Youngs Lake Fishing in Coconino County, Arizona

• Overview

  The Coconino County entry here is Youngs Lake, in Arizona. Height above sea level is 7,152 feet. Surface area is around 26 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The bank runs about 1.0 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Some 11 miles away sits Mountainaire, the nearest settlement. The big place round here is Deer Valley, 104 miles distant. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Youngs Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Coconino County records list brown trout, common carp and flannelmouth sucker among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. At Youngs Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 68°F, with January the cold end at about 29°F. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. Plan around that when you fish Youngs Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Horse Lake, 1.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Youngs Lake are worth checking on the day.