The air is hot and so is much of the fishing. June is an excellent month to hit the water. Here is our monthly Arizona Fishing Report
Lee’s Ferry - Good
Post-spawn rainbows are in their feeding lanes in the riffles. Nymphing with midges and throwing dry dropper rigs are both working well in the riffle stretches, making wade fishing productive. With recent lower flows, many stretches are fishable on foot. If drifting, use deeper nymph rigs or a 200-grain sinking line with a streamer to target the fish still holding in larger pools.
At lower flows, dry dropper rigs in the riffles are working well, but if flows bump up, start fishing worms, eggs, and scuds.
Best Bets:
#20 Bead Head Biot Midge Emerger
Rim Creeks - Good
Rim Creeks are generally fishing well, but keep a thermometer on you as we head into the hottest part of the year. Warmer water is likely on the way. As a reminder, consider fishing elsewhere if the water temperature reaches 65 degrees and stop fishing entirely if you see it tick up to 68.
Expect plenty of caddis and terrestrials on the creeks right now. Use the summer foliage to your advantage! It can create small casting windows, but will also allow you to sneak up on a pool without spooking fish.
Best Bets:
#14 Bead Head Flashback Pheasant Tail
Oak Creek - Good
Like the Rim, stay vigilant with the water temperatures on Oak Creek. Expect clear and low conditions as we head further into summer. There will be plenty of summer tourist traffic up the canyon, but if you can find an area without people swimming, you will find some fish holding in both the deeper pools and riffles. Pool tailouts offer a fun sight fishing opportunity in the clear water.
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 and caddis hatches are now common.
Best Bets:
Silver Creek - Poor
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 - Average
It's been a few months since trout stocking wrapped up on the Verde (check the stocking schedule here to stay up to date on the AZGFD stocking program). For the rest of the summer, this will primarily be a largemouth bass fishery.
The bass bite continues to be decent. Poppers near structure during low light hours are productive, as are general baitfish patterns fished slow right up against the banks.
Best Bets:
#10 MFC Rowley Balanced Baitfish
#12 Bead Head Flashabou Bugger
San Juan - Good
Flows recently bumped up to around 800cfs and will likely stay at that level through at least early-mid June. This has opened the river up quite a bit to boat traffic but wading is still possible in many areas.
Focus on small, natural presentations fished a bit shallower in the water column. Dry fly opportunities exist, but mostly in the late afternoons and early evenings. Increased flows have also increased the amount of structure you can target with streamers. Flooded brush and weed beds are excellent spots to strip streamers when the water levels rise.
Best Bets:
#20 Tungsten Jig Quill Body Baetis
White Mountains Lakes - Good
White Mountains lakes are fishing well, but be on the lookout for warmer water as we get into summer. It's the time of year where it's always a good idea to pack a thermometer. Typical stillwater fishing rigs continue to produce fish. Balanced leeches and chironomids are the go-to. Midge hatches are happening in the evenings.
Best Bets:
Black River - Good
As the heat sets in at lower elevations, now is a great time to get out and explore the Black River.
Dry fly activity is heating up. Expect plenty of caddis and more stoneflies to start appearing. In the mornings and evenings, streamers are the best ticket for hooking the larger browns.
As we get later into June, start using the same dry dropper rigs that are working well across the Rim streams.
Target smallmouth with streamers, especially those that mimic their primary food source on the Black: crayfish.
Best Bets:
Salt River - Good
Trout stocking ended in May, so whatever fish remain in the system will be holdovers from previous stocking rounds. These trout will have clued in on the bugs in the system and will respond to more natural presentations.
Bass fishing should continue to be solid in June. Work poppers by the banks and strip baitfish patterns close to structure. Focus your fishing efforts in the early mornings or late evenings. Expect to see a ton of tubing activity throughout the middle of the day.
Best Bets:
Dead Horse Ranch- Good
Bass fishing can be quite good in June, but focus on fishing in the morning or evening. Terrestrials, streamers, and leggy nymphs are all good tickets for getting bass in the net. There are some large fish holding in these lagoons so don't be afraid to throw something big!
Best Bets:
Phoenix Urban Waters - Excellent
Phoenix is getting hot but so is the carp fishing! Carp around town are actively feeding on the usual suspects: weightless mops, eggs, and boobies. In stillwaters around town, damsel fly nymphs, squirrel leeches, eggs, and mops are all excellent choices. Warmwater fishing is slowing a bit in the heat. Downsize your presentation and focus on hitting local ponds in the evening.
Best Bets:
#8 MFC Chan's Las Vegas Booby Leech
That's a wrap on the June Arizona Fishing Report.