Fishing Report For Woods Canyon Lake, AZ

By Rick Seaman

February 18, 2025

Popular Fish Species Reports
Woods Canyon Lake Fishing Video
Rainbow Trout
Bluegill
Brown Trout
Available Fish Species
Today's Weather & Forecast
Fishing Boat Rentals
Marinas
Boat Launch Ramps
Fishing License
Map
Contact Info

Fishing Report Woods Canyon Lake, AZ

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Woods Canyon Lake, AZ

Rainbow Trout

Current Report: Fair To Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

The diet of a rainbow trout consists of insects, small fishes and crustaceans. Use flies or small lures, imitating their natural food, to tempt them into biting. Small spinners and small swimbaits are catching rainbows, as are nightcrawlers, salmon eggs and prepared baits. Rainbow trout in Woods Canyon Lake tend to move around a lot, so if you are not catching them, try a different area, and/or experiment with various baits. A boat is well worth the effort here, so you can cover lots of water - trolling or casting.

Bluegill

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

Bluegill are abundant in Woods Canyon Lake, and are willing to bite. My last trip with the grandkids, we caught 60 or more in less than an hour. Use a small hook, small pinch weight and a bobber about 2' up the line. Once you locate the bluegill, fishing is fast and furious. Small pieces of nightcrawlers make an ideal bait.

Brown Trout

Current Report: Poor To Fair
Outlook: Poor

Brown trout are no longer stocked in Woods Canyon Lake, but the hold-over's from prior years are trophy size. The few that are caught are usually caught on bigger baits, like spinners and jerkbaits. Brown trout can be very aggressive, and put up a good battle.

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for rainbow trout, brown trout and bluegill at Woods Canyon Lake in Arizona.

Woods Canyon Lake is 52-acre lake in cool pine country of Arizona. Anglers are catching rainbow trout, brown trout and bluegill quite regularly. According to the US Forrest Service, "Woods Canyon Lake is stocked regularly with catchable rainbow trout. It's an easy 2 1/2-hour drive from the Greater Phoenix area.

Primary fish species to catch

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Fishing

Woods Canyon Lake has rainbow trout stocked by the Arizona Game & Fish Department, as well as some brown trout. The lake also contains bluegill, but the primary fishing activity revolves around trout fishing. For the kids, bluegill can be a blast - they are aggressive and will feed on tiny pieces of worm on a small trout hook. Maintained campgrounds, a general store and spectacular views make this a fisherman's paradise and a great place to take the family camping in Arizona.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Fishing Boat Rentals

Click here for fishing boat rentals available at this lake.

Marinas

Click here for marinas available at this lake.

Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

Click here for boat ramps available at this lake.

Fishing License

Click here for a Arizona Fishing License.

Map - Fishing & Access

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".