The Arizona Game and Fish Department has released a summer fishing forecast for lakes in Arizona. Here’s the forecast for lakes in the Gila Valley area:
Roper Lake:
Fishing Rating: Fair
Roper Lake is a shallow (less than 15 feet) small waterbody that should heat up quickly this summer. Look for largemouth bass, bluegill and redear sunfish and even some black crappie all seeking structure that provides plenty of shade. As temperatures rise during the heat of the day expect fish to be deeper. The best fishing will be early mornings and late evenings when temperatures are the coolest. A survey in 2017 had a small amount of 12-14 inch black crappie show up and is an exciting fish to catch. Target crappie with light everything! Light line, a small hook and bobber tipped with a mealworm or nightcrawler can work, otherwise small jigs tipped with various plastics moved slowly will trigger bites. A survey in 2019 indicated an average largemouth bass length of 14 inches and weight of 1.5 pounds. Largemouth bass of more than 20 inches have also shown up in surveys throughout the years and can be targeted using crankbaits, jerkbaits, swimbaits and jigs/hooks tipped with various plastics and methods like drop shot, Carolina or Texas rigs. A classic worm and bobber can work also.
A good rule of thumb for all fish is having a variety of baits/lures in different sizes and colors, placing it in different depths and retrieving it a different speeds. Continue to change until you find a combination that works. Fishing early in the morning or late in the evening generally will lead to more success.
Cluff Ranch Pond:
Fishing Rating: Fair
A good rule of thumb for all fish is having a variety of baits/lures in different sizes and colors, placing it in different depths and retrieving it a different speeds. Continue to change until you find a combination that works. Fishing early in the morning or late in the evening generally will lead to more success.
A survey in 2019 indicated an average largemouth bass length of 15 inches and weight of 2.5 pounds in addition to a few over 20 inches. Largemouth bass can be caught using nightcrawlers or several types of artificial baits and methods. Using lures is a good way to cover a lot of water in a short time, allowing you to locate which depths and locations are holding fish. Try crankbaits, jerkbaits, swimbaits and jigs/hooks tipped with various plastics and methods like drop shot, Carolina or Texas rigs. Colors and lure shapes that look similar to a sunfish may work as that’s what the bass feed on.
Black crappie and sunfish can be caught using pieces of nightcrawler, mealworms or small plastics. If you’re using a bobber, remember to only use one large enough to float your weight and hook. Often too large of bobbers are used and fish feel the resistance of the large bobber and steal your bait without you ever knowing.
Frye Mesa Reservoir
Fishing Rating: Good
Frye Mesa Reservoir presents a unique opportunity to catch a native Gila trout. The reservoir receives fish from Mora National Fish Hatchery as well as our Page Springs Hatchery. The reservoir was stocked with 224 Gila trout averaging 17 inches during late May. Gila trout can be caught with similar methods used for rainbow trout. Fly fishing with nymphs or wet/dry flies is productive. If using a spin casting reel, small spoons and spinners as wells as PowerBait or worms can work. The road to the reservoir is rough and a higher clearance all-wheel drive vehicle is recommended.
Riggs Flat Lake
Fishing Rating: Hot
More than 10,000 rainbow trout have been stocked and anglers can expect the fishing to be excellent. Anglers often catch rainbows on PowerBait, or small spinners and spoons. Fly fishing can be very productive as well using nymphs, wet/dry flies, and streamers. The lake also holds some very nice sized brown trout that can be caught with the above mentioned methods. It is now legal to use the fathead minnows from the lake as bait. A small mesh dip net, cast net or minnow trap can be used to catch the minnows. Fishing from shore through the thick vegetation can be challenging but there should be empty spots to cast through as well as fishing near the concrete platform and dam. White amur (grass carp) was stocked this spring to help control the vegetation. Please return any that are caught back into the lake. Anglers are allowed to keep one white amur over 30 inches.
Dankworth Pond
Fishing Rating: Fair
Summer fishing means hitting the water during early mornings and late evenings. Plan to be out during the coolest times of the day and expect fish to move into deeper water as daytime temperatures rise. A good rule of thumb for all fish is having a variety of baits/lures in different sizes and colors, placing it in different depths and retrieving it at different speeds. Continue to change until you find a combination that works. Fishing early in the morning or late in the evening generally will lead to more success.
Look for largemouth bass and bluegill sunfish close to structure and in the shady spots. Bluegill can be caught using pieces of nightcrawler, mealworms or small plastics. If you’re using a bobber, remember to only use one large enough to float your weight and hook. Often too large of bobbers are used and fish feel the resistance of the large bobber and steal your bait without you ever knowing.
Channel catfish may also be a target and success will pick up as the water warms through the summer season. Night fishing is the absolute best time to catch channel catfish. The standard method is to fish on the bottom using bait. Try using a “slip” sinker instead of one fixed to the line. The “slip” sinker functions like a fixed weight except the line is able to pass through the weight with little resistance, which should equal better success at hooking the fish. To use this method, start with the slip sinker, barrel swivel and a short 1-2’ leader to a hook. Baits vary widely but several nightcrawlers on one hook, chicken liver, prepared baits (dip, dough, etc.), entrails/heads from cleaned fish, and the list can go on.
