Fishing at Elaine Lake, Coconino County, Arizona

• Overview

  Set in Coconino County, Arizona, this is Elaine Lake. The surface lies 6,867 feet up. Surface area is around 28 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The full circuit measures close to 1.1 miles on foot. The town to know is Flagstaff, 3.6 miles out. Beyond it, Mountainaire at 8.2 miles and Kachina Village at 8.5 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Elaine Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Records held for Coconino County cover brown trout, common carp, flannelmouth sucker and bluehead sucker. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The shape of Elaine Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 66°F; by January the average is down near 29°F. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. That is the shape of the year on Elaine Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Humphrey Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Elaine Lake.