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Fishing Lower Salt River: what the data says
Below Saguaro Lake to Granite Reef. stocked winter rainbows and warmwater bass in the Salt River recreation area. The river tops out around 10 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 Lower Salt River
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 3 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Current seam (mile 2.4): a current seam around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lower Salt River
Spring largemouth bass on Lower Salt River hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 4.6), a creek channel in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Lower Salt River
Spring channel catfish on Lower Salt River hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Outside-bend hole (mile 4.6): a creek channel around 8 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday |
Common Carp fishing at Lower Salt River
In spring, common carp run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) is the standout, a eddy pocket at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for winter common carp. Best bite is early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Stewart Mountain Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 4.6): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 7.3): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 11.5): creek channel, around 8 ft
- Tailout eddy (mile 0.3): eddy pocket, around 6 ft
- Current seam (mile 2.4): current seam, around 6 ft
- Riffle & run (mile 9.1): rock pile, around 4 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lower Salt River?
Lower Salt River is about 10 ft (3 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 Lower Salt River?
Anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, rainbow trout, common carp on Lower Salt River.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lower Salt River?
Current seam (mile 2.4) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lower Salt 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
Saguaro Lake · Red Mountain Lake · Verde River (Lower) · Canyon Lake · Gilbert Regional Park Pond · Bartlett Lake
See how Lower Salt River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Arizona · best channel catfish lakes in Arizona · best rainbow trout lakes in Arizona · best common carp lakes in Arizona
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