The fishing is currently fantastic around much of Arizona as we head into December
Lee’s Ferry - Average
Expect fishing to be generally slower on the Ferry in the winter months. The good news is that you can expect to have plenty of water to yourself in one of the more stunning settings in our state.
Focus your efforts on deeper runs where the sun has a chance to hit the water. Double nymph rigs with an attractor fly up top (think brightly colored worm or egg) with a small natural presentation below are a great setup for catching fish. If you're nymphing, make sure you're thoroughly covering water before moving on. The fish will not move far for a meal this time of year! Besides nymphing, try swinging and stripping black woolly buggers on a sink tip line.
Best Bets:
#20 Bead Head Biot Midge Emerger
Rim Creeks - Excellent
Across the Rim, the spawn has mostly wrapped up, and the water is cooling significantly as we head into December. Water levels continue to hold in a good spot. Smaller nymphs and streamers will produce the best fishing in the cooler water.
Dry fly action has been sporadic, but it's worth bringing along a box of dries in case you spot an afternoon hatch.
Best Bets:
Oak Creek - Excellent
With a drop in water temperatures, fish are moving away from the riffles and into the deeper pockets and pools of water. The smaller nymphs working across the Rim will be productive along Oak Creek as well. If the fish are being picky in clear water, try dead drifting a leech under an indicator. Snow days around Flagstaff and Sedona can trigger some great fishing on Oak Creek. Focus on fishing smaller streamers through the deeper pools and runs found throughout the canyon.
Best Bets:
#18 Tungsten soft hackle caddis pupa
Silver Creek - Good
Silver Creek season is in full swing and offers Arizona anglers the chance at netting a tank rainbow. Silver Creek can get crowded when it first opens for the winter, but now is an excellent time to get there before the fish have seen too many flies. Small midges work well, as do woolly buggers and eggs if the fish are more active. Once exposed to a certain level of pressure, expect the fish to become pickier and pickier. Consider downsizing flies or focusing on natural patterns.
Best Bets:
Verde River - Good
Trout stocking continues this month, with three planned stocking events. Check the stocking schedule here to stay up to date on the AZGFD stocking program. Stocking primarily occurs between Cottonwood and Camp Verde. Target trout with attractor patterns like worms above a more natural fly fished on an indicator rig. Swinging woolly buggers and wet flies down and across riffles is a productive technique as well. Keep an eye out for BWO activity. The longer the stocked fish are in a natural environment, the more they'll tune into natural food sources.
Best Bets:
San Juan - Good
Flows are holding steady around 300 CFS, and fish are settling into their winter patterns. This primarily means nymphing. Focus on keeping your flies deep, and make sure your rig uses a "junk" fly - mops, worms, eggs, and leeches. If you can stay warm, winter is an excellent time to fish the Juan and to find some solitude on this well-known tailwater.
Streamer fishing has dropped off since the fall, but fish will still inhale a bigger fly if presented correctly. In the winter, try slowing down your retrieve and focusing on throwing meat when there is a bit of cloud cover.
Best Bets:
Salt River - Excellent
Flows are dropping towards the winter lows, which means that sight fishing for carp and suckers is back on the menu. Trout continue to be stocked and are plenty active. Try throwing a mix of junk (worms and mops) and natural nymphs. Fish have also been on the surface eating small BWOs.
When fishing for carp and suckers, find some high ground to scout the water. Suckers are best targeted by sight fishing from ledges above deeper pools. Approach carp from the banks downstream of feeding fish. In both cases, it can help to bring a spotter!
Best Bets:
Dead Horse Ranch- Average
Trout stocking is underway in the lagoons, and will continue this month. Slowly stripping woolly buggers and floating worms under an indicator is a successful way to target these fish. After a recent stocking, you might find the trout schooled up in a large ball cruising the lagoons.
Although bass are typically pursued with streamers and baitfish patterns, these fish fill a huge portion of their diet with bugs. Leggy nymphs and junk flies are a great way to catch bass, especially in the smaller stillwater found at Dead Horse.
Best Bets:
White Mountains Lakes - HOT
Now is still a fantastic time to get out on stillwaters across the White Mountains. Fishing should remain strong until ice begins to form. Leeches and eggs fished under an indicator have been productive. Try stripping smaller streamers on sinking line to find a late season trophy brown.
White Mountain Lakes are best fished from the water, not the shore. We are fully stocked with an awesome selection of NRS and Outcast inflatables that are perfect for all your Arizona stillwater fishing needs. Check 'em out here.
Best Bets:
Black River - Average
Fishing is slowing down a bit as winter takes hold in the Whites. Continue focusing on subsurface presentations with weighted nymphs and streamers. As we get further into December, expect the fish to start holding in the deeper pools and make sure your flies are getting down into the bottom third of the water column.
Best Bets:
#10 Tungsten Pat's Rubber Legs
Phoenix Urban Waters - Good
The canals around town are clearing up, making it a bit easier to spot and stalk feeding carp. Expect fish to be slightly more active during the warmer mid-day hours. Urban ponds currently offer a fun mix of stocked trout action and a bass bite. Both damsel and leech patterns have been productive lately.
Best Bets:
#8 MFC Chan's Las Vegas Booby Leech
That's a wrap on the December Arizona Fishing Report.