Fishing Report For Lake Pleasant, AZ

Current Report: Good To Very Good

Lake Pleasant is notorious for turning out largemouth well over 10 pounds, and though these trophy fish are not caught every day, there are lots of bass in the 4 to 7 pound class caught with with some regularity. Castle Creek, Coles Bay and Humbug Bay continue to deliver both quality and quantity, as these creeks offer the bass everything they want, year round.

WINTER. The cold of Winter has isolated largemouth around deeper structure, flats, points and creek channels. Water temperatures are currently in the 50's, and bass can be found on the bottom, or suspending from 15 to 30 feet deep, occasionally shallower on warm, sunny days. Often, some of the larger bass will isolate away from schools in 5 or so feet deeper water. They are currently being caught around the entrances to Humbug Bay and Castle Creek, as well as points and ledges on the main basin. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring. Slow presentations with drop shots, jigs, finesse worms, or lipless crankbaits are often the key to getting bites, just before, during and after, ice fishing.

SPRING. Once water temperatures rise into the low 60's, largemouth will move from deep wintering holes, to shallower water near spawning areas. Anglers report good topwater action from mid Spring through Summer, especially early in the morning, and on cloudy days. Vibrating jigs, crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits typically get bites just away from the shoreline. At this time they are feeding aggressively in about 10 to 20 feet of water, and preparing for the spawn. Once water warms into the mid to high 60's, they will move into 2 to 8 feet of water, and create nests, then lay their eggs. Immediately afterwards, females move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move to slightly deeper water, around 10 to 20 feet deep. Deep-diving crankbaits, vibrating jigs, drop shots, plastic worms, jigs, spoons, and swimbaits catch bass during this period.

SUMMER. Water temperatures will warm considerably in Summer. Bass will feed shallow, early and late in the day, where they are typically caught in 5 to 10 feet of water, on topwater lures, square-bill crankbaits, spinnerbaits and a variety of other lures. During Summer, keep an eye on the thermocline to determine the maximum depth to fish, as there is very little oxygen below the thermocline. Largemouth bass here feed on shad, herring, small sunfish and crawfish. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, channel edges, and ledges 15 to 25 feet deep. Wacky-rigged stick worms always catch finicky bass when the bite is slow. Some of the best reports typically come from anglers fishing around Goose Bay, Coles Bay, and the mouths of Castle Creek and Humbug Bay.

FALL. When Fall arrives, bass here will follow schools of baitfish into coves and shallow bays where crankbaits, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits have been successful in prior years. In early Fall, anglers typically have success in 10 to 18 feet of water, around main-lake points and shallow flats leading to deeper water. As deeper water cools, bait and bass move out to ledges, channel edges, points and humps. Here flutter spoons are often the ideal bait in 15 feet of water, or deeper. Some of the larger bass will seclude themselves away from the school, often in slightly deeper water.

Current Report: Good To Very Good

Due to their impressive size, striped bass are a favorite of locals, and many fishing guides offer striper trips here. The lake record is nearly 30 pounds, and many anglers believe there are bigger ones to be caught. The lake is loaded with stripers averaging 3 to 5 pounds, with plenty of 10 pound plus fish being caught. The lake is filled with plenty of threadfin shad, gizzard shad and sunfish that keep this fishery thriving. Being successful at fishing for stripers is a matter of locating schools of bait, and the wolf packs of stripers are likely to be nearby. Fish finders, and forward facing sonar, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Live bait and cut bait are also effective here, and stripers can be caught year round.

WINTER. Now that Winter has set in, stripers are hanging out in deeper water. Early and late in the day they are being caught in 20 to 30 feet of water. Mid day they feed close to the bottom, around 50 or 60 feet deep as they feed on roaming schools of threadfin shad and alewives. The main lake basin, along deep channels, is holding schools of stripers, especially in the section of lake around the dam. Locate schools of bait, then look for stripers close by. Fish finders, and forward facing sonar, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Nice stripers are caught while drift fishing with live bait or cut bait. Spoons, blade baits, and heavy hair jigs are also effective this time of year. Due to the stripers slower metabolism this time of year, anglers are triggering more strikes by working baits more slowly.

SPRING. Water temperatures are return to the mid 60's, and that's ideal for the stripers to spawn. In Spring, work the upper end of the lake, and the backs of coves, where there is inflowing water. If they spawn, this is where they will lay eggs in the moving water. They also move into transition zones on the main lake, in 10 to 20 feet of water, feeding on baitfish which are moving toward the shallows. Expect to locate them on mid-depth ledges, flats or points. The lake record is nearly 30 pounds, and many anglers believe there may be much bigger ones to be caught.

SUMMER. Summer months are the ideal time to chase striped bass here. These stripers hang out in deeper water during the heat of the day, 30 to 60 feet deep, early in the season. Much of the time they are holding over deeper, open water. Morning often draws the stripers shallower, so look for them around the 15- to 30-foot range as they feed on roaming schools of baitfish. Being successful at fishing for stripers in Summer is a matter of locating schools of bait, and the wolf packs of stripers are likely to be nearby. Later in Summer, expect to locate schools 50 to 60 feet deep or deeper. Nice stripers are being caught while trolling or drift fishing. Spoons, blade baits, crankbaits, live bait and cut bait are all effective here.

FALL. In Fall, stripers return to shallower water. Early in the day stripers chase bait to the surface and feed aggressively, making this an excellent time for topwater action. They follow schools of bait, which are hanging out in 15 to 30 feet of water. Look for shallow water along wind-blown shorelines, nearby deeper river channels, and fish them thoroughly. The mouths of the many bays at the north end of the lake attract bait and fish in Fall. Most any lure that resembles shad will catch striped bass at this time of year. Late Fall will find most of the stripers in 20 to 30 feet of water.

Current Report: Good To Very Good

Lake Pleasant offers the only population of white bass in the state, and it is often quite good.

WINTER. Winter fishing techniques for white bass, is a continuation of Fall patterns, except slightly deeper, around 20 to 35 feet. Currently, they are somewhat inactive, but will bite. They are still being caught on underspins, spoons, jigs, and live minnows, using a slower presentation. They often concentrate in the northern section of the main lake basin, around drop offs, points and humps. Good reports come from anglers fishing around Castle Creek, Coles Wash and Humbug Creek.

SPRING. The Spring run, when white bass move into the river sections of the lake, inflowing creeks, or along windy points, is where they gather for several weeks to spawn. Spring fishing for white bass last Spring was quite good, especially toward the backs of Castle Creek, Coles Bay, Humbug Creek, and the mouth of the Agua Fria River. They stage in 15 to 25 feet of water. Live minnows on a bobber, underspins, small swimbaits and small crankbaits all work for white bass in the shallows. White bass start their spawn run once the water temperature reaches the mid 50's. Early Spring is a prime time to fill the livewells with some fat white bass. Spinnerbaits, curly-tail jigs, underspins, small crankbaits, small jerkbaits, and most any lure that resembles baitfish, will catch these feeding whites. As the water temperatures continues warming, they move out of spawning areas, into slightly deeper water. Look for them in 2 to 10 feet deep. Also, watch for feeding frenzies when they chase schools of bait to the surface, at which time the fishing can be spectacular.

SUMMER. Summer finds white bass congregating in the main lake area, following and feeding on baitfish. They tend to stay in 15 to 30 feet of water, moving up and down the water column with the baitfish. Often they will chase baitfish very shallow, for short periods. They are being caught on slow-rolled spinnerbaits, curly-tail jigs, underspins, spoons, blade baits and small crankbaits, depending on the depth of the baitfish. Middle of the lake channel edges, points and flats hold all bait and white bass in the warmest months.

FALL. Early Fall finds white bass following baitfish into shallow coves and bays, into15 to 25 feet of water. Spoons, jigs, underspins and minnows are catching good numbers of whites. Later, once the shallows cool considerably from chilly Fall temperatures, schools of white bass and baitfish, move deeper. They will relate to most any structure, which includes drops, humps, brush, and creek channels. Trolling small crankbaits and spoons, or casting spoons and swimbaits, will catching them feeding on schools of baitfish.