Arizona Fishing News and Events

Give your kids the adventure of a lifetime this summer! The Arizona Game and Fish Department and Wildlife For Tomorrow are once again hosting a wildlife and outdoor recreation summer camp for children ages 8-13. Registration is now open for camp sessions being held June 12-15 and June 19-22. Learn about Arizona’s wildlife; experience outdoor recreation activities and all the wonders of the...

The biggest benefactor of several powerful winter storms that have hit Arizona recently is the state’s water supply, a Salt River Project spokesman said. Charlie Ester, the manager of surface water collections for SRP, said the storms that dropped feet of snow in Flagstaff increased the snowpack in the Verde River system to 200 percent above normal, while the Salt River system is 120 percent...

AZGFD is looking for a volunteer group, organization or business to adopt Rainbow Lake in Lakeside. This popular local recreational area would greatly benefit from regular trash cleanup of the parking and dam areas. The parking area, dock and boat launch area are owned by the department for the purposes of maintaining public access to Rainbow Lake, which is mostly private and has limited...

Native & Wild Trout Conference April 27, 2017 Western Regional Rendezvous April 28 - 29, 2017 Saguaro Hotel, Scottsdale Meeting follows the 8th Annual Native and Wild Trout Conference Native and Wild Trout Conference (April 27, 2017) Hosted Fishing Day featuring native and wild trout and a Southwest Bone Fish Experience (aka Grass Carp) Companion / Spouse activities offered Unique...

For the first time in three years, Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery will release 1,000 rainbow trout into the Colorado River near Willow Beach Marina at Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Arizona every Friday, starting February 3. A new pump and conveyance system were installed to deliver cold water to the federal fisheries facility, providing for proper trout growth. The stocked fish...

According to AZGF, Colorado River waters are expected to heat up this month, when Havasu’s fish are expected migrate to the Lake’s shallower waters before spawning. The Department recommends using dropshot-rigged plastic worms as bait, with nothing heavier than 8-pound fluorocarbon line. According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the spring bass-fishing season is off to a...

Families will have the opportunity to spend some time together fishing Feb. 11 at La Paz County Park. The 38th annual Take a Kid Fishing event has been set for Feb. 11 at La Paz County Park. Registrations will begin at 10 a.m. and the event will run through 3 p.m. Fishing itself will start at 10:30 and run through 2:30 p.m. There will be drawings for prizes at the end of the program. Fishing...

Saturday, January 21, 2017 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM Lake Pleasant Regional Park Lake Pleasant Access Road - Discovery Center Peoria, AZ 85383 1(928) 501-1703 Find out where and how they bite at Lake Pleasant! Not having any success fishing at Lake Pleasant? Well Frank may have some tips that just might help your odds of catching that fish. Stop by the Discovery Center and talk with him. Frank...

March 25, and Sunday, March 26, at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix. Admission and parking are free! Once again, there will be plenty of hands-on fun for all ages. See the video! Check out the huge family fishing tanks. See all sorts of live wildlife. Learn target archery and try other shooting sports in a safe, supervised, controlled environment on the range. Get a feel for...

AZGFD sponsored family fishing day at Red Mountain Lake. Free fishing clinics, loaner rods are provided, bait is free, and no license is required to those who register during event hours. Saturday, Jan. 28 — Family Fishing Day, 8 a.m. – noon, Red Mountain Lake (7745 E. Brown Rd., Mesa). The lake will be stocked prior to the event with 420 pounds of trout.

Nature enthusiasts say there’s a myriad of possibilities for the now-defunct city-owned Palo Duro Golf Course in the Meadow Hills neighborhood. But with little funding and no clear direction from the city, nothing has been done to move a project forward. “We’re just in the very preliminary stages right now, exploring the options,” said Tim Wade of the AZGFD. “We’re just looking at options of...

[ATTACH] Sue Nowak caught this 6.28 lb, 21 inches long and 17.25 inches wide bronzback fishing at Lake Havasu on Thursday. It's the new AZ state record smallmouth bass. The previous was also caught at Havasu. It was recorded at Havasu’s Bass Tackle Master Shop, at 260 London Bridge Road. Proof of the catch sent to AZGFD Friday morning.

Keep it wild co. is hosting this event to clean up the lower salt river. Equipment is limited, so remaining volunteers will be asked to help out on foot. Phon D Recreation Site Saturday, February 18th at 8AM more details: keepitwildco.com/blogs/cleanups/cleanup-salt-river

Tour Lake Pleasant on kayak with Parks and Recs. Full details.

On Saturday, October 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the agencies will host a grand opening for the Lake Pleasant Regional Park Discovery Center to showcase all that the new facility has to offer. The event will kick-off with short speeches from key partners in the project, followed by a Native American blessing on the building, and ribbon-cutting. "For us, this is not just a celebration of the...

Grab the family and come on out fishing at Lake Pleasant! Come try some fishing with the ranger. Loaner Fishing equipment, and some bait will be provided. You can also bring your own fishing gear and bait. No fishing license required during the hours of this program (7am to 10am) only at the location of this program. This is a joint program with the Arizona Game & Fish Department. Register at...

The annual event was organized by Glendale City Councilmember Jamie Aldama in cooperation with the Glendale Chamber of Commerce, which will be sponsoring the giveaway of youth licenses. The giveaway coincides with a free fishing clinic -- loaner rods will be available, no license is required, and bait will be provided. Licenses will go to the first 1,000 youth ages 10-17 during the event at...

Arizona Game and Fish announced Wednesday a Family Fishing Day event will take place at Roper Lake State Park on Saturday, March 11. The Game and Fish Sport Fishing Education staff, as well as state park staff, will be on hand to help. Loaner rods and bait will be provided, or anglers can bring their own. The event is open to all ages and is free. No fishing license is required for those who...

This article by an ex branch chief is an interesting insight on how AZGFD raised license fees for their budget, and the challenges of working in public service. Intro: Twelve years ago I went to work as a branch chief for the Arizona Game & Fish Department. In Arizona, like in most states, wildlife conservation is wholly funded by people who hunt and fish. And nationwide, hunting and fishing...

ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR is defined as any individual that has engaged in political advocacy for the betterment of wildlife conservation and in the support of the mission of the AZ Game & Fish Department. Don regularly promotes the efforts of the Arizona Game & Fish Department on his radio show, website and newsletter promoting conservation topics that includes Operation Game Thief, AZGFD...