Ashurst Lake
RECEIVE FISHING REPORT UPDATES!
Rating - Fair
Monday, Jul 28 2025
Temperatures are dropping and trout are starting to become more active throughout the day, rainbows in the 9-15 inch range are still being caught with power bait consistently on the bottom during the hottest part of the day and early mornings and late evening under a bobber in shallower water around windblown points and coves (anywhere fish can push bait into or wait for it to blow into their face,) inline spinners are also consistently catching fish throw your brighter baits (chartreuse and white are good options) right now to combat the water clarity and algae blooms. Joes flies are great since they aren't pre weighted and you can adjust your split shot or bullet weight size to target the exact depth of fish in the water column. streamers are working well nonbeaded in low light situations (early morning, late evening) to keep your bait in front of those fishes face as long as possible and beaded variations midday to target the fish that have moved deeper and are lethargic, euro nymphing mid day could also be effective, large dry's like beetles, cicadas, and damsels could all be effective if you can avoid the wind, prince nymphs copper johns and pheasant tails are always gonna catch fish as well. pike can be targeted with larger trout representations such as the berkley cullshad or 6th sense draw, smaller pike can be caught on squarebill crankbaits, spinner baits , chatter baits. you can also fish anchovies under a bobber or on the bottom.
About
One of the few natural lakes in Arizona, Ashurst lake is a high-altitude (7,113 feet) lake located just 20 miles from Flagstaff.The 283-acre lake offers brook, rainbow, and brown trout, with the rainbows heavily stocked with catchable-sized fish.
Channel catfish and a few bass are also found, but the high altitude and cold winters limit the best fishing to trout.
Brown trout were sporadically stocked a few times over the last 50 years so the population that exists are large and wary.
This is a high-altitude area, and the thin air will be noticeable to anglers coming from much lower elevations.
Access is easy via established highways and a long shoreline offers good shore fishing.
Techniques & Tips
Summer months are the only safe time to fish Ashurst Lake, though it ices over each winter, the ice is thin, with warm upswells creating dangerous conditions. Ice fishing looks enticing but is hazardous.In the summer months, anglers can catch a few catfish and an occasional bass but the primary fishing is for trout.
Brook trout can be caught near the inlet on small dry flies such as black gnats, or mosquitoes, or on number 12 or smaller hooks with bits of nightcrawler.
Browns hang in the deeper water during the middle of summer and can be caught on bottom bouncing rigs with nightcrawlers during the day. They can move into shallower areas in the early morning and late afternoon to feed and will hit on live bait or occasionally on spinners.
Rainbow trout will hit spinners, spoons, and live bait. The recently stocked trout are much easier to catch than those acclimated to the lake.
Ashurst Lake
RECEIVE FISHING REPORT UPDATES!
Rating - Fair
Temperatures are dropping and trout are starting to become more active throughout the day, rainbows in the 9-15 inch range are still being caught with power bait consistently on the bottom during the hottest part of the day and early mornings and late evening under a bobber in shallower water around windblown points and coves (anywhere fish can push bait into or wait for it to blow into their face,) inline spinners are also consistently catching fish throw your brighter baits (chartreuse and white are good options) right now to combat the water clarity and algae blooms. Joes flies are great since they aren't pre weighted and you can adjust your split shot or bullet weight size to target the exact depth of fish in the water column. streamers are working well nonbeaded in low light situations (early morning, late evening) to keep your bait in front of those fishes face as long as possible and beaded variations midday to target the fish that have moved deeper and are lethargic, euro nymphing mid day could also be effective, large dry's like beetles, cicadas, and damsels could all be effective if you can avoid the wind, prince nymphs copper johns and pheasant tails are always gonna catch fish as well. pike can be targeted with larger trout representations such as the berkley cullshad or 6th sense draw, smaller pike can be caught on squarebill crankbaits, spinner baits , chatter baits. you can also fish anchovies under a bobber or on the bottom.
About
One of the few natural lakes in Arizona, Ashurst lake is a high-altitude (7,113 feet) lake located just 20 miles from Flagstaff.The 283-acre lake offers brook, rainbow, and brown trout, with the rainbows heavily stocked with catchable-sized fish.
Channel catfish and a few bass are also found, but the high altitude and cold winters limit the best fishing to trout.
Brown trout were sporadically stocked a few times over the last 50 years so the population that exists are large and wary.
This is a high-altitude area, and the thin air will be noticeable to anglers coming from much lower elevations.
Access is easy via established highways and a long shoreline offers good shore fishing.
Techniques & Tips
Summer months are the only safe time to fish Ashurst Lake, though it ices over each winter, the ice is thin, with warm upswells creating dangerous conditions. Ice fishing looks enticing but is hazardous.In the summer months, anglers can catch a few catfish and an occasional bass but the primary fishing is for trout.
Brook trout can be caught near the inlet on small dry flies such as black gnats, or mosquitoes, or on number 12 or smaller hooks with bits of nightcrawler.
Browns hang in the deeper water during the middle of summer and can be caught on bottom bouncing rigs with nightcrawlers during the day. They can move into shallower areas in the early morning and late afternoon to feed and will hit on live bait or occasionally on spinners.
Rainbow trout will hit spinners, spoons, and live bait. The recently stocked trout are much easier to catch than those acclimated to the lake.
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