FS Digest

Hey everyone! So I’ll be moving to Surprise AZ within the next couple of months and I was just wondering what bodies of water there are to fish near the area and what species of fish there are. I mainly like to try my hand at bass fishing but I’m open to some new ideas. Thanks in advance!

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by eddiegiratas

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

You can fish in Phoenix? That's news to me. Isn't it about 140 degrees there right now? Just wait til August.
Just yanking your chain eddie. Hopefully someone will show up here that's familiar with the area. I'd be checkin out the Gila River. But I really don't know.

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

OR he could just move there and be SUPRISED !

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

I lived in Surprise for a year and a half. I never got to do any fishing while I was there but Lake Pleasant is not far and I seem to recall that it holds bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish. In Surprise itself you can catch rattlesnakes, and scorpions. In the odd event that it rains you can go swimming in the many sunken park areas that catch the runoff from the streets and I seem to remember it is not far from a couple of ball fields where a couple of the major league teams hold spring training.By late April or early May you can cook your breakfast on the sidewalk and you are not allowed to park your vehicles on the street.

Jim Sargent Loc: Payson, AZ

Eddie,
You have an abundance of choices. Lakes Pleasant, Bartlett, Saguaro, Canyon, Apache, and Roosevelt are reasonably close. Havasu and Mojave to the west, and you are only half a day from Lake Powell, arguably the greatest fishery in the western United States. These have bass, crappie, panfish, etc. In the summer that Spirit is so worried about simply drag your boat/butt up to the Mogollon Rim where we have bass, trout, and many other species.

Elefantdude Loc: Oxnard, CA

There's a "secret" spot for some LMB on the Gila River out there. The Gila River runs just north of the PIR (Phoenix International Raceway) Just be careful of illegal stuff going on out there. I've been out there and have heard gun shots, and I don't think they were aiming at me, just people discharging their guns/rifles.

Or you can head up the 101 from Surprise up to Lake Pleasant where there is some great striper fishing. Or fish at night with lights to draw shad and you can catch a variety of fish like crappie, white bass, stripers, LMB or catfish :-)

East of there, you have Tempe Town Lakem which was my home lake that I fished from a kayak. I never got skunked there :-) And they also have local urban ponds that they stock.

Those are areas within an hour's drive from Surprise. You also have the Salt River and then the Salt River Chain of lakes, which include, Saguaro, Canyon, Apache and Roosevelt lakes. All good LMB lakes. If you want to do some trout fishing, my favorite area are lakes along the Mogollon Rim, which include, Woods Canyon Bear Canyon, Blue Ridge among others. And my favorite trout lakes are up in the Apache White Mountains. Big Lake, Horseshoe Cienega and Reservation lakes hold some nice brown trout. Do some research on them lakes and see what to use and when to fish them :-)

Have fun!!!

Az Bob Loc: Phoenix, AZ

Lotsa places for bass and trout in the area. Less than 1/2 hr away is Lk Pleasant (Lg Mouth, stripe, crappy, cat). A little farther (out of Carefree) is Bartlett (Lg Mouth, crappy, cat) - smaller water, but my favorite lake. 1 1/2 hrs out is Rosevelt (top of the Salt River chain of lakes) for bass and crappy. North and east of Payson, and the ShowLow area, there’s trout (also some bass) in lakes and streams. West of you are Alamo St. Park, Havasu and the Colorado lakes. So, lotsa places for you to choose from. Check out Az Game & Fish Dept. web site for info. Yup, for a couple of months it’s HOT here, but the rest of the time there’s all kind of places for outdoor fun. Welcome to the area....

Danger25 Loc: Philly/ Cape may New Jersey

Ouch.😂

Big A Loc: Mesa, Arizona

Fishing in Arizona - most rivers/
lakes within a short drive of Surprise have bass, sunnies, carp, catfish and trout, including the many Community Lakes/Ponds
throughout the metro area !

If you're after specific species, certain lakes are far superior to others, depending on species
sought ! Keep in mind that while fishing from shore can be productive in certain areas that some type of watercraft will greatly improve your chances on most lakes in this state !

For stripers, your best bet is
Lake Pleasant, Lake Powell, and the upper reaches of the lower Colorado from Lake Mead down to Lake Havasu !
Black bass (LMs/SMs) are nearly
everywhere, but Saguaro Lake
has good numbers and decent size, while Canyon Lake may hold fewer bass, but holds some real 'hawgs' (state record LM - 16-1/2 lbs.) !
Bartlett Lake holds the current state record for flathead 'cats' at just over 76-1/2 lbs., while Roosevelt and Alamo Lakes
are really good for bass and crappie !
Some of the best lakes for
walleye include Upper Lake Mary,
Showlow, and Fool's Hollow
Lake; Upper Lake Mary holds
bass, trout, sunnies, channel
'cats', walleyes and pike ! The above-mentioned lakes also
hold pike, as well as Ashurst
Lake (state record pike - around
45 inches/25 lbs.); it is (supposedly) a trout lake and holds some really nice rainbows and browns, but a good part of their stocked trout are basically
'pike food' !
There are quite a few good trout lakes, some of them around Prescott, a few just south of Flagstaff, and some really
good ones on the 'Rim' and the White Mtns. area, a few of which
require some type of flotation device for decent access !

I hope this helps you some; just PM me if you need more input !
Hope your move is relatively easy and stress-free; having driven cross-country to move here, I know well how long-haul moves can be ! Tight lines, buddy !

Ron620DVS Loc: Guntersville Alabama

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*****

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

Very glad you're back Ron, missed you.

Ron620DVS Loc: Guntersville Alabama

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Why doesn't my wife ever say that to me?

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

Maybe you haven't been gone from her for long enuff for her to realize just how special you are????

Ron620DVS Loc: Guntersville Alabama

*****



I bet that you are correct. Bet that she would miss the money coming in every month...

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

Maybe that too, but even if you were poor as church mice I bet she'd miss havin' you around.