Dry Lake Fishing near Flagstaff, Arizona

• Overview

  Dry Lake is a Coconino County water, Arizona side. Around the bank it is farm and woodlot. It runs to roughly 54 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The closest town, Flagstaff, is 4.2 miles distant. Kachina Village is 5 miles away, with Mountainaire at 6.3 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Dry Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Coconino County include brown trout, common carp, flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker and green sunfish. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Dry Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 28°F and July at about 64°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The year turns gently, without extremes at either end. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. On Dry Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records show it does not hold water year-round. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Rogers Lake is 4.2 miles off. For Dry Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.