Verde River Rock House | Fishing News & Articles

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Dirt road winds beneath Mogollon Rim
Monster trout strikes!
Pine man launches counter strike in fish war Part 1
Pine man launches counter strike in fish war Part 2
Pine man launches counter strike in fish war Part 3

Guests can almost literally fish off the private Guest deck as we sit along the Banks of the East Verde River – The East Verde River is stocked with trout and loaded with crawfish. The pine and sycamore lined banks make great fishing spots. There are also several good swimming holes hear the highway on this river. An alternative is to drive through Flowing Springs east of highway 87 and fish in the public land east of flowing springs. Our favorite place along the East Verde River is referred to as “the 3rd crossing” and it is a great place for a lazy afternoon picnic lunch during the summer. Another great place along the East Verde River is further upstream near the Water Wheel area. It is a beautiful pine studded area that almost always pays off with a stringer of trout.

To the west of us 10 miles is Fossil Creek and 18 miles is the Verde River. Fossil Creek has a good trout population (elevation is 4200 feet). Further west, the Verde River (elevation 2600 feet) has small-mouth bass, blue gill, sunfish, trout and catfish. For directions to the creek please see the description under trails. The road to Fossil Creek is a good road, but some people are bothered by the steep drop off on the side of the road. If you are athletic and wish to seriously fish, there are numerous creeks below the rim that run for one or two miles before disappearing below ground. To access these creeks typically requires a couple miles of hiking.

Above us on the rim is East Clear Creek. Drive about 28 miles on Hwy 87 to the turnoff after the Blue Ridge Ranger Station. Follow the dirt road back about 5 miles. The creek has great swimming and fishing holes.
All of our creeks have been invaded by non-native Crawfish (crawdads). They are extremely easy to catch. Any piece of meat tied to a piece of string or fishing line dropped into the water will attract them. We like to boil them in a large pot, pop off the tail, peel the shell, dip them in sauce and eat. They taste great. During the summer we have always been able to catch more crayfish than we needed. The crawfish invasion has come at the expense of several native fish and frog species. If you catch any of them Arizona Game & Fish asks that you do not return them to the creek.

We are happy to provide our guests with current fishing information and supply courtesy rods and tackle for those that just wish to drop a casual line!

Verde River Rock House
Bed and Breakfast
602 W. Eleanor Drive | Payson, AZ 85541
P: (928)472-4304 or (602) 696-0213 | F: (480) 444-0236
verderiverbnb@aol.com