Fishing at Dry Lake, Coconino County, Arizona

• Overview

  Set in Coconino County, Arizona, this is Dry Lake. It sits at 7,297 feet above sea level. You are 12 miles from Pine. Deer Valley is the closest city, 73 miles away. Also on the doorstep: Potato Lake after 3.5 miles, McClure Lake about 6.2 miles, C.C. Cragin Reservoir after 6.8 miles, Twentynine Mile Lake about 8 miles and Myrtle Lake after 12 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Dry Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Documented catches and surveys in the area cover bluehead sucker, little Colorado spinedace and speckled dace. Presence in the area does not guarantee a fish on the day. Anyone new to Dry Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 66°F and January near 29°F. Neither winter nor summer shuts things down for long. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Anyone fishing Dry Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Potato Lake is 3.5 miles off. What applies at Dry Lake may have changed since it was mapped.