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Rating depth structure for brown trout.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
A headwater wild-trout fork below Mt Baldy. Small, cold brown and brook trout water. The river tops out around 4 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 109 acres of water rimmed by 18.8 miles of bank. A development index of 12.9 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Call it 7.8 mi long by 1.5 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Apache County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Big Lake, 5 mi north of here.
Spring brown trout on West Fork Black River hold shallow, usually 1 to 4 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 1 to 4 ft in summer, 1 to 4 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Current seam (mile 4.2) — current seam, 2 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in after dark and early morning. The summer box starts with a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 4.2) (2 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | night & dawn | Current seam (mile 4.2) (2 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | dusk & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 6.6) (3 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 4.2) (2 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brook trout in 1 to 4 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 4 ft through summer, 1 to 4 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Current seam (mile 4.2), a current seam in the 2 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 4.2) (2 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 4.2) (2 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 4.2) (2 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 4.2) (2 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
5 pieces of structure are mapped here — Outside-bend hole (mile 0.5), around 3 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 West Fork Black River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Arizona fishing regulations →
West Fork Black River is about 4 ft (1 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 brown trout, brook trout on West Fork Black River.
Current seam (mile 4.2) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For brown trout, the summer bite is best in after dark and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on West Fork 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.
Big Lake 5 mi · Black River 8 mi · Lee Valley Lake 11 mi · River Reservoir 16 mi · Little Colorado River (Greer) 17 mi · Luna Lake 19 mi · Nelson Reservoir 21 mi · Carnero Lake 22 mi · Becker Lake 25 mi · Woodland Reservoir 38 mi · Show Low Lake 43 mi · San Francisco River (Glenwood) 44 mi, NM
See how West Fork Black River stacks up: best brown trout lakes in Arizona
More water nearby: Apache County fishing maps (9 charts). 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.