With winter fast approaching and cooler temperatures, coldwater fishing opportunities are abundant. Whether you are targeting rainbow trout, brook trout, or one of our native species of trout, the Apache or Gila trout, I am here to give you some tips and tricks to increase your success on the water.

Let’s talk about lures and baits. This time of year trout can be aggressive and hungry. My favorite lures for trout in the winter are silver Kastmasters in a variety of sizes, 3- to 4-inch jerkbaits, and ? oz black or white Marabou jigs. In the rivers the trout will be moving into the deeper, slower-moving water. Fishing these lures slow and along the bottom in the deeper pools should yield the best results.

For the fly fisherman out there, midges and small mayfly patterns are on the menu this time of year. Miracle Midges, Black Beauty’s, Griffiths Gnats, and NO-SEE-UMs, all in a size 22-16, are my go-to flies in the winter.

The Salt River is one of my favorite local waters. You can catch trout and largemouth bass on a variety of different lures and flies. Try your luck at one of the many access points along the river. You will need a Tonto National Forest pass for these access points, so make sure to pick one up before heading out. You can find more information on where to purchase a pass here.

Speaking of the Salt River, our partners over at Trout Unlimited are hosting Salt River Saturday River Cleanups every other Saturday. This is a great event if you are looking to help promote conservation and keep our waterways clean. After a few hours of picking up trash, you can relax and wind down with some fishing on the Salt River. This is a great opportunity if you are new to fly fishing, as there will be tons of experienced fly anglers who are willing to help. To find more information, check out the FishAZ Network at the link below.

The FishAZ Network is filled with great events for all skill levels by a variety of great partners. For a full list of up-to-date events, visit https://register-ed.com/programs/arizona/239-fishaz-network. Here is one upcoming event:

Saturday, Dec. 13, 9-11 a.m. - Salt River Saturdays River Cleanup, Trout Unlimited Zane Grey Chapter, Blue Point Recreation Area- Salt River, Fort McDowell. Zane Grey Chapter is presenting Salt River Saturdays this month. We are continuing our conservation efforts by asking everyone to collect a net full of trash. #cleanmywater. What to bring: rod, waders, net* and flies (Green Weenie's, small black Zebra Midges, Pheasant Tails, green, black and yellow Wooly Worms and Wooly Buggers). Make sure you have a Tonto National Forest pass, as well as a valid Arizona fishing license. You can get an Arizona fishing license at www.azgfd.gov. You can register for the event here.