October is a great month to get on the water here in Arizona
Lee’s Ferry - Good
Fishing continues to be fair up on the Ferry as fish move into their fall patterns. Now is a great time to break out a sink tip line and tie on some bigger streamers. Streamers can be productive all day this time of year, especially in the shadows of the canyon walls.
When fishing nymph rigs, target deeper water this time of year. During the fall and winter, only a portion of the river gets much sunlight. When nymphing, focus on drifting your flies through areas that are getting plenty of sunlight.
Best Bets:
#20 Fulling Mill Micro Perdigon
Rim Creeks - Good
With fresh rain and increased flows, fishing has picked up quite a bit across the Rim. During low-light hours, expect to see both mayfly and caddis hatches this month. Throughout the day, terrestrials are catching plenty of fish. Looking for a fun, aggressive bite? Try skating a parachute hopper as the sun goes down.
Now is also a great time to throw some meat, especially after periods of rain. We are officially in fall "feed bag" season, and many of the larger fish are looking for big meals before the cold sets in.
Be on the lookout for browns spawning. These fish will be holding over redds in the gravel of tailouts. Don't target them and avoid crossing creeks in shallow areas that hold redds so we can keep our fisheries strong! However, this is a great time to observe the larger fish that inhabit some of our state's smaller water.
Best Bets:
Oak Creek - Good
Flows have bumped up on Oak Creek above Sedona, and the fishing has been quite fun lately. Dry dropper rigs are still catching fish and streamers have been productive, especially after weather events.
The tight confines of this small creek can make traditional streamer retrieves difficult. In tight quarters, try dead drifting and twitching streamers through runs and pools. This won't work on flies that require erratic action (think: dungeons, sculpins, etc.) but can be quite productive using leech imitations
Best Bets:
Silver Creek - Good
The winter season on Silver Creek officially opened on October 1. Until the end of March, this is a catch-and-release fishery that requires barbless hooks. Brood stock from the hatchery are stocked here. These fish routinely reach 5 lbs.
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 wooly buggers and eggs if the fish are more active.
Best Bets:
Verde River - Average
Bass should remain active as the cooler October weather and increased rainfall continue. Expect active feeding periods to continue throughout the day, instead of just low-light hours. Focus your efforts on stripping and swinging streamers right up against structure. If you're not nearly getting tangled in brush on each cast, you're probably not getting close enough to overhanging brush along the banks. Deeper pools will hold fish as well - target these with a sink tip line.
Trout stocking is not expected to begin until November this year. Bookmark this page to stay up to date on stocking schedules across the state.
Best Bets:
San Juan - Excellent
October is an optimal time to get up to the San Juan River. This month offers anglers the rare opportunity to catch trophy trout on nymphs, dries, and streamers on the same day.
If nymphing, focus on natural patterns. Small baetis and midge larva fished below attractors (like a mop or worm) are quite productive. By mid-morning, the midge hatch really gets going. Focus on smaller patterns in the #22-24 range. The streamer bite is most productive in the early morning, but can continue all day when it's overcast.
Best Bets:
#4 Articulated Cone Head Bugger
Salt River - Excellent
Summer crowds are gone, and trout stocking has returned to the lower Salt River, making October an excellent time to get out on our nearby tailwater. Flows have dropped from their summer highs as well, but are still elevated compared to their upcoming winter lows. Right now, the river is wadeable but not quite low enough for great carp/sucker sight fishing.
With the moderate flows, trout will be able to move throughout the system anywhere above the confluence with the Verde. An excellent way to target these fish is to put in at a public boat launch and then use your own raft to find a secluded spot on the river. Riffles and the heads of pools are both excellent places to find trout.
Best Bets:
Dead Horse Ranch- Average
With the cooler weather and rains, fishing should pick up on the lagoons throughout this state park. Trout stocking won't begin until November this year, but you can expect the bass and catfish bite to be decent until then.
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 - Good
Stillwater season on the White Mountains Lakes is getting into gear and heating up. Expect leeches and buggers to continue catching fish, both slowly stripped or jigged under an indicator on a choppy surface. This time of year, terrestrials are still active. Don't be afraid to fish hopper droppers, especially when the water has had a chance to warm up in the afternoon.
White Mountain Lakes are best fished from the water, not the shore. We are fully stocked with an awesome selection of NRS rafts that are perfect for all your Arizona stillwater fishing needs. Check 'em out here.
Best Bets:
#8 MFC Chan's Las Vegas Booby Leech
Black River - Excellent
Looking for a hog brown? Now is the time to throw meat up on the Black. Hungry pre-spawn browns are prowling the system and more than happy to smash large streamers, especially when the water gets discolored after a storm. Throw flies right up into undercut banks and strip and swing through the deeper pools in the system.
Remember to be mindful of fish that have already begun spawning and avoid walking through redds when you cross the river in shallower gravel sections.
Best Bets:
#10 Tungsten Pat's Rubber Legs
Phoenix Urban Waters - Good
The canals are fishing well, depending on where you go in town. The Grand and Western canals are fishing best, with low and clear water and fish still eating on the surface.
Stillwater fishing in the reservoirs remains solid. Bass are settling into their fall patterns and have started moving out from the pockets of deep, cold water they were holding in during the hot days of summer. Expect to find fish active on rockier points.
Best Bets:
#8 MFC Chan's Las Vegas Booby Leech
That's a wrap on the October Arizona Fishing Report.