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Tempe Town Lake offers an opportunity to get back to nature without leaving
the Phoenix metropolitan area. Just minutes from Sky Harbor Airport off the 202
Freeway, Town Lake is a phenomenal setting for recreation, new business
locations, shopping and condominium living. Fishing is one of many activities
available at the lake. Trout, bass, catfish and sunfish can all be found in the
lake's waters. Fish at Tempe Town Lake are fat and happy, according to Arizona
Game and Fish Department's
fishing report.
Thirteen varieties of fish continue to thrive, with largemouth bass getting
larger and more prevalent.
General Fishing Information .
Fishing Areas
To ensure a safe and pleasant
experience for everyone, fishing is allowed only in certain areas. Click here
for a copy of the Town Lake fishing brochure
showing where you can fish.
Lake Hours
Tempe Town Lake is open for permitted
boats from 5:00 AM until 10:00 PM. All boats operating after dark and before
sunrise need to have proper boat lighting. The lighting configurations is a
red/green or red bow navigation light and a white running light on the stern of
the boat.
You can use the street lights around Town Lake as a guide, if the street lights are on
you need lights on your boat. Please call the Operations Center (480) 350-8625 for more information. Those fishing from shore may do so from 5:00 AM
until midnight.
Fishing License Requirements
Fishing is a fun pastime for everyone and
the City of Tempe and the State of Arizona have procedures that must be
followed. The Arizona Revised Statutes,
Arizona Game and Fish
Department, Commission Rules and
Orders, City of Tempe Code and Town Lake operating policies apply. Those ages 14
years and older must have a valid Arizona Fishing License to cast a
line into Tempe Town Lake. The following state fishing licenses are valid
at Tempe Town Lake:
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FISHING LICENSES |
RESIDENT |
NON-RESIDENT |
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General Fishing, Class A
(valid all species except trout) |
$23.50 |
$70.25 |
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Combo Hunt and Fish, Class K |
$54.00 |
$225.75 |
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Youth Combo Hunt and Fish, Class F |
$26.50 |
$26.50 |
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One Day Fishing, Class D |
$16.25 |
$17.25 |
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5 Day Fishing, Class C |
not available |
$32.00 |
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4 Month Fishing, Class B |
not available |
$39.75 |
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Trout Stamp (validates Class A for taking
of trout) |
$15.75 |
$57.75 |
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Two Pole Stamp |
$6.00 |
$6.00 |
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Pioneer License - must be 70 yrs or older
and an
Arizona resident for more than 25 yrs. |
FREE |
not available |
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Disabled Veteran - must be Arizona
resident |
FREE |
not available |
Fishing licenses can be purchased at any Game and Fish office and most
fishing supply stores or sporting good stores. Go to
Arizona
Game & Fish Department website for locations. Children ages 13 years and younger are not required to have a
fishing license or to be accompanied by a licensed adult. Anglers fishing for
trout with a Class A license must also have a valid Trout Stamp. Town Lake is considered a state fishing water, therefore,
the Class U (Urban Fishing) License is not valid. For further details on general fishing rules and regulations, please refer to
the Arizona Fishing Regulations found at all fishing license dealers and the
Town Lake Operations Center. The center does not sell fishing licenses, but is
open to provide information and sell boat permits for Tempe Town Lake.
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Town Lake Stocking
In late April 2009 the lake will be stocked with 3" to 5" Israeli Carp and 5" to
6" Red Ear Sunfish.
Arizona Game and Fish will attempt to
stock trout in Tempe Town Lake every month from November through February,
depending on water conditions. Warm temperatures do not allow trout stocking,
but bass, catfish and sunfish may be caught year-round.
Click here for the latest
Town Lake
Fishing Report from Arizona Game
and Fish Department.
Photo (above): courtesy of Eric
Swanson, Arizona Game & Fish Department.
Fishing Etiquette
Fishing is only one of many activities
that takes place on the shores of Tempe Town Lake. The lake's unique environment
makes it an attractive place for running, rowing, sailing, walking, skating and bicycling. To ensure that all these activities remain
compatible, the City of Tempe asks that anglers follow some basic etiquette
while fishing:
- Fish hooks and lures left on the shore can cause a safety hazard. Please dispose of unwanted line, hooks, bait containers or lures in marked
trash containers.
- Boats have the right-of-way at Town Lake. For safety’s sake, please do
not cast your line if a boat is within reach.
- Fish remains left on the shore can attract insects and create foul smells.
Please do not clean fish at Tempe Town Lake.
- It is the goal of the City of Tempe to keep the lake as clean as possible.
Please take all cans, bottles, food packaging, newspapers or other debris to
a marked trash container.
- Respect the rights of others enjoying the lake. Keep the volume down on
music or radios.
- Please keep a respectful distance between you and other anglers.
- Conserve the bounty of Tempe Town Lake. Safely release any fish you do not
intend to eat into the lake right away. Properly care for the fish you want
by keeping them alive or putting them on ice until it is time to take them
home.
- Obtain the appropriate fishing licenses and do not exceed the limit of
fish you are allowed to take.
- Contact numbers to report violations: Tempe Park Rangers (480) 858-2198; Operation Game Thief
(800)
352-0700.
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 Fish in Town Lake
While Arizona Game and Fish stocks Tempe
Town Lake with trout, anglers can expect to find many other kinds of fish that
have made their way to the lake through the Salt River Project canals and Indian
Bend Wash. Here are brief descriptions of some fish that might dangle at the end
of a hook:
Rainbow Trout
This fish has silvery, very fine scales and a spotted body with a horizontal
pink streak on the sides. Most trout are from 9 to 12 inches. These fish are not
easily fooled. To successfully catch trout, cover the hook completely and use a
clear, fine weight line. Powerbait, salmon eggs, worms and cheese are the most
enticing baits. The legal limit is four fish of any size for licensed fishermen
and two for children.
Channel Catfish
These fish have spines in the dorsal and pectoral fins and long,
whiskery-looking barbels at the mouth. Their bodies are scaleless and their
tails are deeply forked. The younger fish are silvery with black spots, while
older ones are bluish-black with white bellies. These fish can weigh from 1 to 6
pounds. The legal limit is four fish of any size. To catch these, fish at night,
dawn or dusk and use worms, liver, shrimp or hotdogs.
Sunfish
Sunfish have small mouths and short, flat bodies ranging from 4 to 8 inches. The
legal limit is 10 fish of any size. These are easily caught using mealworms.
Largemouth Bass
Bass are known by the wide, dark mottled bar on the sides of the body. They tend
to be dark green on top and white on the belly. The legal limit of bass is four,
but lake biologists prefer these to be released, as the hardy nature of the
species allows it to be caught many times. Bass are the only species in the lake
with a size limit. They must be at least 13 inches before they can be kept. Bass
feed predominantly on other fish, especially bluegill, but they can be caught on
crank baits and worms.
Other fish found in Town Lake are Israeli carp, Threadfin shad, Bluegill,
Yellow bass, Common carp, and Inland silverside minnow.
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Town Lake Operations Center: |
Physical Address
(Located at the SW
corner
of Mill
Ave. & Washington St.)
620 N. Mill Avenue
Tempe, Arizona 85281
(480) 350-8625 |
Mailing
Address
City of Tempe
Rio Salado
PO Box 5002
Tempe, AZ 85280 |
Hours of Operation
Monday through Friday – 8:00 AM to
5:00 PM
Saturday – 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Closed on Sundays and Major Holidays |
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