Fly Fishing Arizona: Lees Ferry, Native Trout, Seasons and Tips
Location Details / Arizona
Fly Fishing Arizona: Lees Ferry, Native Trout, Seasons and Tips
Arizona fly fishing runs from Lees Ferry, the Colorado River tailwater below Glen Canyon Dam, to the White Mountains, home of the Apache trout, the state fish. Add Gila trout, Oak Creek's catch-and-release water, Silver Creek's winter season and crawfish-fed smallmouth and brown trout in rocky desert canyons.
Most of Arizona is desert. The trout live at the edges: in the cold release below Glen Canyon Dam, and in high-country streams that hold two native trout. The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) manages both, and one statewide license covers every species. This page maps where to fish, when to go and what our guests have said.
The Arizona story in our archive belongs to Mike, the angler behind the Fly All SZN YouTube channel. On a Fly Fishing Insider Podcast bonus episode published August 26, 2023, he told Christian that his big trip that year was the mountains of northeastern Arizona, near Show Low, to hold a wild Apache trout and a Gila trout in their small home streams. He and a friend backpacked into a canyon with emerald water and walls that seemed to go up forever, and after dark they lit torches and found crawfish so thick they could pick them up by the handful. That forage, he said, is why the big browns and smallmouth there grow so large and eat big streamers and poppers. He also warned that the monsoon was building as he left: thunderstorms that can flash through canyons that often have one way in and one way out.
Top species
Apache trout (state fish), Gila trout, rainbow and brown trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass
Best months
Lees Ferry all year; White Mountains May to October; Silver Creek catch and release October 1 to March 31
Top waters
Lees Ferry (Colorado River), Little Colorado River forks, West Fork Black River, Silver Creek, Oak Creek, Lee Valley Lake
License and regs
AZGFD licenses and regulations; anglers 10 and older need a fishing or combination license; no trout stamp
Nearest airports
Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX), Flagstaff Pulliam (FLG), Tucson (TUS)
Rule to know
Lees Ferry is artificial flies and lures only, barbless hooks only, with a two-rainbow daily limit
Where to Fly Fish in Arizona
Lees Ferry, Colorado River
Below Glen Canyon Dam the Colorado River runs cold and clear to Lees Ferry, where the Grand Canyon begins. The National Park Service counts 15 miles of smooth water open to boaters between the Lees Ferry launch ramp and the dam, so most of this reach is fished from a boat run upstream. From the dam to the Paria riffle the limit is two rainbow trout a day, artificial flies and lures only, barbless hooks only, and a rainbow must be kept as part of the limit or released immediately. Posted water directly below the dam is closed. Our winter destinations guide calls it a midge and scud river.
White Mountains: Apache Trout Country
The Apache trout is Arizona's state fish and one of its two native trout. AZGFD lists wild populations in the East Fork Little Colorado River above Colter Dam, the South Fork and West Fork of the Little Colorado River and the West Fork Black River. Hatchery fish go into lakes and streams including Lee Valley Lake and Aker Lake. Read the rules stream by stream: the East Fork above Colter Dam is catch and release from May 1 through December 31, the South Fork is closed January 1 through April 30, and Aker Lake is catch and release with single barbless hooks. In September 2024 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the Apache trout from the endangered species list, the first trout delisted due to recovery.
Gila Trout Streams
Arizona's other native trout is the Gila. AZGFD lists wild Gila trout in Dude Creek and Grapevine Creek, both catch and release from May 1 through December 31, with Dude Creek closed January 1 through April 30. Hatchery Gila trout are stocked in waters including Oak Creek, the East Verde River, Christopher Creek, Haigler Creek, Workman Creek and Bonita Creek. KP Creek, Ash Creek and Marijilda Creek are closed to protect or recover the species. Mike from Fly All SZN described the twist that hooked him: the Verde system's own trout were lost long ago, and the fish restocked there came from New Mexico Gila stock.
Silver Creek
Silver Creek in Navajo County is built for winter fly anglers. On the Commission-owned property it is artificial flies and lures only with single barbless hooks, and from October 1 through March 31 every trout goes back. From April 1 to September 30 fishing is limited to the designated area below the boundary fence under general rules.
Oak Creek
Oak Creek runs through the red rock canyon north of Sedona. From the Highway 89A bridge at Slide Rock State Park upstream to the Sterling Springs Hatchery property line, including West Fork Oak Creek, trout are catch and release with artificial flies and lures on barbless hooks. Oak Creek has no limit on smallmouth or largemouth bass.
Desert Canyons and Warmwater
Below the high country, rocky canyon streams hold smallmouth bass, and Mike found big brown trout keyed on crawfish. Many canyons take a long hike to reach, and summer storms change them fast.
When to Go Fly Fishing in Arizona
Arizona fishes in every month somewhere; elevation decides where. Treat this table as general guidance built from AZGFD seasons and our guests' comments, not hatch data.
| Target | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lees Ferry tailwater | ||||||||||||
| White Mountains streams and lakes | ||||||||||||
| Silver Creek (catch and release) | ||||||||||||
| Oak Creek | ||||||||||||
| Canyon bass and browns |
Intensity:LightModerateHeavy
Blank cells mean not worth planning around. High-country roads and streams can be snowbound in winter, and summer monsoon storms make canyon water dangerous; check the forecast before you hike in.
Book a Local Pro in Arizona
Guide or lodge in Arizona? Get listed. No FFIP Certified guide, lodge or outfitter is in Arizona yet. Put your business in front of anglers planning Lees Ferry, White Mountains and native trout trips.
Market Your ServicesBrowse every FFIP Certified pro in the guides and lodges directory.
Custom Flies and Rods from Arizona
These independent Arizona fly tyers sell their own flies through their own sites and Etsy shops.
- River Fly Company (Crack of Dawn Fly Works), Flagstaff
- JR's Desert Dub Materials (Arizona Fly Fishing), Show Low
- Colorado Fly Supply, Prescott Valley
- Flagstaff Fly Company, Flagstaff
Arizona custom rod builders listed with FFIP:
- Wicked Fly Rod Co., Phoenix
Tie flies or build rods in Arizona and want to be on this list? Get listed with FFIP.
Arizona Tips from Podcast Guests
-
Treat low, clear water as skill-building, not a lost cause
A tailwater tip that travels to Lees Ferry and Silver Creek.
Pat Dorsey, South Platte tailwater guide, on Guided EP #22 -
Rig a chubby dry with a two-fly dropper for shallow water
From the upper Colorado River, the same river that becomes Lees Ferry far downstream.
Zeke Hersh, Colorado River drift-boat guide, on How You Fish the Colorado from a Boat? -
Hike a few miles off the road for less-pressured fish
The approach that put Mike on Apache and Gila trout.
Donny Brenkendor, aquatic ecology researcher, on Fly Fishing Conservation is Healing Rivers with Scientific Research -
Make your streamer hover and kick when you pause the strip
Worth trying on crawfish-fed canyon smallmouth and browns.
Ryan Walker, Ozarks smallmouth guide, on Episode 146 -
Scan the water in a grid before you ever cast
Clear Arizona water rewards spotting the fish first.
Jan Axtell, Livingston, Montana spring creek guide, on Spring Creeks and Spot Fishing the Livingston Montana Area
Want more? Browse every tip in the Fly Fishing Tips Library, sorted by region, water type, species and skill.
Hear Arizona on the Podcast
Mike from Fly All SZN Stops by for an Interview at the House: Mike on backpacking into Arizona canyons for Apache and Gila trout, crawfish-fed browns and monsoon season. Read the episode notes.
How Hunters and Anglers Play a Role in Preserving Wildlife: Arizona-based conservationist John Stallone on how license dollars fund wildlife work and why your voice counts in other states too. Listen to the audio episode or read the episode notes.
Stallone made a point every visiting angler should hear: U.S. wildlife is held in the public trust, so a Utah angler fishing Arizona on a nonresident license is a real stakeholder in its rules.
Shop the Water: Flies and Gear for Arizona
Midges and scuds for Lees Ferry, a caddis dry for the high-country streams, a bugger and an articulated streamer for crawfish-fed browns, a popper for canyon bass, and boots with grip for rocky canyon wading. Pinch the barbs on any barbed fly before you fish Lees Ferry, Silver Creek, Aker Lake or upper Oak Creek. All in stock.
Black Zebra Midge Assortment
Olive Beaded Scud, Size 12
Barbless Tan Elk Hair Caddis, Size 16
Dark Olive Woolly Bugger, Size 8
Circus Peanut Envy, Brown
Deer Hair and Grizzly Popper, Size 8
Slate SR Sticky Rubber Wading Boots
Arizona Fly Fishing Questions, Answered
How much is a nonresident Arizona fishing license?
AZGFD's 2025-26 regulations list the general fishing license at $55 for nonresidents and $37 for residents, and it covers every species statewide. A short-term combination hunt and fish license is $20 a day for nonresidents and $15 for residents. Anglers 10 to 17 can buy a youth combination license for $5, and kids under 10 fish free. There is no trout stamp.
When is the best time to fly fish Arizona?
It depends on elevation. Lees Ferry fishes all year, and winter in the desert is often kinder there than in the mountains. The White Mountains are a summer and early fall destination, roughly May through October, once snow clears. Silver Creek's catch-and-release season runs October 1 to March 31. Plan canyon trips around the summer monsoon, which Mike from Fly All SZN warned can turn dangerous fast.
Where can you catch an Apache trout?
AZGFD lists wild Apache trout in the East Fork Little Colorado River above Colter Dam, the South and West Forks of the Little Colorado and the West Fork Black River, with hatchery fish in Aker Lake, the East Fork Black River, Lee Valley Lake, the Little Colorado near Greer and Silver Creek. Several are seasonal catch and release.
What are the fishing rules at Lees Ferry?
From Glen Canyon Dam to the Paria riffle, the limit is two rainbow trout per day, artificial flies and lures only, barbless hooks only, and any rainbow must be kept as part of the limit or released immediately. Posted water directly below the dam is closed. An Arizona fishing license is required for anglers 10 and older.
Can you fly fish Arizona in winter?
Yes. Lees Ferry stays open all year, and Silver Creek is set up for winter fly anglers: artificial flies and lures with single barbless hooks, and every trout released from October 1 through March 31. Much of the White Mountains high country is snowbound in winter, so save the native trout streams for summer.
Book the season you actually want
The best weeks go first, and the difference between a good trip and a great one is usually timing. Tell us the season you want and we'll find the water that fishes then.
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Tight lines, everyone!
By Christian Bacasa, host of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Last reviewed October 2026.
Prices, availability, flight routing and entry requirements change. Every figure on this page is the starting rate published by the lodge or by Frontiers International Travel at the time of writing, per angler, and is a starting point for a quote, not a quote. Seasons, lodge capacity, charter schedules, visa and passport rules and license requirements can all change without notice. Confirm current pricing, availability and entry requirements with your Frontiers specialist before you book anything.