Top picks for this weekend are Kinnikinick Lake (stocked with brown trout this week), Ashurst Lake, Silver Creek (catch-and-release season begins Saturday), Show Low Creek meadows, Rose Canyon Lake,  or other trout-stocked waters.

This week’s weather seems to have been the ticket to kick off some great fall trout fishing.

Now to the high flows earlier this week  in the Salt River chain of lakes. The heavy run-off and flows not only left hazardous debris, it likely will make bass fishing difficult for a few days. Please be safe and watch out for debris, especially at Canyon Lake and the Lower Salt River. The Salt River Project reported that significant runoff entered Canyon, resulting in the need to pass storm water through Mormon Flat Dam, Stewart Mountain Dam and into the Salt River.  Releases from Stewart Mountain dam peaked around 48,000 cfs at 10 a.m.  on Monday, Sept. 23.

The good news: water temperatures will take a sharp drop, and once bass become accustomed to these new temps and stable weather that should provide better “living conditions,” fall bass fishing should bust loose.

See the daily water report from SRP.

Remember that the Fall Fishing Forecast is out.  Your complete guide of ratings and reports for more than 70 waters statewide is written primarily by our regional fishing experts. See the forecasts.

MSA donates $25,000 to Canyon Creek Fish Hatchery

A big “thank you” to the Mogollon Sporting Association for its $25,000 donation to our Canyon Creek Fish Hatchery to help bring Gila trout to streams along the Mogollon Rim.  Gila trout are one of two native trout found in Arizona and are being raised at the Canyon Creek hatchery.

Fossil Creek open to fishing Saturday, Oct. 5-April 30

Remember Fossil Creek is a catch-and-release roundtail chub fishery with a fly and lure single-pointed barbless hook regulation.. See pg. 15 of our Fishing Regulations for details of this Special Regulation fishery.

Silver Creek catch-and-release season opens Oct. 1

On Tuesday, Oct. 1, the catch-and-release season at Silver Creek opens — and that means the upper section also opens to fishing for the first time since early spring. This catch-and-release section of Silver Creek requires trout to be immediately released unharmed, and is artificial flies and lures only with single-pointed barbless hooks. No trout may be kept. This segment of Silver Creek is open for fishing from Oct. 1 through March 31 of each year. See more fishing regulations.

What’s been stocked this week

(Water temp in parenthesis if available)

Rainbow trout: Show Low Creek (meadow), Oak Creek, Silver Creek (61), Frances Short Pond (61), Woods Canyon Lake (58).

Brown trout: Kinnikinick Lake (63).

Channel catfish: (week of Sept. 16).: “Core” Community waters.

See the stocking schedules

Thank you, anglers!