Arizona -*March 29th Fishing Report Summary

b4youleap

Arizona Fishing Report Officer
Joined
Dec 15, 2010
Location
Phoenix
#1
It's warm enough to start fishing! 90 degree weather hits the desert this week. Spawning will continue to be active with lots of bedding fish (remember to throw 'em back!).

This caught my eye - "This is also a good time to catch some cool water fish. Try for walleye at Fool Hollow and Show Low lakes. A woman caught a 23-pound northern pike at Upper Lake Mary near Flagstaff recently on a frozen anchovy. Upper Lake Mary also has lots of 1-plus-pound yellow perch, and this is a good time to start trying for them as well."

Mmmmm - Walleye... I think I need to head north to the rim sometime this weekend.

Spring Crappie-Fest, the AZCA's big spring event is this weekend at Roosevelt Lake. www.azcrappie.com - details are behind a registration page.

LAKE PLEASANT – Lake elevation 1,695 feet (92 percent full). Some largemouth bass are spawning, others are staging for the spawn, yet some are still holding deep.
ROOSEVELT LAKE -- Lake Elevation is 2,145 ft (93 percent full). Tonto Creek runoff is 67 cfs while inflow from the Salt River is at 366 cfs. You can find largmeouth bass on spawning beds, staging for the spawn, or still holding deep. With the warmer wather this week, fish activity levels should continue to increase.
APACHE - Lake elevation is 1,910 feet (96 percent full). Fishing is good by Turtle Island
CANYON -- Lake Lake elevation is 1,657 feet, which is 94 percent full.
SAGUARO - Lake elevation 1,524 feet at 91 percent full. Largemouth bass are on beds, some bass are staging for the spawn, other bass are still holding deep.
BARTLETT -- Lake elevation is 1,777 feet, which is 71 percent full. Reservoir release is 950 cfs.
HORSESHOE - Lake elevation is at 1,989 feet 30 percent full. They are releasing water at 400 cfs.
VERDE RIVER - Verde River flow at Tangle is 483 cubic feet per second. Release from Bartlett Lake is 950 cfs.
SALT RIVER - Salt River into Roosevelt is 366 cfs, and Salt River Canyon is 258 cfs. They are releasing 8 cfs out of Stewart Mountain dam from Saguaro.
LOWER SALT RIVER – Stocked last week, primarily at Phon D. Sutton, Granite Reef and Blue Point Bridge. The crew is also exploring putting some in the deeper pools at the Water Users area just below Stewart Mountain Dam.
CREEKS (Haigler, Canyon, Tonto, Christopher, East Verde, Workman) - April is when trout stocking is expected to resume for Haigler, Canyon, Tonto, Christopher, and East Verde. It should begin the first week in April.
URBAN -- Trout stocking has come to an end in our desert lakes and ponds but our first catfish stocking was delivered to all Program waters March 24 with 15- to 20-inch channel catfish.

More than 14,000 pounds of Arkansas farm raised catfish will be delivered and stocked into Urban Fishing Program Lakes every two weeks from now through early July. Effective baits are worms, stink baits, and shrimp fished off the bottom. Daily limits are four catfish per person at Urban Lakes or two catfish per person at Urban Ponds (note regulations and park signage for Lake and Pond designations).

This week (week of March 28)22,000 5- to 8-inch sunfish will be divvied up and stocked into all Phoenix and Tucson Urban waters. This will be one of the two yearly bluegill stockings the Department stocks to replenish populations.

More details found at http://azgfd.net/artman/publish/FishingReport/Fishing-Report-M29.shtml