Fishing Report For Woods Canyon Lake, AZ

Current Report: Fair To Good

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.

FALL. Cooling water temperatures in the shallows, have drawn rainbow trout out of deeper Summer depths. Anglers are now catching them 6 to 14 feet deep on rocky banks, wind-blown points on the northern shore, rocky structure, humps, and anywhere baitfish are gathering. Now that they had a full summer to grow, there are some nice size rainbow to be caught. Small spinners, and swimbaits are good choices, as are salmon eggs and prepared baits. Later in Autumn, they move into 14 to 22 feet of water. The lake is closed once the roads in are closed.

WINTER. The lake is closed from late November through March, or early April.

SPRING. As water begins to warm in early Spring, rainbow trout move from their late winter holding areas to shallow, warmer water 8 to 16 feet deep. Early mornings they are caught in 3 to 10 feet of water. Shallow flats and rocky structure are quick to warm in the afternoon sun. A wide variety of small spinners, spoons and bait are catching most of the fish.

SUMMER. Once Summer is here to stay, the warmer water drives rainbow deeper, 12 to 22 feet deep, and around 6 to 12 feet deep at dawn and dusk. Trolling with spoons, spinners and crankbaits, using leaded line, and drift fishing with bait, are currently the most productive methods. Following drop-offs into deeper water, along structure or creek channels, is a major key to getting bites. Anglers fishing from the bank are using nightcrawlers or Berkley PowerBait, with heavy weights on a Carolina rig, to get baits in deeper water.

Current Report: 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.

FALL. Cooling, Fall weather dropped the water temperature in the shallows, and is luring bluegill into the 2 to 8-foot water. Steeper banks and shallow, weedy areas with drop-offs are holding bluegill. Later in Fall, as the shallows get colder, bluegill will move mi lake, and may drop slightly deeper.

WINTER. The lake is closed from late November through March, or early April.

SPRING. In early Spring, bluegill migrate from winter holding areas toward the shoreline areas, and are typically caught around 1 to 6 feet deep. As the water warms to the mid 70's they will begin the spawning ritual, building nests in 1 to 3 feet of water. Many of the bigger bluegill prefer to spawn a bit deeper, depending on water clarity. After the spawn, bluegill often suspend over deeper water. Small hooks, or jigs tipped with small pieces of nightcrawlers are good choices for catching a lot of bluegill in spring. A hook, line, weight and bobber, with small pieces of worms, produces lots of bluegill.

SUMMER. Following the spawn, most of the bigger bluegill migrate to deeper water, around 6 to 14 feet deep. They prefer rocky or weedy areas, often hanging out on steep, rocky banks where they can move up and down to feed without having to travel a great distance. Many bluegill stay shallow, suspending above deeper water. Earthworms are catching good numbers. Early and late in the day, anglers catch them in 1 to 6 feet of water.

Current Report: Poor To Fair

Brown trout are no longer stocked in Woods Canyon Lake, but the hold-over's from prior years are often 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.

FALL. Use the same tactics used for rainbow trout here, with the exception of adding small jerkbaits to your arsenal.

WINTER. The lake is closed from late November through March, or early April.

SPRING & SUMMER. Again, use the same tactics used for rainbow trout here, with the exception of adding small jerkbaits to your arsenal.