Silverbell Lake; Tucson Arizona

Lake Description

Christopher Columbus Park in northwest Tucson, east of Silverbell Road between Camino del Cerro and Grant Roads.

It's 13 acres. with a maximum depth 6 feet, average depth 4 feet.

Fishing Tips and News

This is an awesome lake to fish. To begin with, you got a lot of shade in the day, and a playground nearby for your kids.

Fishing Tips

Pay attention to the stocking schedule guys & gals! On average the fish like to sit a day before they get hungry and start biting...

Catfish Tips

Seems like the optimum time for catching catfish is that day or the following day after they stock the lake. The catfish are not fed for about 96 hours prior to the stocking. Figure a 3 day trip from Arkansas where they are raised, and a day in the lake to get acclimated before feeding. Thats been my experience and also I picked that info up talking to several guys who have fished there more than I. Use some dough bait or nuggets like Magic Bait's King Blood bait on a treble for example. And as always, a nightcrawler or a "seasoned" whole shrimp off a hook, with a sliding weight on the line. I suggest fishing around 8/9pm to midnight or so.

From the north end of the lake running south, towards the middle of the lake is a small channel. Its about 12 inches deeper than the lake. Most of the lakes catfish are hanging out in that general area. I run 20lb test braided line or 30lb firewire line with a 1oz sinker. Cast out to the north about 100ft from the walkway general area. Lots of action out there in the evenings.

Trout Tips

Its been a phenominal trout season for both 2006/07 and 2005/06. Best times to fish is about 9 to 11:30am once the morning sun warms the water, and again in the afternoon 3 to 6pm. Temperature changes seem to trigger the trout into feeding!

For bait, try using corn kernals or white, yellow, corn yellow or chartruse colored powerbait. If you cant find these colors in powerbait, substitute the powerbait with similar colored small marshmellows. I tore em up last season with small white marshmellows. These fish are trucked down from Colorado, if you talk to the driver when he's stocking the lake, you just might get a great tip on what foods they were raised on.

I've also noticed in the evenings in the setting sun that the trout like to hit bugs on the water surface. So you might try a floating a mosquito looking "fly" on a 3 to 4 foot leader (I suggest 4lb test) off a clear bobber.