Roosevelt Forecast:"Best Bass Fishing in Western U.S."

Arizona fishing outlook is best in 25 years. 2008 is shaping up as the Year of the Pisces It is shaping up to be the best fishing year in Arizona in 25 years - this may indeed be the Year of the Pisces. According to Salt River Project (SRP), the projected runoff from the current snowpack is more than enough to fill Roosevelt Lake - for the first time since the dam was raised in 1996. The tremendous runoff in 2005 almost filled the lake, but was three feet shy at 96-percent full. "Our most recent runoff forecast is for inflow to exceed the amount necessary to bring Roosevelt Lake to 100 percent capacity," predicted Mark Hubble, the senior hydrologist with SRP. Fisheries biologists with the Arizona Game and Fish Department see great things happening this year. "This looks like an historic year in our fisheries, in large part because of the tremendous runoff in 2005 and resulting spawns, but also because of the widespread deep snowpack in the high country we haven't experienced since at least 1993," said Fisheries Branch Chief Kirk Young. "The Arizona fishing outlook is the best we've seen in 25 years or so." The story doesn't end there. Young explained that the runoff in 2005 filled most of the inland desert lakes and resulted in a tremendous sport fish spawn that year. Those abundant sport fish in the various reservoirs from the 2005 spawn are now three years old, which is a prime spawning age. Roosevelt also had significant spawns in 2006 and a decent spawn in 2007. In addition, this year when Roosevelt fills it will inundate around 500 surface acres of habitat that has never been under water before. "Roosevelt will be going through what we call the 'new lake syndrome.' Its productivity will go right off the charts - again. Roosevelt will quite possibly become the best bass and crappie fishery in the Western United States, if it's not there already," said Young. If you haven't bought your license and cleared some time for this spring and summer, this is your wake-up call to do so. You will definitely regret missing this year's fishing opportunities. "These are the good ole days anglers will be reminiscing about for years to come," Young said.