Share your catch

Lower Salt River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The urban trout oddity: a cold tailwater full of rainbows through Phoenix's desert edge.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
105 cfs
Air / High
99 / 102 F
Wind
SW 8 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 09511300, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Lower Salt River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 105 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind SW around 8 mph, steady pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 102. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 100 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from VERDE RIVER NEAR SCOTTSDALE, AZ.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 09511300.

96101105105 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp99 F
High / Low102 / 83 F
WindSW 8-13 mph
Pressure1009.9 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain20% cloud, 6%
Sunrise / Sunset06:02 / 18:47
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 102/83 F, wind 19 mph, rain 6%

Slow. 102 F: be on the water at dawn and off by mid-morning, or fish after dark.

Species guide

The species that matter on Lower Salt River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Lower Salt River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Lower Salt River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 102 F, wind to 18 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 101 F, wind to 11 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 98 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Arizona requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Trout: 6/day in season; standard warm-water rules otherwise. Tonto pass required to park. Confirm with AZGFD.

Access

Water Users, Blue Point and Phon D Sutton recreation sites along Bush Highway.

About this water

The Lower Salt below Saguaro Lake, Maricopa County, AZ: a stocked winter trout tailwater in saguaro country.

Fishing Lower Salt River: the full guide

Trout among saguaros

The Lower Salt below Saguaro Lake runs cold enough for winter-stocked rainbows drifting past cactus: an only-in-Arizona scene. Summer flips it to tubing chaos; November-March it is a fly-fishing secret with eagles overhead.

Winter trout season

November through March, AZGFD stocks the Lower Salt weekly: rainbows hold in the riffle-pool sequence below Saguaro Lake, eaten best on small spinners, salmon eggs and euro-nymphed pheasant tails. Eagles fish alongside: the canyon does not feel like Phoenix.

Summer reality

Tubing season (May-September) owns midday: fish dawn or skip it. Resident bass, sunfish and the odd carp on fly fill the warm months for those who walk past the outfitter beaches to the quieter braids.

A trout stream with saguaros

The Lower Salt below Saguaro Lake runs cold enough for winter rainbow stockings and scenic enough to double as a wildlife tour: wild horses cross at dawn, bald eagles patrol the cottonwoods, and tubers own summer middays. Fish the November-March stocker season on spinners and small flies before the crowds wake, or swing streamers through the deeper bends for holdover fish and the odd bass. Tonto day passes are required at every access.

Common questions

Trout in Phoenix, really?

Really: dam-bottom releases run cold enough November-March for weekly stockings. It is put-and-take fishing with a canyon backdrop: winter's answer to the desert.

Can you fly fish the Salt River near Phoenix?

Yes: winter through early spring, the reach from Blue Point to Granite Reef fishes like a modest tailwater: stocked rainbows on midges and buggers. Summer turns it into a tubing river: fish dawn or skip it.

Is fishing good at Lower Salt River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Salt River4 miSaguaro Lake5 miCanyon Lake (AZ)11 miApache Lake18 miBartlett Lake21 miRoosevelt Lake30 mi
Share your catch