APACHE LAKE - Lake elevation is 1,906 feet (92 percent full). Only have a couple of reports, but those are very good for a mixed bag of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye and buffalo fish.

Both anglers who left messages also saw bighorns on the uplands toward the dam.

You might also find bass chasing shad at the surface, especially at first light. Try working the major points using soft plastic crayfish like lures worked along the bottom. Crankbaits can also work well at times. A few good-sized smallies are being caught -- please practice catch-and-release on these fish, which are in the comeback mode. Walleye fishing should be decent at first and last light using night crawler rigs, or jigs tipped with worms. Apache is also full of some really nice yellow bass. Try gold KastMasters or yellow/gold Rooster Tails. Catfishing should be good. Carp fishing is very good. You might even catch one of the monster buffalo fish (see picture from Canyon Lake).


BARTLETT LAKE Lake elevation 1,756 feet, 44 percent full. The best fishing is at first and last light, or at night. During the day, crankbaits or jigs bounced along the rock stringers, or worked around the points, islands and reefs should produce. Drop shots should also be viable.

Haven't heard much for crappie anglers here, but the speckled beauties should be congregating in larger schools suspended in deeper water, quite often off extended underwater points or along the Yellow Cliffs.

Look for a first-light topwater bass bite. Sometimes it is sporadic to non-existent. But if you hit it right, you might be able to get some good action. This bite should continue getting better and better as the season progresses. There might also be a topwater bite right before monsoon-generated storms hit. But be sure to get off the water of there is lightning.

This is the prime flathead catfish season. Try live bluegill or small carp as bait. Look for the deeper holes, especially uplake where there is a little current. For bluegills, try the backs of rocky coves using night crawlers or meal worms on light tackle.


CANYON LAKE - Lake elevation is still holding at around 1,659 feet, which is 98 percent full.

While Canyon is the land of the lunkers, it can be tough to fish, especially for novice anglers. Catch rates are typically low and even veteran anglers get skunked here. But the possibility of catching a hawg keeps many anglers coming back time and again. This is a pretty good lake for bluegill and yellow bass. Try small crappie-like lures, such as 2-inch curly tails, along the rocky shoreline. Shore fishing for channel catfish and carp can also be viable both day and night right now. As the season progresses, the better fishing for bottom dwellers will transition to the nighttime hours.


LAKE PLEASANT - Lake level 1,675, 70 percent full with 8,073 surface acres. Crescent moon right now, so fishing using lights at night should be viable.

Mike McFarland, a guide with HookUp Outfitters, said the threadfin are continuing to boil at the surface off-and-on and there is an all-day topwater bite, but you might have to go searching to find the active fish at the surface. Look for bird activity, such as greal blue herons or seagulls. Binoculars can help you spot boils.

The anchovy bite for stripers at around 60 feet is still tapering off a little, but it's still a good fall back if you can't find surface boils.

With a waxing crescent moon this week, it's still a good time to fish at night under submersible lights when thunder storms aren't threatening.

Nighttime fishing for catfish, especially from shore, should be good. This is prime catfish time. Try stink baits such as chicken liver. Corn can also work for both catfish and carp. Frozen anchovies fished on the bottom are another good choice -- you might even catch a striped bass.


ROOSEVELT LAKE - Lake elevation is 2,103 feet and the lake level is 50 percent.

Crescent moon right now, so this is a good time to fish at night under submersible lights.

Also starting to get some reports of topwater action at first and last light. Right now it seems like the boils are of short duration, but as a rule, the length and timing of the boils will continue increasing as we summer wains. By September, most of us will be fishing topwater off-and-on throughout the day.

Keep some flutter-down lures handy for when the boils subside. A spoon, Senk, curly tail -- any or all can work at times. Typically the larger bass are hanging on the bottom below boils, that way they don't have to expend much energy to get a meal -- body parts come floating down to them.

This is definitely prime catfish season. For channels, think sink bait. For flatheads, live bait such as bluegills or small carp work best. For channel catfish, try any stinkbait. Although you can catch channels during the day, the prime bite has likely shifted to the nighttime hours.

Not hearing much on the crappie front, but the speckled beauties should be congregated in larger schools, mostly over open water. Once you find them, live minnows and mini-jigs can do the trick.


SAGUARO LAKE - Lake elevation is 1,526 feet at 95 percent full. Largemouth bass fishing is fair to good when the recreational boating pressure is lower, especially at night. With a crescent moon this week, fishing under submersible lights should be very effective.

This is also a great place to take the youngsters at night for some sunfish action on one of the many fishing piers. Try meal worms or night crawlers under a bobber.   back...