Cataract Lake near Williams: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Coconino County, Arizona, is where Cataract Lake sits. The surroundings are mixed woodland. The water covers some 38 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Start from Williams, 1.5 miles down the road. Parks lies 15 miles off, Paulden another 29 miles. This one is safely inside the county line. Lower Saginaw Reservoir is the better known water round here, 1.7 miles off.

• Where to Fish on Cataract Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Coconino County include brown trout, common carp, flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker and green sunfish. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Treat Cataract Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 68°F for July and 32°F for January. Whether it freezes depends on the year. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Anyone fishing Cataract Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. A launch point is recorded some half a mile off. Public data has parking about half a mile from the shore. Picnic facilities are recorded some half a mile out. Toilets show in mapping about 0.9 miles away. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Lower Saginaw Reservoir at 1.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Cataract Lake for certain.