Myrtle Lake Fishing near Star Valley, Arizona

• Overview

  Out in Gila County, Arizona, sits Myrtle Lake. The bank is 7,799 feet above sea level. Small even by pond standards, it rewards one careful line. The closest town, Star Valley, is 12 miles away. The big place round here is Deer Valley, 75 miles distant. Other water nearby: Lost Lake within 0.8 miles, Knoll Lake roughly 4.3 miles, Bear Canyon Lake within 8.9 miles, C.C. Cragin Reservoir roughly 9.8 miles and Carr Lake within 9.9 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Myrtle Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records collected within a few miles name Gila trout, rainbow trout and speckled dace. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Work Myrtle Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 32°F and July at about 67°F, the water has a wide range to work through. In milder years the surface never sets. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Time your trip to Myrtle Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This one is mapped as intermittent, so a wasted trip is a real risk in a dry year. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lost Lake, 0.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Myrtle Lake before loading the car.