Black River Fly Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes that make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone Stream
Species
Rainbow Trout (Stocked)
Apache Trout
Brown Trout
Smallmouth Bass
Size
Medium – length 45 miles main stem
and 8 miles each fork
Location
Northern Arizona White Mountains
Nearest Towns
Alpine
Season
See Regulations – Permit Required
Access:
Fair – may need 4 wheel drive
Non-Resident License
State of Arizona
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Seasons:
The best time for fly fishing the Back River Arizona is from May to July
Spring:
March and April is runoff time
Summer:
Summer is the best time to fish the river but late summer may have low water levels.
Fall:
Fall fishing can be great but the water levels may be low in the early part of Fall.
| Recommended Tackle & Gear Fly Line: 4, 5 or 6 weight Leaders: Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing: 71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X Tippets: Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X, Streamer 0-2X Best Fly Rods: Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five or Ultimate Six Fly Reels: For 4/5/6 fly line Fly Floatants and Misc Items: Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators Tools & Accessories: Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc. Copyright 2016 James Marsh |
Fly Fishing the Black River Arizona
The Black River of Arizona is a beautiful mountain stream that is the border between the San Carlos and White Mountain Apache lands. It requires a special daily permit for fishing and camping.
When you are fly fishing the Black River you will be surrounded with a beautiful alpine forest of spruce and fir trees. Most of the best fishing is in the White Mountains. The river has two forks, the West and East Forks, and the main stem. Both forks are approximately eight miles long.
This is truly worth fishing just to enjoy the scenery. You have a lot better chance of seeing wild animals than humans, fishing or otherwise. Some of the sections of the streams, especially the upper two forks, have plenty of bushes that can make casting a little difficult. The streams are purely freestone streams that depend on rain and snow and get low in the late Summer and early Fall.
The upper parts of the two rivers forks has native Apache Cutthroat. Rainbows and brown trout are found in the middle and lower stretches of water. The lower section of the river has brown trout and smallmouth bass.
The East Fork is the heaviest fished fork but it’s possible to escape the crowds by fishing the uppermost parts of the stream. It has some small boulders and plenty of large rocks that create riffles and runs. There are some long shallow pools.
The West Fork of the Black River can be a little difficult to fish is places where it is tightly grown up with bushes. It has a population of Apache Cutthroat trout in its uppermost headwaters.
Sections of this river is catch and release only. The streams are accessed by Forest Roads most of which are dirt. You may need a 4 wheel drive in places.