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Fishing Black River: what the data says
The remote Black River canyon in the White Mountains. wild trout up high, smallmouth bass downstream. The river tops out around 8 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Black River
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for summer rainbow trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Brown Trout fishing at Black River
Spring brown trout on Black River hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 8 ft. Riffle & run (mile 3.7) is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for fall brown trout. Plan around after dark and early morning in the warm months. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 8 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Black River
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Riffle & run (mile 3.7) is the standout, a rock pile at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring smallmouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Notable structure
- Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 6.8): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 10.9): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 13.7): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Riffle & run (mile 3.7): rock pile, around 3 ft
- Riffle & run (mile 8.7): rock pile, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Black River?
Black River is about 8 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Black River?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, brown trout on Black River.
Where is the best fishing spot on Black River?
Riffle & run (mile 3.7) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Black River?
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
West Fork Black River · Big Lake · Lee Valley Lake · River Reservoir · Little Colorado River (Greer) · Luna Lake
See how Black River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Arizona · best rainbow trout lakes in Arizona · best brown trout lakes in Arizona
Browse all Arizona fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.