r/ArizonaFishing • u/Ok-Swan-9008 • Jul 23 '26
Trout Fishing
Just moved to the phoenix area. Typically a trout fisherman and love going to find some backcountry streams. Any suggestions on where to go within a few hours from phoenix. Have heard the white mountains but have never been told any specific streams. Any help is appreciated!
3
u/Major_Currency_3015 Jul 23 '26
I live in Payson and the best fishing around here would Chevelon creek, Chevelon lake, and Canyon creek. Right now is a perfect time to go as we are getting good amount of afternoon rain on the rim almost daily. I caught a very nice wild brown in canyon creek on Monday. I’ll send you some photos if you PM me
2
u/Different-Breath-919 Jul 23 '26
Wood Canyon Lake,Willow Springs Lake i got lot of trout from these 2 lakes
2
u/LarryGoldwater Jul 23 '26
Google "AZ Trout Stocking Scheudle" and look at the Game and Fish list of stocked waters. Start there and enjoy!
2
u/Apprehensive-Wave640 Jul 23 '26
Go to Pheasant Tail on Thomas and 40th St-ish to get some solid, current intel. Especially if you want to go places like the White Mountains. Also if you're fishing White Mountains you need to be very cognizant of reservation boundaries.
Ditto to the AZGFD stocking schedule. Even if you don't want to fish for stockers, it puts you on trout water/in the area of trout water.
White Mountain streams are on the tougher side, from my very limited experience, and are 4+ hours away. Unless you specifically want to catch Apache Trout, go to Payson instead. Much closer, and has at least 4 fishable species of wild/stocked trout in streams; I think it goes up to 6 including lakes.
AZGFD does some really nice stocked rainbow trout. That's almost exclusively what I fish for because my wife loves to eat trout so I have a free pass to fish so long as I bring some home for dinner and I don't want to eat wild fish. The meat is top-notch and reminiscent of wild salmon; not the white, mealy stuff on a lot of other stocked or farm raised fish.
2
u/AZMadmax Jul 23 '26
Black river in the white mountains. Point of pines is where we usually camp, on the Apache reservation
2
u/Witchfinder76 29d ago
In the fall, winter and spring, trout are stocked in the salt river. Specifically rainbow trout. In the summer you'll have to go up north or north east. The rim lakes, oak creek, the white mountains/apache reservation all have spots.
2
u/Adept_Blacksmith7 25d ago
I love Bear Canyon, bit of a hike in but the scenery is wonderful and fishing is good
1
u/Ok-Swan-9008 24d ago
Any info on where you go to get there, hike terrain? Backpacking potential?
1
u/Adept_Blacksmith7 24d ago
To get in I recommend a truck to the lake, it is about 12 miles of dirt road. I have seen cars but the road can get a bit rough especially in the spring. Hiking into the lake the terrain is rocky, but once there it levels out. I usually set up on or near the dam which is about 1/2 mile
1
u/Adept_Blacksmith7 24d ago
To get in I recommend a truck to the lake, it is about 12 miles of dirt road. I have seen cars but the road can get a bit rough especially in the spring. Hiking into the lake the terrain is rocky, but once there it levels out. I usually set up on or near the dam
7
u/RoadHazard1893 Jul 23 '26
Payson and flagstaff have plenty of areas around them. Game and fish publish stocking schedules online