Arizona Lakes 4/29/03

Tracker · #1 04-30-03, 03:25 AM

LAKE PLEASANT - Water level is at 1,686 feet (83-percent full). Current inflow for Lake Pleasant as of Saturday April 26, 2003 is 380 cfs and is 57 degrees. The Aqua Fria is currently flowing at 3 cfs. Largemouth bass activity is slow. Anglers have been winning some tournaments by catching 2 and 3-pound bass. However, a 7 pounder was the big fish for a tournament held on April 25. The bass was caught drop-shotting a plastic worm. Try the northern coves using spinner baits or soft plastic jerkbaits. Try trolling or spooning in deeper water in the backs of coves for white bass. Also try small spinnerbaits, crankbaits, grubs or shad. A 6-pound striper was caught near Humbug Cove with shad. Catfish are still very active. Catfish are being caught with worms, chicken liver, shrimp and water dogs. There have been few reports of bluegills and no reports of crappies. We are asking that any angler catching striped bass please remove the ovaries and place them on ice for our research study on this fishery. Samples can be delivered to Arizona Game & Fish Department 2221 W. Greenway Rd., Phoenix 85023. Contacts: Scott Bryan, Eric Kohagen or Jerry Sanchez.

ROOSEVELT LAKE - Fishing is red hot for bass: both smallies and largemouth. Largemouth bass are being caught using crankbaits in the shallows near stickups. The smallies are getting into the spawning mode. Please harvest largemouth bass under the 13-inch slot. The lake was 29-percent full at elevation 2,075 feet on April 28. Tonto Creek was flowing at 38 cfs and the Salt River was flowing at 1,160 cfs. The Tonto system is about done. Additional snowmelt in the Salt River should continue a few more weeks. The Ringtail Ramp (Windy Hill) will be the next usable boat ramp and needs two more vertical feet. Last week was the best so far for crappie. The armada is in full swing. Crappie fishing remains excellent. Most are trolling 2-inch black or blue chartreuse grubs. Crappies are off the points and the coves. Try off points in 10-15 feet of water. Anglers are reporting catching fish in 3-6 feet of water using minnows on slip bobbers. The Tonto and Salt River arms are good areas and the entrance to Salome Cove (off the shelf) can be good. Call the Mesa Game and Fish office at (480) 981-9309 if you catch a tagged flathead catfish. Catfishing is starting to produce. Try stink baits or hotdogs for channels and sunfish or other small live fish for the big flatheads.

APACHE - Lake level is 1,910 feet (95-percent full). Smallmouth are in the spawn and are being caught with in-line spinners. Lots of smallmouth bass are being caught off cliffs and rocky shorelines with spinners (Vibrex and Panther Martins). This is the best lake in the Salt River chain for smallmouth bass for numbers and quality of fish. Largemouth bass are also becoming very active, hitting on various soft plastics. A few yellow bass are being caught on spoons: try 1/8-ounce KastMasters, Little Cleos or Pixies. The Game and Fish Department is starting to tag walleye with a blue spaghetti-type tag near the dorsal fin. If you catch one, please note the tag number, location caught and accurate length of the fish and call the department's Mesa office at (480) 981-9400. You can keep the tag and the fish if you want. There is a certified scale at the marina boathouse.

CANYON - Lake level is 1,656 feet (95-percent full). Large and smallmouth bass fishing are both heating up. Largemouth bass are in 4 to 25 feet of water; try drop shots, Westy Worms or Carolina-rigs off points. Spawning smallmouth bass were caught last week: fish shallow with small jigs or spinners. There are reports of a few walleye being caught trolling with in-line spinners. The certified scale at the marina guard station is available 24-hours a day.

SAGUARO - Lake level is 1,525feet (93-percent full). Bass are moving shallow. Larger females will become more active looking for early nests to lay eggs and may be caught in deeper water off points. Casting 4-inch drop-shot rigs toward shore and working back out slowly seems to be working well as does Carolina-rigs with 4- to 6-inch worms. Westy Worms continue to work well. Last week an angler caught-and-released more than 40 bass at night drop shotting. Yellow bass have been hitting spoons (KastMasters) around balls of shad. Carp are moving into the shallows and can be very fun to catch: try corn or dough baits. Chumming for them is legal and works well. Drifting a night crawler on the channel edges in about 25 feet of water is a good bet to catch a mixed bag of fish, even a walleye. Catfishing is slow. There is a certified scale at the marina to get an official weight and still release your catch. Two witnesses are needed for the weight to be official.

BARTLETT - Lake level was at 1,791 (90-percent full). All ramps are in the water and have plenty of water for launching and recovering boats. A 40-pound flathead was caught recently. Fishing is really picking up for largemouth bass in the shallows. There are a lot of bass in the 1- to 2-pound range. Most reports say crankbaits fished near rock piles along the main lake are working best. Drop shotting with "Robo Worms" is working well. Crappies are suspended and anglers are picking up a few on minnows. Catfishing is slow; some channels and flatheads are being caught on stink baits below Bartlett Dam.

HORSESHOE - Lake is temporarily holding water (28-percent full on Monday), but SRP expects to slowly release the water to Bartlett. No reports on fishing. The Colorado pikeminnow and the razorback sucker are endangered and must be released immediately. Upstream from Horseshoe Dam is an unlimited harvest area for all game fish.

VERDE RIVER (above Horseshoe) - Monday morning flows were 163 cfs at Camp Verde and 137 cfs into Horseshoe Lake. Flows were 354 cfs bellow Bartlett dam on Monday. Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass is picking up. Try for smallies in the main river bellow riffles. Try for largemouth in the slower back eddies. Catfish should start biting soon. Remember that no baitfish can be transported into this part of the river. For further information concerning regulations, call Game and Fish at (602) 789-3257.

LOWER SALT RIVER (below Saguaro Lake) - The flow is 8 cfs below Stewart Mountain Dam and 601 cfs below Bartlett. Trout stockings continue at Granite Reef and Phon D. Sutton. Try Power Bait, corn, Z-rays or night crawlers. Some fish will still be in deep pools or in riffles.

AZG&F/29/03