Fishing spots in Phoenix? (Mesa, Tempe: college, restaurants, stores)

[The_Cadillac_Lawyer]

I know about "urban fishing" however, staking out a spot on a concrete embankment isn't exactly my idea of fishing.
I know there are several parks with man-made lakes, Caesar Chavez immediately comes to mind, Any recommendations on good fishing environments to relax, and maybe fire up a grill, and actually catch some fish?

[maverick974]

Saguaro Lake is reasonably close and they have some good day use areas next to the boat ramps that look nice and I've caught some nice bass in front of those areas.
Canyon Lake is a bit further but also has some nice day use areas. The one area south of the marina is a "no boat" zone so it's very quiet back there and it looks like some great fishing waters.
An added plus is that the restaurants and stores at both lakes are very close so if you forget something, it's close by.

[cacto]

In Phoenix, Papago Ponds by the zoo is kinda nice. It's surrounded by Papago Park which is more natural desert setting with some rocky hills nearby. It's 3 ponds which feed into each other and they have irregular shapes so you can find little nooks and bays to call your own away from other fishermen. There's picnic tables and public grills here and there too.

Right by there, around College and McKellips in North Tempe is Evelyn Hall Pond. Stocked also. It has a similar desert environment and scenery. It's got a good size island in the middle accessible by a foot bridge, gets you closer to the middle to cast.

The Salt River lakes maverick974 mentioned are great. Love everything about them except the long drive from Central PHX. Same with the Salt River just before them, just north of Mesa. Awesome 11 mile stretch of river with pretty scenery and plenty of places to pull off and park. The lakes right behind are deep enough to have cold trout friendly water to empty in the river and when it cools off it's good trout fishing.

An hour and a half drive from almost anywhere in PHX or the East Valley will get you to Tonto or Christopher Creeks just east of Payson up on the rim. Good stocked trout streams in the woods. There's a trout hatchery on the Tonto by the campground.

Myself, I usually fish for catfish along the canal by my house. Probably not what you're looking for though.

[Jkgourmet]

Forgive me for being blunt. You are in the desert!!! Good fishing (as YOU describe it) is an oxymoron.

Now that is out of the way, Saguro Lake and Canyon Lake are gorgeous. Is the fishing any good? Not really, but with the proper attitude going into it, you'll still have fun. Catco gave you some good descriptions.

And yes, up north (two or more hours drive) there are some decent fishing spots, and wonderful just enjoy the scenery spots.

[LocoAZnative]

Kiwanis Park in Tempe is a great place for fishing. There are grassy areas too besides the concrete. There is always a lot of people fishing nightly there.
Kiwanis Lake

[maverick974]

Originally Posted by Jkgourmet

Forgive me for being blunt. You are in the desert!!! Good fishing (as YOU describe it) is an oxymoron.

Now that is out of the way, Saguro Lake and Canyon Lake are gorgeous. Is the fishing any good? Not really, but with the proper attitude going into it, you'll still have fun. Catco gave you some good descriptions.

And yes, up north (two or more hours drive) there are some decent fishing spots, and wonderful just enjoy the scenery spots.

Sorry but I'll have to disagree with you here. In Saguaro, Canyon, Apache, Canyon and Roosevelt, there is very good bass fishing. Those lakes also have HUGE flathead catfish. If you are a crappie fishermen, very good fishing for those as well. If you're just looking for numbers, try Bartlett. Tons of bass in that lake although they are generally smaller. Lake Pleasant is know for it's excellent striped bass fishing as well.
There are other lakes around that have good fishing as well. San Carlos when it has water, Alamo and others. If you don't mind a bit of a drive, Lake Havasu has awesome smallmouth fishing.
Even though this is a rather large metro area, there are many very good fisheries around here.

[The_Cadillac_Lawyer]

My definition of "good fishing" is just plain ole relaxing and enjoying the surroundings. Actually catching a fish or two is a bonus! Saguaro Lake looks AMAZING, and was actually my first choice. However, I decided to just keep it simple, as novice fisherman, I think we'll be contempt with man-made Avlord Lake in Caesar Chavez park.

On a side note, we went to Apache Lake a few years back and the scenery was absolutely amazing! I could not believe we were only a few minutes outside the city!

[maverick974]

If you just want to relax and drop a line, drive up to the Salt River below Saguaro. It's easy to get to and it's not very far. They have cabana's in some of the day use areas and you can have a nice BBQ out there while you're waiting for the line to move. I've never fished that part of the river but I understand there is some pretty good trout fishing at times.

[lola8822]

I probably shouldn't give this away but every year my dad, brother and husband go to the 'Black River' which is east of the valley on the river that splits Arizona and New Mexico. It is about a 5-6 hour drive depending but totally worth it - best fishing spot in Az!

If you are looking for something closer I love Saguaro - Has anyone been there recently? Wondering if they still have the white beach??? That was my all-time favorite spot as a kid, felt like I was at the ocean. I also love Roosevelt for fishing - near the dam is the best .

There are tons of small creeks and fishing holes here and there but it's really trial and error in Arizona - Either you have a great day or a crappy one lol.

[AZ Tracy]

This site just about covers it all - urban fishing, lake fishing, etc.: Where to Fish in Arizona I know a couple of years ago several of the urban lakes had big fish kills due to golden algae, but they've been re-stocked and there are some good sized fish again.