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White Mountains
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Note To Anglers: Some mid-elevation lakes are still producing large trout over 12 inches. The best lakes to try include Big Lake and Becker Lake near Springerville.

BECKER LAKE — Lake is down 3 to 4 feet and the boat ramp is accessible. Fishing is fair to good. Try flies such as wooly worms in brown or black colors, peacock ladies, prince nymphs, and pheasant tail nymphs. Lures such as spinners (Mepps and Panther Martins), Z-Rays and KastMasters are also effective. The lake is open to artificial lure and flies and bait through Sept. 30. There is a two-fish limit. Anglers have been catching 8-10 inch as well as some large rainbow trout up to 20 inches on woolly buggers, damselfly and dragonfly patterns, Montana nymphs, peacock ladies, and midge larvae patterns. Shore anglers are catching rainbow trout on night crawlers and green or orange Power Bait. The lake contains some nice-sized green sunfish. Try fishing with a bobber, split shot, and a night crawler near weeds.

BIG LAKE — Fishing is fair to good. Two anglers say they caught and released 25 trout in four hours using cowbells and Power Bait. Boat ramps are accessible but water levels are low, so use caution when launching a boat. The south cove boat ramp is the best ramp. Try worms, Power Bait (green, orange, yellow, or rainbow colored), corn, salmon eggs, lures, and flies. Try Rapalas, crayfish colored lures, Crickhoppers, spinners and Z-rays. Flies such as beadhead peacock ladies, woolly worms and woolly buggers have been effective for fly fishermen. Boat anglers trolling with cowbells with attached bait or small lures are catching trout. Trout are deep and shore fishing is fair to good. Try fishing early and late in the day.

CARNERO LAKE — Fishing is poor to fair. The lake is open to artificial lures and flies only with barbless hooks and a two-fish limit. The lake does not have a boat ramp so float tubes and small carry in boats work well. The lake is very weedy. Anglers need to concentrate on fishing the open areas of the lake.

CONCHO LAKE — Fishing is poor to fair. Fish are likely to be more active early in the morning or just before dark. Also, fishing in deeper water where it is cooler should be more productive. Try using worms, Power Bait (green, orange, yellow, or rainbow colored), lures, and flies off the dam. The lake is weedy. This lake contains some nice sized green sunfish so try fishing with night crawlers in the open water areas near weed beds of the lake.

CRESCENT LAKE — Fishing is poor. The lake’s water clarity is good. It is approximately 5-6 feet low so use caution when launching a boat. The boat ramp on the west shore is recommended but it is weedy. The water level is 6 feet from the end of the concrete boat ramp. Try using worms, Power Bait, lures, and flies off the rocky points of the lake. Shore anglers have been catching rainbow trout on green, yellow, and rainbow colored Power Bait and worms before the summer fish die-off of approximately 2000 trout during July.

FOOL HOLLOW LAKE — Boat ramps are accessible but larger boats may have difficulty launching. The eastside boat ramp is better than the northwest boat ramp. Fishing is fair. Try worms, Power Bait, lures, and flies near structure such as rocks, tree stumps, and weed beds. Scheduled to be stocked with catchable size rainbow trout during the week of Sept. 13. Trout should be active early in the morning and late in the day. Catfish are being caught on chicken livers. Fish early and late around rocky areas and tree stumps for largemouth and smallmouth bass, black crappie, bluegills, and walleyes.

GREER LAKES — Lake levels are low. Boat ramps are low and accessible only to small boats. Fishing is fair at Bunch and Tunnel reservoirs. Try worms, Power Bait (green and yellow), lures (Z-Rays and spinners) and flies (peacock ladies, woolly worms and woolly buggers). River Reservoir is at minimum pool because of safety reasons. The boat ramp is not usable. River Reservoir will likely not be stocked until repairs are completed on the dam and the lake level is back up.

HULSEY LAKE — Fishing is poor. Trout should be active early in the morning and late in the evening. Try worms, Power Bait, lures (small spinners), and flies.

LEE VALLEY RESERVOIR — Fishing is poor to fair. Catchable size Apache trout were stocked in April. There are no grayling but work to return these unique fish to the lake is ongoing. The lake level is low. The lake is open to artificial lures and flies only, two-fish limit, with a minimum size of 12 inches. Try nymphs such as peacock ladies, prince nymphs, hares ears, bead head nymphs in green, brown, and black. Small lures such as spinners (Panther Martin, Mepps, and Rooster tails) also work. There is an algae bloom present in the lake. Fish early and late in the day.

LUNA LAKE — Fishing is fair. Fish early and late in the day. Try worms, Power Bait, lures such as Z-Rays, Rapalas, and spinners. Flies such as woolly worms and woolly buggers are also effective.

LYMAN LAKE — Water levels are good. Boat ramps are accessible. Fishing is fair to good. Anglers are catching catfish at the upper end of the lake. A 16-pound channel catfish was caught in July. Walleyes and largemouth bass are being caught off the dam and around other rocky shoreline areas of the lake. Try worms, Power Bait, lures (Rapalas, Z-Rays, crankbaits, and spinners). There is a health advisory here. Mercury levels were detected in the fish. Children under the age of six should not eat any fish from the lake. Women of childbearing age and children under the age of 16 should limit their consumption of fish to one meal per month. Adult men over the age of 16 can consume five meals per month.

NELSON RESERVOIR — Fishing is fair to good. Try worms, Power Bait (green, yellow, orange, and rainbow colored), lures, flies, and corn. The lake water level is down. Both boat ramps should be accessible, but recommend the ramp by the dam. Try using worms and small jigs off rocky shoreline areas for black crappie and sunfish. Fish early and late in the day.

RAINBOW LAKE — The lake is down about 1.5 feet. The boat ramp is accessible. Fishing is poor to fair for rainbow trout. Try worms, Power Bait (green, yellow or rainbow colored), lures, and flies. Black bullheads are plentiful, which are easy for kids to catch on night crawlers or other catfish baits fished on the bottom. Catfish should be hitting worms, chicken livers and prepared baits. Fish near weed beds with night crawlers for bluegills. Fish early and late in the day.

SCOTT'S RESERVOIR — Fishing is fair to good. The lake water level is down 4 feet and the boat ramp is accessible. Try worms, Power Bait (green, yellow, or rainbow colored) lures, and flies. Anglers are catching rainbow trout up to 14 inches on Power Bait and worms. Catfish are being caught on worms, livers, and prepared baits. Largemouth bass are being caught on worms, spinner baits, and topwater plugs. Fly fishermen have been catching rainbow trout on Montana stones, peacock ladies, and brown woolly buggers. Some nice bluegills are being caught on small flies, lures, and worms. Fish early and late in the day.

SHOW LOW LAKE — Fishing is fair. Try worms, Power Bait (green, yellow, or rainbow colored), salmon eggs, lures, and flies. The boat ramp is accessible. Gill net surveys in April showed strong numbers of walleye, including a couple of 11 pounders, and a fair carry over of trout. Large channel catfish were also caught. Try casting or trolling Rapalas or crankbaits around shorelines during the evening or early morning. Scheduled to be stocked with catchable size rainbow trout during the week of Sept. 13. Try fishing around rocky structures for largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegills, and walleye. Catfish should be hitting on worms, livers, and prepared baits. Fish early and late in the day.

WOODLAND LAKE— Fishing is poor. Try fishing during the cooler hours of the day when the fish will be more active. The lake is down about 3-4 feet and the boat ramp is accessible. Try worms, Power Bait (green, yellow, or rainbow colored), lures, and flies. Largemouth bass are hitting lures during the evening hours. Fish early and late in the day. The lake is very weedy.

CHOLLA LAKE — The Cholla Lake State Park is open. Fishing is probably poor to fair until fish populations rebound from two years ago.

CLEAR CREEK RESERVOIR — Fishing is poor for rainbow trout and fair to good for warm water species (bass, catfish, and bullheads). Try worms, Power Bait, corn, lures and flies. Fish early and late in the day.

SILVER CREEK — Trout fishing is good. The upper part of Silver Creek is closed. Below the closed area try worms, Power Bait, lures, and flies.

STREAMS —Trout will be stocked weekly until mid September.
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