Little Ortega Lake in Apache County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Little Ortega Lake is an Apache County water, Arizona side. The ground round it is farm and woodlot. The water covers some 235 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Around 2.0 miles of margin, front to back. It ranks high for size among our Apache County listings. Head to White Mountain Lake, 19 miles away, for anything you forgot. Further out sit Saint Johns (20 miles) and Show Low (22 miles). No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Little Ortega Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On Little Ortega Lake a short move beats a long cast. Deeper water next to shallow is more useful than either on its own.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 71°F at the top of summer and 33°F at the bottom of winter. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. It sets the rhythm of the year at Little Ortega Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. This one is mapped as intermittent, so a wasted trip is a real risk in a dry year. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Sides Lake, 7.3 miles away. Treat access at Little Ortega Lake as something to verify.