Rim Country Fishing Report Jan. 31, 2015 By: James Goughnour Rim Country Custom Rods Good morning Rim Country Anglers. The news among anglers this week was the calm weather early in the week, followed by the rain starting on Thursday. Most anglers understand the importance of fresh flowing into Arizona streams and lakes. Without the water replenishing our lakes, they become stagnant and unhealthy for aquatic life. So a few days of rain and snow is a good trade-off for the constant stream and creek flows we will have in the Spring. The flows into Tonto Creek and the Salt River increased dramatically on Thursday night and by Friday afternoon the Tonto Creek had increased from 20 CFS to an amazing flow rate of 285 CFS. The Salt River had a similar increase and this morning, both inputs into Roosevelt Lake are flowing at hundreds of times, their normal rates. The surface water temperature in the lake is in the mid 50's however the water flowing into the lake will be a few degrees colder. Early last week when the weather was stable, bass fishing on Roosevelt Lake was called good. A Drop Shot and Texas Rig techniques were very effective in 10 to 25 feet depths. Immediately following a cold front, fishing can be slow for a day or two until the fish adjust to the changed water conditions. If you're planning to fish early this coming week, remember that the clearest water will typically be the furthest spot from where the water enters the lake. In the case of Roosevelt Lake this would be near the dam. If you find a distinct line in the water where stained water is on one side and clear water is on the other side, fish those areas using reaction baits such as crank-baits, jerk-baits or spinner-baits. A favorite technique is to cast into the stained water and retrieve into the clear water. Crappie prefer stable weather even more than bass. Early last week, crappie anglers reported success around Windy Hill using a trolling technique in 20-30 foot depths. A slow trolling speed usually in the 1-1.5 mph is needed if you're trying to get a 1/4 weighted jig head down to the proper depth. A light weight line in the 2-6 lb. range will assist in the drop rate. Trout fishing was reported to be excellent this past week. I received a report from one angler this week that he and his son had a great day trout fishing using wet flies on Becker Lake. I also received reports that Green Valley Lake is producing good numbers and one rainbow trout caught weighted over two pounds. Power-bait in a green and yellow color was the favorite choice. Have a great week of fishing and I hope see you on the water.