Hay Lake Fishing near Eagar, Arizona

• Overview

  Hay Lake lies within the bounds of Apache County, Arizona. The country here is open valley. Roughly 32 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Compared with other Arizona water on our list, it sits high. Nearest town is Eagar, 11 miles off. The big place round here is Gilbert, 143 miles distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Hay Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged nearby in open biodiversity records include rainbow trout, common carp, brown trout, desert sucker and sonora sucker. Reported species tell you what lives around here, nothing more. On Hay Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 62°F and January at 28°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. At Hay Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Tunnel Reservoir sits 2.1 miles off and takes the overflow. The position on Hay Lake is worth confirming on the day.