If you don’t already have a 2011 annual Class A Fishing License or the Urban Fishing License for Arizona, you can get either one or both for half price.
No, that’s not a typo.
In November and December each year the annual fishing licenses for that year go on sale for half price.
This year you are just in time for the great fall bite (which only started a week or so ago) and the ramp-up of the winter trout stocking. In fact, the Urban Fishing Program lakes in the Phoenix and Tucson areas will be stocked with trout starting Nov. 17.
This week, Canyon Lake is being stocked with rainbow trout. This coming week, the Lower Salt River near Phoenix will be stocked with trout for the first time this winter.
“The Lower Salt River is a unique seasonal rainbow trout fishery in the desert just minutes away from our major metropolitan area, yet it is wild-like with deer, bighorn sheep, bald eagles and peregrine falcons being seen fairly routinely, especially at first light,” said Rory Aikens, the fishing report editor for Game and Fish.
The Verde Valley is also a popular trout angling destination this time of year – this coming week Game and Fish will be stocking the Verde River between Camp Verde and Cottonwood, along with Dead Horse Ranch State Park.
“Plus, the high country is still providing some terrific fishing opportunities. Big Lake has been going great guns recently. The reports from Woods Canyon, Willow Springs and Knoll lakes along the Mogollon Rim have also been excellent,” Aikens said.
Also, you might want to put on your calendar the “Welcome Back the Trout” celebration at Tempe Town Lake from 3 to 5 p.m. (after school) on Nov. 22, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
“This fishing celebration has become an Arizona holiday tradition, especially for outdoor-oriented families. Come on out and join us. We’ll have a fishing clinic, and you can even help us stock rainbow trout,” Aikens said.
Other lakes with great fishing opportunities include Saguaro, Lake Pleasant, Bartlett, Alamo, Lake Mohave and Lake Powell.
“If you want a world-class fishing experience for wild rainbows, head for Lees Ferry in northern Arizona,” Aikens advises. “Plus, it’s one of the most scenic trout fisheries on the planet.”
For more information on where to fish, visit www.azgfd.gov and click on the weekly fishing report or winter trout stocking schedule.
