Lake Montezuma Fishing Guide, Yavapai County, Arizona

• Overview

  Look for Lake Montezuma in the Yavapai County part of Arizona. The surface lies 3,422 feet up. It covers about 7 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Lake Montezuma lies 0.2 miles from the water. For a city, Deer Valley is 68 miles off. If this one is busy: Salmon Lake 16 miles away, Stoneman Lake near enough 18 miles, Stehr Lake 20 miles away, Mingus Lake near enough 20 miles and Twentynine Mile Lake 22 miles away. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Lake Montezuma

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for Yavapai County include green sunfish, desert sucker, sonora sucker and rainbow trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Work Lake Montezuma in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 82°F; by January the average is down near 43°F. No part of the year shuts this water. Late winter and spring fish steadiest here. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lake Montezuma. After a storm, the water clears from the edges inwards.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Salmon Lake sits 16 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm access to Lake Montezuma locally before you travel.