Fishing at Bismarck Lake, Coconino County, Arizona

• Overview

  You will find Bismarck Lake in Coconino County, Arizona. The bank is 8,799 feet above sea level. It covers about 2 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Coconino County standards. Nearest place of any size is Flagstaff, 12 miles away. Parks is 15 miles away, with Kachina Village at 19 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Bismarck Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Coconino County cover brown trout, common carp and flannelmouth sucker. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Bismarck Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 58°F and January reads 25°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly early December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That shapes the year on Bismarck Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Mapped as intermittent, it fills after rain and shrinks between. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Walker Lake is 2.1 miles distant. What applies at Bismarck Lake may have changed since it was mapped.