Water Ranch Lake *(Special Regulations)
Fishing and stocking
Stocked September to December in 2026, heaviest in December: catfish and trout, 4 plants in all.
Arizona · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Catfish
Trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked yesterday.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 28wk | Catfish | catchable | stocked | |
| Oct 26wk | Catfish | catchable | scheduled | |
| Dec 7wk | Trout | catchable | scheduled | |
| Dec 28wk | Trout | catchable | scheduled |
When to fish Water Ranch Lake *(Special Regulations)
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:08-11:08 am and 9:31-11:31 pm | 3:27-4:27 am and 3:41-4:41 pm |
| Tomorrow | 9:54-11:54 am and 10:19 pm-12:19 am | 4:30-5:30 am and 4:10-5:10 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 93% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Mountain Time (MST).
What the record actually says
- Stocked 25 days ago (Sep 28)
- Next announced stocking Oct 26
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Arizona fishing forecast
Gear for this water
A plant is on the schedule. Fresh stockers hold near the access points for the first week or two and eat what the hatchery taught them to eat.
For the catfish (catfish stocked 2 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Circle hooks on a slip-sinker rig | 2/0 to 5/0 circles on a Carolina rig; let them load up |
| Cut bait and prepared baits | fresh cut shad or chicken liver; scent is everything |
| Rod holders | catfishing is a waiting game; fish two rods where legal |
For the trout (trout stocked 2 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Dough bait rigs | floating dough bait 18 inches above a small egg sinker; hatchery fish know the smell |
| Casting spoons | 1/8 to 1/4 oz in fluorescent or metallic; count down until you find the depth |
| Small crankbaits | trout-pattern cranks trolled or slow-retrieved off points |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery Ponds | 4.8 mi | Oct 5 |
| McQueen Pond | 4.8 mi | Sep 28 |
| Red Mountain Lake | 6.2 mi | Oct 19 |
| Veterans Oasis Lake | 9.0 mi | Oct 19 |
| Riverview Lake | 9.3 mi | Oct 19 |
Follow Arizona stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule