The Best Fishing Spots in Arizona
Arizona offers varied recreational fishing across desert reservoirs, river stretches and high-country lakes, with options for both shore and boat anglers. Key species include largemouth bass and smallmouth bass in reservoirs such as Lake Havasu, Lake Powell and Roosevelt; rainbow trout, brown trout and brook trout in mountain streams and alpine lakes; plentiful catfish and crappie in lowland waters; and colder-water species like kokanee salmon, walleye and striped bass in deeper impoundments. Popular techniques include bank fishing, trolling, spinning and fly fishing, and the mix of Sonoran desert shorelines and alpine scenery makes Arizona a year‑round recreational fishing destination.
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Top Freshwater Fishing Spots
Canyon Lake
Deep, clear Canyon Lake fishes well for largemouth bass and winter rainbow trout, with bonus yellow bass and catfish. Target steep bluff walls, rocky points, and timber with jigs, dropshots, and jerkbaits; shore anglers do well near Acacia and Boulder recreation sites, while boaters can probe the lake’s dramatic canyon structure for suspended bass and trout.
Lake Pleasant
Metro Phoenix’s premier fishery, Lake Pleasant offers trophy striped bass, quality largemouth bass, and strong populations of white bass, crappie, and channel catfish. Spring and fall shine for power-fishing bass on points and coves, while night fishing with lights draws shad and hungry stripers in summer; trolling, vertical jigging, and live-shad techniques produce both from shore-accessible points and by boat, with additional action around Scorpion Bay and Pleasant Harbor .
Lynx Lake
A pine-rimmed Prescott-area lake, Lynx Lake is popular for stocked rainbow trout and offers crappie, sunfish, and channel catfish. Shorelines near the marina and dam produce with bait and spinners, while non-motorized boats and rentals help reach cruising trout and schooling panfish along drop-offs and timber edges.
Parker Canyon Lake
A productive southern Arizona lake, Parker Canyon Lake offers largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, and winter/spring rainbow trout. Shore anglers target the marina cove, dam, and points with bait and small jigs; boaters cover weed lines and drop-offs, with trout roaming open water after stockings and bass relating to tules and wood.
Patagonia Lake
Southern Arizona’s Patagonia Lake is a consistent producer of largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, and winter rainbow trout. Work tules, coves, and creek channels with finesse plastics and small swimbaits; shore fishing is convenient in the state park, while boaters cover shoreline grass and deeper timber for roaming bass and crappie schools.
Roosevelt Lake
Arizona’s largest bass lake in the central region, Roosevelt Lake is famed for numbers of largemouth bass, built brush habitat, and dependable crappie bites; anglers also encounter smallmouth bass, channel catfish, and seasonal stocked trout. Work flooded timber, creek arms, and main-lake points with jigs and reaction baits during spring and fall, and target crappie over submerged trees; access is excellent by boat and from shore near Tonto Basin and Windy Hill .
Saguaro Lake
A scenic Salt River reservoir east of Phoenix, Saguaro Lake produces quality largemouth bass, reliable winter rainbow trout stockings, and solid yellow bass and sunfish action. Work submerged trees, canyon walls, and grass with finesse rigs and swimbaits; trout bite near the dam and ramps after stockings, with shore access at Butcher Jones and excellent boat fishing throughout the narrow canyon.
Salt River
Below Saguaro Lake , the Salt River’s lower reaches offer cool-season stocked trout, summer smallmouth and largemouth bass, and catfish in runs and pools. Float or wade to present small spinners and nymphs in clear current, or fish bait and plastics in deeper holes; easy access at recreation sites makes both shore and kayak fishing productive.
Upper Lake Mary
Close to Flagstaff, Upper Lake Mary offers multi-species action: northern pike, walleye, yellow perch, crappie, and channel catfish, plus stocked trout in cool periods. Work windblown banks and points with spinners and jerkbaits for pike and walleye, and fish jigs for panfish; ample shore access and open water favor both bank anglers and small boats.
Watson Lake
Set among Prescott’s Granite Dells, Watson Lake features fun action for largemouth bass, crappie, sunfish, and stocked trout. Work rock seams, islands, and boulder fields with small swimbaits and jigs; kayak and canoe access opens pockets between granite formations, while shoreline casting scores along points and coves.
Willow Springs Lake
Near the Rim’s high pines, Willow Springs Lake offers steady rainbow trout action and the chance at brown trout. Shore anglers do well near the dam and points, while kayaks and small boats troll spoons and in-line spinners; early and late light sees cruising trout along drop-offs and weed edges in this cool-water getaway close to Woods Canyon .
Woods Canyon Lake (duplicate placeholder to be replaced)
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Lake Havasu
Renowned for world-class smallmouth bass and strong largemouth bass fishing, Lake Havasu also offers standout striped bass, channel and flathead catfish, and winter stocked trout near the channel. Fish rock reefs, current edges, and grass lines; spring jerkbaits and swimbaits and summer topwater excel, with shoreline access around London Bridge and extensive boating opportunities along the Colorado River impoundment.
Alamo Lake
A remote bass factory, Alamo Lake churns out numbers of largemouth bass and slab crappie, with big flathead and channel catfish prowling after dark. Work flooded mesquite, creek arms, and rocky points with spinnerbaits, jigs, and crankbaits; shore anglers score around access areas, while boaters can explore the upper Bill Williams arm for stained-water power bites.
Lake Powell
Sprawling across red-rock canyons, Lake Powell features abundant striped bass with dependable boils, plus strong smallmouth bass, walleye, and crappie. Troll points and ledges, cast to rocky shorelines, and chase surface-feeding stripers; both boat and shore tactics work near Wahweap and Antelope Point , with excellent fishing in side canyons when forage concentrates.