East Verde River winter fishing

This year, I decided to explore some spots on the East Verde. It is a pretty river anytime of the year, but the lure of seeing no other anglers on the river made me want to visit some spots that I haven’t been to for a while. During the summer, the East Verde offers a wide variety of fishing opportunities: from narrow and brushy sections to spots that are open and easy to cast in. There are several fast sections, some nice long runs, and many deep pools.

If there are good flows being delivered from the C. C. Cragin Reservoir, trout can be found anywhere along the river, since the riffles and runs are deep enough to hold them. However, when water is not being delivered from Cragin Reservoir, the flows are largely dependent on whatever comes from the springs in the Upper East Verde section of the river. Under these conditions, by the time the water gets downstream to the normal stocking points, the riffles and runs are often too shallow for trout. That is the case now, so any trout that you find will very likely be in the remaining pools.

Winter fishing in Rim Country is not without its challenges, especially on the East Verde that has several deeper, slow moving sections. These areas, while great places for trout over the winter, can sometimes be ice-covered. In places that are free of ice, the water is extremely clear, so that requires a stealthier approach as you make your cast.

An extra attraction to the East Verde this year is the news that the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) sprinkled some Gila trout in the East Verde around Thanksgiving at the usual stocking points. While you and I may look at this as a kind of holiday present from the department, this fall stocking really had a very important purpose that we will see further benefit from this spring and summer.

This fall stocking is the result of a fantastic year at Canyon Creek Hatchery of raising Gila trout from eggs produced from brood stock adults reared on-site. The Canyon Creek Hatchery staff members were so successful, that they actually raised more young fish than the space limitations of the raceway planned for Gila trout production this year could provide. As these trout grow, they need room in the raceway to remain healthy. Some of the extra Gilas were taken to the catch and release section of Oak Creek, and the rest were released in various places along the East Verde.

The Canyon Creek Hatchery has developed an incredibly successful Gila trout propagation program with the purpose of providing these hatchery raised trout for recreational fishing in selected streams.

Previously recreational Gila trout stocking for Arizona anglers were dependent on eggs produced from the Mora National Fish Hatchery in New Mexico that were provided to Canyon Creek Hatchery after the needs of Arizona and New Mexico Gila trout recovery stream plantings were met.

This propagation program to produce Gila trout for recreational fishing is different than the Department’s efforts to reintroduce Gila trout, one of two native Arizona trout species, to streams in their historic range. In those streams, AZGFD is working to produce sustainable recovery populations that will thrive in these small streams as they did long ago. These special recovery streams are under strict regulations, with some being completely closed to fishing while the population grows to sustainable levels, and others where populations have become well-established, are open to catch and release fishing except during the spawning season.

This fall batch of Gila trout for recreational fishing in the East Verde, and the Gilas that will be stocked this spring and summer are from Gila trout produced and raised entirely on-site at Canyon Creek Hatchery. That is an amazing accomplishment, and the result of great planning, commitment, and hard work by AZGFD that anglers who love catching Gila trout, truly appreciate.

The department obtained permission from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last year, and hopes to provide the opportunity for anglers to catch these Gila trout in other selected Rim Country streams besides the East Verde and Upper Oak Creek as part of its recreational fishing program. AZGFFD is awaiting final approval from the U.S. Forest Service in order to permit those stockings in these additional waters to take place this spring and summer.

Thank you AZGFD for this extra opportunity to catch Gila trout on the East Verde River this winter as part of this recreational stocking program. This is a great time to explore this fun river and catch a couple fish.