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Woods Canyon Lake Fishing Report

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

The Rim's summer refuge: a spruce-lined trout pond at 7,500 feet where Phoenix escapes July and rainbows rise at dusk.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~54 F est.
Air / High
70 / 71 F
Wind
SW 16 mph

Sources: 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.

Woods Canyon Lake rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. Today brings a mixed sky, wind SW around 16 mph, rising pressure near 1011 hPa and a high of 71. 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 74 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.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp70 F
High / Low71 / 56 F
WindSW 16-21 mph
Pressure1011.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain35% cloud, 12%
Sunrise / Sunset05:59 / 18:45
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 · Showers, 71/56 F, wind 17 mph, rain 12%

Fair or better. A 17 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Woods Canyon Lake: 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 Woods Canyon Lake 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 Woods Canyon Lake 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 72 F, wind to 17 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 72 F, wind to 17 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 72 F, wind to 12 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

Arizona license. Trout 6/day standard stocked rules: check AZGFD. No gas motors; day-use fees.

Access

Main day-use ramp and store (rentals), shoreline access throughout; Rocky Point picnic side.

About this water

55 acres at 7,500 ft on the Mogollon Rim, Coconino County, AZ. Phoenix's little cold-water escape.

Fishing Woods Canyon Lake: the full guide

The Rim lake ritual

Woods Canyon sits atop the Mogollon Rim: 55 acres of cold green water in the pines, 7,500 feet above the desert's heat. Summer weekends bring the Phoenix exodus: campgrounds full, shoreline dotted: and the little lake absorbs it with weekly rainbow stockings and a no-gas-motors calm that keeps the experience gentle.

Simple trout, honest methods

The program is classic put-and-take: shoreline bait soaking (worms and salmon eggs off the bottom), small spinners along the dam's rocks, and fly-and-bubble rigs at dusk when rises dimple the coves. Holdover fish and the odd brown reward early season and October: ice-out weeks fish best of all.

Beyond the stocking truck

Wild brook trout persist in the inlet's shadows, crayfish carpet the bottom (a kids' side-fishery all its own), and the store rents jons and canoes for trolling cowbells at 1 mph: the whole lake experience runs family-speed. Elk bugle in the September dusk: the Rim's amenities exceed the fishing.

Rim practicalities

The lake sits at the end of a paved forest road off 260: day-use fills by 9 AM summer weekends (arrive at dawn like the locals): and the season effectively runs April-November: snow closes the road most winters. The neighboring Rim lakes (Willow Springs, Bear Canyon) spread the crowd: a three-lake morning is the connoisseur's loop.

Common questions

When is Woods Canyon Lake stocked?

Weekly through the warm season (April-September typically): AZGFD posts the schedule. Ice-out and October's quiet fish best for holdovers.

Can you use a boat on Woods Canyon?

Electric or paddle only: the store rents jons and canoes. Trolling cowbells-and-worm at walking speed remains the lake's most productive method.

Is fishing good at Woods Canyon Lake 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

Roosevelt Lake46 miVerde River50 miFools Hollow Lake51 miBartlett Lake52 miShow Low Lake54 miApache Lake56 mi
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