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Rating depth structure for smallmouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
The remote Black River canyon in the White Mountains. Wild trout up high, smallmouth bass downstream. The river tops out around 8 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The drawn water covers 224 acres wrapped in 33.6 miles of bank. An index of 16 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. End to end it runs roughly 9.7 mi, about 2.4 mi across. Greenlee County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, West Fork Black River, is 8 mi to the north.
When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 2 to 8 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 8 ft, winter 2 to 8 ft. Start at Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6). It's a creek channel holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 3.7) (3 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 3.7) (3 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown trout in 1 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 8 ft through summer, 1 to 8 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Riffle & run (mile 3.7), a rock pile in the 3 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for after dark and early morning. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 3.7) (3 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 3.7) (3 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 3.7) (3 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 8 ft | dawn | open water | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 8 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 8 ft. Put Riffle & run (mile 3.7) first on the milk run — a rock pile near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 3.7) (3 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 3.7) (3 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 3.7) (3 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Riffle & run (mile 3.7) (3 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) at roughly 6 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Arizona waters are set by the Arizona Game & Fish Department — and special regulations can apply to Black River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Arizona fishing regulations →
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.
Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass 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. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Black River is regulated by the Arizona Game & Fish Department. Check the official Arizona regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
West Fork Black River 8 mi · Big Lake 13 mi · Lee Valley Lake 17 mi · Luna Lake 21 mi · River Reservoir 23 mi · Little Colorado River (Greer) 25 mi · Nelson Reservoir 28 mi · Carnero Lake 30 mi · Becker Lake 32 mi · San Francisco River (Glenwood) 39 mi, NM · Woodland Reservoir 42 mi · Show Low Lake 47 mi
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 see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.