The Best Places To Fish In Arizona

By Rick Seaman

The purpose of this page is to share information about the best fishing lakes in the state, listed by species.

Arizona offers a plethora of fantastic fishing destinations, each with its own unique charm and top-notch species to target. One of the best places to fish in Arizona is Lake Powell, which is renowned for its incredible striped bass fishing. Anglers flock to this picturesque reservoir to battle with these hard-fighting fish. Another exceptional location is the Colorado River, where anglers can target a variety of species such as trout, bass, catfish, and panfish. The urban lakes in Phoenix, including Tempe Town Lake and Chaparral Lake, provide convenient access for anglers in the metropolitan area and are known for their excellent bass fishing. For those seeking trophy-size fish, Roosevelt Lake is a top choice, offering exceptional opportunities for largemouth bass. Additionally, the White Mountains region, with its numerous lakes and rivers, is a haven for trout fishing, with species like rainbow trout and brown trout enticing anglers. With such diverse fishing options, Arizona truly caters to all types of anglers, from bass enthusiasts to trout aficionados, making it a paradise for fishing enthusiasts.

There are many great places to fish in The The Grand Canyon State. High country lakes offer great trout fishing. Lower desert lakes are bass and crappie factories. Bass grow to trophy size in the warm climate, due to the long growing season. Most lakes in the state have populations of bluegill and other sunfish species. Catfish anglers have good choices all over the state. Striped bass, walleye and northern pike are also available in some of the lakes.

Arizona's Top Five Amazing Fishing Spots

Roosevelt Lakes is the best all-round fishing lake in the state, offering bass, catfish and crappie fishing. Lake Pleasant is a close second, featuring bass, stripers and crappie. Lake Mary, near Flagstaff, has walleye, bass and crappie. Learn more...

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The Most Popular Fish Species In Arizona

Bass is the most sought after species in the state. Trout is second with five species to pursue. Catfish are found state wide and popular. Crappie are abundant, fun to catch and make a great fish fry. Walleye, available in several AZ lakes are popular for their tasty white meat. Learn more...

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The Best Bass Fishing Lakes in Arizona

Roosevelt Lake has both smallmouth and largemouth bass, and it produced the state record smallmouth. Lake Pleasant is a quick trip from Metro Phoenix and offers good largemouth fishing, often serving up double-digit giants. Bartlett Lake has a healthy population of bass, but fishing success can often vary with fluctuating water levels. Learn more...

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Top Places To Fish For Trout in Arizona

There are five species of trout available in the state. Lee's Ferry tops the list for both size and consistent fishing. Big Lake and Reservation lake are the next best options with multiple species of trout. Learn more...

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Best Lakes To Fish For Catfish in Arizona

Bartlett Lake and the Verde River feeding into the lake create an ideal fishery for monster flathead catfish. Channel catfish are also plentiful and tend to reside all around the lake. Martinez Lake, and the Lower Colorado River flowing through it, serve up big flatheads and channel cats. Roosevelt Lake, and the Salt River feeding into it, has big flatheads and channel cats. Learn more...

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Top Crappie Fishing Lakes in Arizona

Roosevelt Lake, and San Carlos Lake (when fishable) are the top choices for crapping fishing in the state. Alamo Lake is a good third choice. Learn more...

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Best Places To Fish For Walleye in Arizona

Apache Lake, Canyon Lake, Fool Hollow Lake, Lake Mary, Lake Powell, Saguaro Lake and Show Low Lake all have varying populations of walleye. The state record walleye came out of Show Low Lake. Learn more...

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Enjoy these top spots to go fishing in Arizona