Tonto Creek 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 (wild and stocked)
Brown Trout (wild and stocked)
Brook Trout (wild)
Size
Small
Location
Northern Central Arizona
Season:
Year-round
Nearest Towns
Payson
Access:
Fair
Non-Resident License
State of Arizona
Weather
National Weather Service Link
| 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 |
Seasons:
The best fishing is from February through October but the hot summer fishing can be slow in areas.
Spring:
Fly fishing Tonto Creek is best during the Spring after the runoff.
Summer:
The mid summer during hot weather should be fished early and late in the day.
Fall:
Early Fall is an excellent time to fish Tonto Creek.
Fly Fishing Tonto Creek Arizona
Tonto Creek is a 70 plus mile long stream located in the Mogollon Rim area of Arizona. It originates from several small springs at the Rim’s base. The stream flows through the Tonto National Forest. This stream also flows through the Hellsgate Wilderness area and on into a valley in the Sonora Desert. It continues flowing through desert land and terminates in Theodore Roosevelt Lake.
Tonto Creek flows through some very rugged country downstream of Kohl’s Ranch. Some of the sections that flow through Hellsgate Canyon are almost impossible to reach. Fly fishing Tonto Creek above Kohl’s Ranch is much easier. Of course, the easy to reach roadside areas are far more popular and at times even crowded.
Two tributaries, Christopher Creek and Haigler Creek, both with wild trout flow into Tonto a couple of miles below Kohl’s Ranch. Keep in mind some of creek lies on private property, so make sure your fishing on public land.
You can access the area above Kohl’s Ranch above off Arizona state highway #260 on Forest Road #289 which leads to the fish hatchery. A few miles the road runs along the stream before you get to the hatchery but this area is very popular. It is stocked from the highway to the
hatchery.
Horton Creek flows into Tonto Creek about three miles downstream from the hatchery and provides additional four miles of good trout fishing opportunities. Horton Creek has a population of wild brown trout. It is a very small stream probably averaging only twelve feet wide. The trail along the stream is very popular for hiking.
Tonto Creek has plenty of aquatic insects to feed the trout. Little Black Winter Stoneflies and Little Brown Stoneflies are plentiful. Blue-winged Olives, Tricos, and Pale Morning Duns represent the most mayfly species. There are also plenty of caddisflies including Spotted Sedges and Green Sedges. Terrestrials such as ants, grasshoppers and beetles are also fairly
plentiful and offer food for the trout during the warm months of the year.