Salt River flows are back up to their summer level. Trout stocking will happen every other week in April on the lower Salt (4/6 and 4/20). The trout will be plenty active with the warmer weather. Like the stockers on the Verde, use a mix of attractor patterns (worms, eggs, mops) and natural presentations. Stripping and swinging wooly buggers is also a great way to hook fish.
Bass fishing has been hot. Small streamers fished right up against brush piles are effective. In low light conditions, work small poppers away from the banks and across the heads of deeper pools.
Best Bets:
Dead Horse Ranch- Good
Trout stocking wrapped up for the season in March. Expect some holdovers to continue swimming in the lagoons throughout April. Bass activity should be hot throughout the month. Terrestrials, streamers, and leggy nymphs are all good tickets for getting bass in the net.
Best Bets:
Phoenix Urban Waters - Excellent
Waters across the Valley continue to fish quite well as we get into April. Around town, bass are active, shifting from pre-spawn to spawning mode. Carp are back in the canals and feeding on weightless mops and eggs subsurface and boobies on top. Dansel fly nymphs, squirrel leeches, eggs, and mops are all excellent choices for targeting warm water species (bluegill, bass, channel, cats, carp, etc.) in ponds across the city.
Carp are tailing at the inlet of Lake Pleasant, which gives anglers an awesome and challenging sight fishing opportunity close to home. Get geared up with one of our float tubes today!
Best Bets:
#8 MFC Chan's Las Vegas Booby Leech
That's a wrap on the April Arizona Fishing Report.