Fishing report

Fishing Report: July 20, 2023

Water Report Recommendations / Tips

A-1 Lake

 

Fair

Nightcrawlers or Powerbait lime and lemon twists. Try lures like spinners in bright colors and silver finish spoons. Bugger or peacock lady for fly patterns.  Boat ramp accessible.             

Black River

 

 Good

A Special-Use permit Is Required. Nightcrawlers, jigs, plastic hellgrammites andf crawdads in pools and deeper riffles. Pack-It-In/Pack-It-Out. Avoid bears by storing food in bear-proof containers or by hanging it out of their reach.

 

Bog Tank  Fair

Try nightcrawlers or rainbow garlic powerbait. Try variety lures or spinners flashy.

Bootleg Lake  Fair BSpinner baits for largemouth bass.  Try weedless lures in weeds for bass.  Rubber worms or frogs on or along weed beds.
Christmas Tree Lake  

Christmas Tree Lake Permit Required for Entry. For reservations and information on the 2023 Christmas Tree Lake season call Game & Fish Office at (928)338-4385. Lures and artificial flies with single barbless hook only. Limited to 20 anglers a day by reservation. Day-Use Only. No Camping.

Apache trout are to be immediately released back into Christmas Tree Lake after being caught. A total of five (5) brown trout may be kept. 

Cooley Lake  Good Try nightcrawlers for trout off the top. TRubber frogs or lizards for largemounth bass near weed beds around the lake. Try nightcrawlers or stink bait for channel catfish.
Cyclone Lake    Call (928)338-4385 for Cyclone Rent-A-Lake Reservations and information. In addition to Rent-A-Lake fees an Individual Daily Rent-A-Lake Access Permit is required, for all persons 1 year old or older, for the duration of their party's reservation regardless of the individual's stay. Bag Limit/Posession Limit is two fish per day.
Drift Fence Lake  Fair Nightcrawlers or garlic and chartreuse garlic powerbait.  Gold or nickel kastmaster and z-ray.  Wet fly patterns dry flies hoppers, ant and peacock ladies. Reservation Lake store is closed.

Earl Park Lake

 Fair Try nightcrawlers, powerbait with glitter chartreuseor. Roostertail and z-ray black and gold colors. Earl Park Lake is accessible. Hawley Lake Store is open.

Hawley Lake

 Fair  Hawley Lake is accessible. Try nightcrawler or green and rainbow powerbait . Try spinners or silver kastmaster spoons. Hawley Lake Store and facilities are closed but scheduled to open May 26, 2023. Boat ramps accessible.    

Horseshoe Lake

 Fair Try nightcrawlers or chareuse powerbait. Try lures like z-ray or roostertail in different color. The boat ramp is accessible. Horseshoe Lake store is Open ( CASH ONLY).
Hurricane Lake   Call (928)338-4385 for Hurricane Rent-A-Lake Reservations and more info. Artifical flies and lures with single barbless hooks only. No bait including powerbait. In addition to Rent-A-Lake fees an Individual Daily Rent-A-Lake Access Permit is required, for all persons 1 year old or older, for the duration of their party's reservation regardless of the individual's stay. Bag Limit/Posession Limit is two fish per day.
Pacheta Lake  Fair Pacheta Lake is Catch-n-Release. Artificial lures and flies with single barbless hook. Try wet fly patterns like streamers. Try roostertail and mepps in varity color. Pacheta Lake is accessible. Reservation Lake store is closed.
Reservation Lake  Good Try nightcrawlers or powerbait colors with garlic scent lemon twist and yellow.  Try lures like spinners, spinner flies or spoons. Try streamer or bugger fly patterns. Boat ramp accessible. Reservation Lake store is (CLOSED)
Salt River CLOSE

A Special-Use Permit Is Required. Pack-It-In/Pack-It-Out. It is your responsibility to pack out what you packed in. 

A Cibecue Falls permit, Day Use Only, is required of all individuals, adults and children, wanting to access the Cibecue Falls Area for hiking and sight-seeing. No camping at or along Cibecue Creek.

Shush Be Tou Lake

(Big Bear)

 Fair Big Bear Lake is accessible. Try nightcrawlers, cheese and rainbow powerbait. Try spoons in silver finish like z-rays and spinners in bright colors like mepps black fury. Boat ramp accessible.

Shush Be Zahze Lake

(Little Bear)

 Fair Try nightcrawlers, rainbow glitter powerbait, and lime or lemon twist Bright colored panther martin spinners.  Boat ramp accessible.         

Sunrise Lake

 Fair

Try nightcrawlers, chartreuse  glitter powerbait, or rainbow.  Mepps and panther martins black with flash. Fly patterns try midges and streamers.  Best in morning before it gets windy. 
Streams Good Nnightcrawlers, rainbow powerbait roostertail, mepps in slower moving pools and riffles.  I lower elevation streams try nightcrawlers

Tonto Lake

(Tribal members only)

 Fair

Night crawlers rainbow garlic or lemon twist, mepps and roostertail for lures. Tribal members can obtain fishing license at the Game & Fish Office in Whiteriver or Hon-Dah. 

Information  

Lakes and streams have been stocked.

Daily bag limits for trout: 15 & older is 5 fish/day; 10-14 years old is 3 fish/day; 9 & younger is 2 fish/day. Arizona State Route 473 (Hwy into Hawley) and State Route 273 (Hwy near Sunrise Ski Area) are open. A valid White Mountain Apache Tribal Permit is required and must be carried at all times while fishing, boating, camping, sight-seeing, picnicking and other outdoor recreation activities on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. Permits can be obtained at an authorized permit vendor.  Firework possession and use is prohibited on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. Visit wmatoutdoor.org or call our office at (928)338-4385 for the latest access info fishing report.

Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in effect:


 NO CAMP FIRES OR CHARCOAL USE