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Verde River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Verde River: a perennial central Arizona river with 40.5 Wild and Scenic miles, smallmouth bass and catfish, and winter trout stocking near Cottonwood.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
9,630 cfs
Air / High
65 / 68 F
Wind
NE 1 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 09506000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

Verde River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 9,630 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind NE around 1 mph, steady pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 68. Water sits around 62 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:06 AM-11:06 AM and 9:34 PM-11:34 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassGood

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Largemouth bassGood

In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Tomorrow: Similar at 67 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

Arizona requires a fishing licence from age 10, from $37.00 for residents. What a Arizona licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing smallmouth bass here? Check the size and bag limits with AZGFD before you keep anything. The season dates for Arizona, read off the agency, are on the Arizona seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Verde River near Camp Verde.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 09506000.

1,7714,8677,9639,630 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 49 years of October 23

At 9,630 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 09506000 (Verde River near Camp Verde) is above the highest daily mean on record for the date: much above normal. In half of the 49 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 145 cfs; the highest was 675 cfs and the lowest 83 cfs.

p10 95median 145p90 199

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 09506000; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp65 F
High / Low68 / 52 F
WindNE 1-4 mph
Pressure1012.9 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:39 / 17:42
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~62 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Verde River this week

Today is the pick of the week on Verde River, at 3 out of 5.

Best day this week: today, Oct 23 β€” fair at 3/5, steady pressure, neither help nor hindrance.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
9:06 AM-11:06 AM and 9:34 PM-11:34 PM
Minor period
3:29 AM-4:29 AM
Sun
06:39 to 17:42
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Clear, 7 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

When to come: the Verde 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
Smallmouth bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
Largemouth bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 62 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~62 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 Verde River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Smallmouth bass led the card at good. High of 70 F, wind to 15 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Smallmouth bass led the card at good. High of 73 F, wind to 15 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Smallmouth bass led the card at good. High of 81 F, wind to 16 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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

Arizona fishing license for anglers 10 and older (Arizona State Parks); AZGFD statewide regulations apply.

Access

Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood (river day-use area, campgrounds) and the Verde River Greenway State Natural Area; in the Wild and Scenic reach, White Bridge on SR 260, Beasley Flats and Childs.

About this water

Perennial river in central Arizona; Wild and Scenic below Camp Verde. Flow on this page comes from USGS gauge 09506000, Verde River near Camp Verde.

Fishing Verde River: the full guide

A rare perennial river

Rivers.gov calls the Verde a riparian oasis in a state where perennial flowing water is rare. On Aug. 28, 1984, 40.5 miles of the river below Camp Verde were designated Wild and Scenic, 18.3 Scenic and 22.2 Wild, managed by the Coconino, Prescott and Tonto national forests. Major access points on that stretch are White Bridge on SR 260 east of Camp Verde, Beasley Flats and the area near the Childs Power Plant.

Near Cottonwood

Arizona State Parks says the river along Dead Horse Ranch State Park and the Verde River Greenway holds smallmouth bass, catfish, largemouth bass and bluegill. In winter, trout are stocked at the Tuzigoot Bridge, the 10th Street bridge and the park's river day-use area, and Arizona Game and Fish stocks other points along the river down to Camp Verde.

Paddling

Arizona State Parks suggests putting in at the Tuzigoot bridge and taking out at Dead Horse Ranch, or launching at Dead Horse Ranch and taking out at the 89A crossing. Check stream levels first and watch for sleepers and strainers on the many bends.

Common questions

When is the Verde River stocked with trout?

In winter. Arizona State Parks names the Tuzigoot Bridge, the 10th Street bridge and the Dead Horse Ranch river day-use area, with other Arizona Game and Fish stocking points down to Camp Verde.

What fish live in the Verde near Cottonwood?

Arizona State Parks lists smallmouth bass, catfish, largemouth bass and bluegill.

How much of the Verde is Wild and Scenic?

40.5 miles below Camp Verde, designated Aug. 28, 1984: 18.3 miles Scenic and 22.2 miles Wild.

Is fishing good at Verde 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

Oak Creek31 miBartlett Lake42 miLake Pleasant47 miWoods Canyon Lake49 miSaguaro Lake63 miSalt River63 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 09506000 β€” Verde River near Camp Verde
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 18:00 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 34.4484, -111.7899 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 8, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 8, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.