Here's how things are fishing across the state of Arizona. This is our monthly Arizona Fishing Report for October.
Lee’s Ferry - Average
Water has started cooling down a bit as a result of overcast weather and monsoon activity. After the heat of the summer flows, it remains imperative that if you are fishing up here, focus on short fights and healthy release practices.
Fishing is comparable to September, although dam releases are a bit lower. Shallow-water wading has been productive and dry droppers are still working well, especially in the afternoons. Some sight-fishing opportunities have also been present, so keep an eye out for feeding/holding fish. Attractor patterns with small midges below them are your best bet.
Larger fish are being caught on sink-tip setups. Strip these rigs through the deeper runs and pools.
Best Bets:
#20 Bead Head Biot Midge Emerger
Rim Creeks - Excellent
Rim season is in full swing, so long as the water levels are lower. Wait a bit for the runoff to dissipate after a storm system moves through. When the water still has a bit of tint to it, that is the ideal time to hit the creeks this October.
There are still plenty of terrestrials around as we move into the fall months; ants, beetles, and hoppers are working well during the day. However, as we get further into fall, focus on smaller streamers and leeches.
Keep an eye out for redds on all these creeks and avoid fishing or disturbing areas where fish are spawning!
Best Bets:
#16 Tungsten Soft Hackle Caddis Pupa
Oak Creek - Good
Winter stocking kicked off on Oak Creek the week of October 5th. You can stay up to date on the rest of fall/winter stocking across the state HERE. Dry dropper rigs in the riffles and drifting leeches in the pools have both been productive. If the water is a bit high and discolored, now is a great time to throw some larger streamers!
Like the Rim, keep an eye out for redds forming now that we're getting into peak spawn season for the wild browns. Avoid fishing or disturbing these areas as you navigate the canyon.
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 set to begin the second week of November this year. Bookmark this page to stay up to date on stocking schedules across the state.
Best Bets:
#10 MFC Rowley Balanced Baitfish
#12 Bead Head Flashabou Bugger
San Juan - Good
Flows have dropped considerably (down to 250 CFS), making it an awesome time to get out and wade this tailwater.
October is an excellent dry fly month on the San Juan. Look for action throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Midges and midge rafts are working great and terrestrial patterns and still producing fish as well (especially later in the day). If you're wading, keep an eye out for spawning browns. Redds will start forming before the end of the month.
If nymphing, keep changing your depth until you find fish. If you aren't getting bites, change the depth of your rig before changing the flies.
Best Bets:
#20 Tungsten Jig Quill Body Baetis
White Mountains Lakes - Good
Expect the hot stillwater season in the Whites to kick on any day now. Water is cooling and the fish are getting active. These waters hold some of the largest trout in the state and are best accessed with a float tube or raft. Check out our favorites HERE.
Leech and chironomid rigs fished under an indicator are a solid choice. If you have sinking line, slowly stripping booby flies along the bottom is productive as well. Smaller streamers should start producing more fish as we get further into the fall season.
Best Bets:
Black River - Good
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:
Salt River - Good
Weekly trout stocking is back on the lower Salt River and with school back in session and float season over, now is a great time to go fish. Flows have switched over to their winter lows coming out of Saguaro Lake, which means trout will remain near their stocking site in larger pools and in nearby riffles. Lower flows also mean the start of carp and sucker sight fishing. These fish are best targeted from an elevated rock above a clear pool.
Best Bets:
Dead Horse Ranch - Good
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:
Phoenix Urban Waters - Good
The excellent carp fishing that we've seen this summer and early fall has cooled off a bit with cloudier water. In muddy conditions, keep logging miles on the canal paths, and if you can find rising fish, you can get them to eat a fly.
Best Bets:
#8 MFC Chan's Las Vegas Booby Leech
That's a wrap on the October Arizona Fishing Report.