Duck Lake, Arizona: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Coconino County, Arizona, sits Duck Lake. The ground around here is rolling hill. With some 51 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. For a base, Parks sits 4.3 miles out. The nearest city of size is Deer Valley, 110 miles away. Round about: Davenport Lake sits 3.2 miles out, Dry Lake within 3.5 miles, Scholz Lake sits 5.5 miles out, Horse Lake within 6.1 miles and Kaibab Lake sits 7.5 miles out. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Duck Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. 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. Public occurrence data for Coconino County names brown trout, common carp, flannelmouth sucker and bluehead sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The near bank of Duck Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 66°F on average, January about 30°F. The season stretches long at both ends here. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. It holds true on Duck Lake more years than not. The hour either side of first light is rarely wasted.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This one is mapped as intermittent, so a wasted trip is a real risk in a dry year. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Davenport Lake, 3.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Duck Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.