2026 regulation year
Arizona Fishing Regulations 2026 — License Fees, Seasons, Bag Limits
Last updated
Arizona runs a single-agency regulatory system through the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) covering all inland freshwater fisheries — Arizona is a fully landlocked Southwest / Sonoran Desert + Colorado Plateau + Mogollon Rim state operating the country's most diverse warmwater + coldwater + native-desert + native-mountain fishery system on a single state license. Arizona straddles three of the country's largest Colorado River impoundment systems (Lake Powell on the UT line + Lake Mead + Lake Mohave on the NV line + Lake Havasu on the CA line) + the Salt River chain of four desert canyon reservoirs near Phoenix (Roosevelt + Apache + Canyon + Saguaro) + the White Mountains coldwater fishery (Big Lake + Lyman + Apache trout native range) + the Mogollon Rim trout streams (Oak Creek + West Fork Black + listed Rim Country streams). AZGFD operates the country's only state-managed fishery for two ESA-listed native salmonid endemics: Apache trout (Oncorhynchus apache — formerly federally Threatened, downlisted in 2025 after AZGFD + USFWS + White Mountain Apache Tribe restoration — the only US state with a viable angling fishery for Apache trout) + Gila trout (Oncorhynchus gilae — currently federally Threatened, very limited angling access on listed AZGFD waters). AZGFD license framework: every angler 10+ must hold an Arizona license — General Fishing ($37 res / $55 NR annual) or Combination Hunt + Fish ($57 res / $160 NR annual) — with no separate Conservation Stamp like WY or AIS Pass like MT, and since 2014 no separate Colorado River Stamp either: every Arizona license now bundles the Colorado River boundary-water privilege that lets AZ-licensed anglers fish the AZ shore + impounded waters of Lake Mead + Lake Mohave + Lake Havasu (the old pre-2014 Colorado River Stamps for California + Nevada — and the old Utah Lake Powell Reciprocal License, retired Jan 1 2019 — are folded into the base Arizona license; trout-stamp and two-pole stamps were likewise eliminated, both now included in every license). Lake Powell (161,000-acre reservoir on the Colorado River — USBR Glen Canyon Dam built 1966 — Coconino County AZ + Garfield + San Juan + Kane Counties UT — country's second-largest reservoir by volume + third-largest by surface area after Lake Mead NV/AZ + Lake Sakakawea ND — 186-mile reservoir reach administered through Glen Canyon NRA NPS overlay) is administered under the joint AZ/UT reciprocal compact + carries striped bass + smallmouth + largemouth + walleye + black crappie + channel catfish + carp fishery. Lake Mead (247-square-mile reservoir on the Colorado River — USBR Hoover Dam built 1936 — Mohave County AZ + Clark County NV — country's largest reservoir by volume + by surface area when full + the country's largest manmade lake by surface area + 110-mile reservoir reach administered through Lake Mead NRA NPS overlay) is the singular AZ/NV reciprocal compact reservoir + Arizona's premier striped bass + smallmouth + largemouth + black crappie + channel catfish fishery. Lake Mohave (28,260-acre reservoir on the Colorado River below Hoover Dam to Davis Dam — USBR Davis Dam built 1951 — Mohave County AZ + Clark County NV — 67-mile reservoir reach administered through Lake Mead NRA NPS overlay) carries striped bass + native razorback sucker recovery (USFWS Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program ESA-listed endemic). Lake Havasu (19,300-acre reservoir on the Colorado River below Davis Dam — USBR Parker Dam built 1938 — Mohave County AZ + San Bernardino County CA — 45-mile reservoir reach administered through Lake Havasu State Park) is the singular AZ/CA reciprocal compact reservoir + country's premier smallmouth + striped bass + largemouth + crappie + bluegill + redear sunfish desert-reservoir fishery — recurring BASS Elite + MLF Toyota Series tournament venue (Lake Havasu produces 4-6 lb smallmouth routinely with 8+ lb fish landed annually — one of country's premier desert reservoir bass fisheries). The Salt River chain of four desert canyon reservoirs upstream of Phoenix metro (Theodore Roosevelt Lake 21,500-acre — USBR Roosevelt Dam built 1911 the oldest federal reservoir in the country still in operation — Gila County + Maricopa County; Apache Lake 2,568-acre Horse Mesa Dam 1927; Canyon Lake 950-acre Mormon Flat Dam 1925; Saguaro Lake 1,250-acre Stewart Mountain Dam 1930 — Maricopa County) carries the country's premier desert canyon reservoir bass + striped + crappie + bluegill multi-species fishery — Theodore Roosevelt Lake is one of the country's longest-tenured BASS Open + MLF Toyota Series tournament venues + AZ state-record largemouth 16 lb 7.68 oz Canyon Lake 1997 + AZ state-record smallmouth 7 lb 1 oz Roosevelt 1988. The White Mountains coldwater system (Big Lake 575-acre + Lyman Lake 1,100-acre + Crescent Lake + Sunrise Lake + listed natural + man-made high-altitude lakes above 8,000 ft elevation — Apache + Greenlee + Navajo Counties) carries native Apache trout + introduced rainbow + brook + brown trout + arctic grayling backcountry fishery — Apache trout (Oncorhynchus apache) is endemic to the White Mountains headwater drainages + downlisted from ESA Threatened to ESA Recovered in 2025 after AZGFD + USFWS + White Mountain Apache Tribe 50-year recovery program (one of the country's first native salmonid ESA recoveries). The Mogollon Rim trout stream system (Oak Creek 12-mile through Sedona AZ — country's premier desert-canyon dry-fly + small-stream wild brown trout fishery + AZGFD-stocked rainbow + West Fork Black River + listed Rim Country trout streams) carries the southern-Mogollon-Rim wild + stocked trout fishery. AZGFD's 2024 statewide simplification consolidated most bag limits into single statewide numbers (retiring dozens of water-specific special rules): largemouth + smallmouth bass combined 6 / day no statewide minimum (the former Theodore Roosevelt + Apache + Canyon 13-16 in slots were retired — Lake Havasu retains a 13 in minimum + Lake Powell splits 20 smallmouth / 5 largemouth); striped bass 10 / day no statewide minimum (applies on all waters including Lake Mead + Lake Mohave + Lake Havasu + Lake Powell + Lake Pleasant — AZGFD lists no striped-bass water exceptions); walleye 6 / day no statewide minimum (raised from the former 2 / day in the 2024 simplification — applies on all waters including Lake Powell, with no walleye water exceptions); channel + flathead catfish 10 / day combined no statewide minimum (lowered from the former 25 / day); trout 4 / day combined (rainbow + brown + brook + cutthroat + tiger + Gila + Apache trout + grayling — lowered from the former 6 / day) statewide + 2 / day on listed quality-management trout reaches (Carnero + Chevelon Canyon + Lee Valley + Frye Mesa + Granite Dells); Apache trout 2 / day where harvest is permitted within the combined trout limit (most native White Mountains stream populations are catch-and-release-only or seasonally closed January 1 – April 30 — the only US state with a viable Apache trout angling fishery); Gila trout catch-and-release-only on listed recovery waters (federally Threatened ESA — limited access); crappie (white + black) + sunfish (bluegill + redear + green + hybrid) no daily limit statewide (unlimited), but reduced on the major reservoirs — 10 crappie on Lake Powell, 15 crappie on the Salt River chain (Roosevelt + Apache + Canyon + Saguaro) + Bartlett + Lake Pleasant + Lake Mead + Lake Mohave, 25 crappie-and-sunfish combined on Lake Havasu + Topock Marsh; northern pike unlimited (immediate kill or release); razorback sucker + Colorado pikeminnow + bonytail + humpback chub catch-and-release-only statewide (federally Endangered ESA — must release any non-game native fish caught). Statewide possession limits are twice (2×) the daily bag limit unless a water specifies otherwise. AZGFD stocks ~1.5 million catchable + fingerling trout annually statewide via Tonto Creek + Page Springs + Bubbling Ponds + Silver Creek + Sterling Springs + Williams Creek + USFWS Williams Creek National Fish Hatchery + USFWS Alchesay-Williams Creek NFH (Apache trout broodstock). AZGFD-distinctive Community Fishing Program: 50+ urban-park lakes + ponds across 25 cities (Phoenix + Tucson + Yuma + Sierra Vista + Flagstaff metro areas) — covered by the standard General Fishing license (there is no separate Community Fishing License anymore — it was folded into the General Fishing license), with reduced posted bag limits (Community Lakes: catfish 4 / trout 4 / bass 2 [13-in minimum] / sunfish 10; Community Ponds: half those — catfish 2 / trout 2 / bass 1 / sunfish 5). AZGFD fees: $37 res / $55 NR General Fishing annual; $57 res / $160 NR Combination Hunt + Fish annual; $15 res / $20 NR Short-term Combination Hunt + Fish per day (any non-consecutive days); $5 res/NR Youth Combination Hunt + Fish (ages 10-17); $0 Pioneer (70+, 25+ years resident) + Disabled Veteran (100% service-connected) complimentary; $0 under-10 + blind resident.
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License fees
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident General Fishing (annual) | $37.00 | Covers all fish species statewide including AZGFD Community Fishing Program urban-park waters; trout, two-pole and Colorado River boundary-water privileges are all included — no separate stamp required |
| Resident Combination Hunt + Fish (annual) | $57.00 | |
| Resident Short-term Combination Hunt + Fish (per day) | $15.00 | Buy any number of days, need not be consecutive; valid for fishing + small/upland game |
| Resident Youth Combination Hunt + Fish (ages 10-17) | $5.00 | |
| Resident Pioneer complimentary (age 70+, 25+ consecutive years resident) | Free | Free; same privileges as Combination Hunt + Fish (optional $4 hard-plastic card) |
| Resident Disabled Veteran complimentary (100% service-connected) | Free | Free; same privileges as Combination Hunt + Fish |
| Resident under 10 / blind resident | Free | No state fishing license required |
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident General Fishing (annual) | $55.00 | Covers all fish species statewide including AZGFD Community Fishing Program urban-park waters; trout, two-pole and Colorado River boundary-water privileges are all included — no separate stamp required |
| Non-resident Combination Hunt + Fish (annual) | $160.00 | |
| Non-resident Short-term Combination Hunt + Fish (per day) | $20.00 | Buy any number of days, need not be consecutive |
| Non-resident Youth Combination Hunt + Fish (ages 10-17) | $5.00 | |
| Non-resident under 10 | Free | No state fishing license required under age 10 |
Buy directly from Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). Fees may include processing surcharges at point of sale.
Top species — season, bag, size
| Species | Season | Daily bag | Size / slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bassCompare across states → | Open year-round statewide; March – June pre-spawn through post-spawn densest fishing window on Roosevelt + Havasu + Powell + Mead + Salt River chain | 6 / day combined black bass (largemouth + smallmouth) no statewide minimum; Lake Havasu 13 in min; Lake Powell 20 smallmouth / 5 largemouth split | No statewide minimum (2024 AZGFD simplification retired the former Theodore Roosevelt + Apache + Canyon 13-16 in slots); Lake Havasu 13 in minimum |
| Smallmouth bassCompare across states → | Open year-round statewide; March – June pre-spawn through post-spawn densest fishing window on Havasu + Powell + Roosevelt + Apache + Saguaro | 6 / day combined black bass no statewide minimum; Lake Powell 20 smallmouth / day; Lake Havasu 13 in min | No statewide minimum (AZGFD-distinctive — encourages harvest of smallmouth in Lower Colorado River + Salt River chain to protect native razorback sucker + Colorado pikeminnow ESA-listed natives); Lake Havasu 13 in min |
| Striped bassCompare across states → | Open year-round statewide; May – September pre-spawn through post-spawn densest fishing window on Mead + Mohave + Havasu + Powell | 10 / day no statewide minimum — applies on all waters including Lake Mead + Lake Mohave + Lake Havasu + Lake Powell + Lake Pleasant (AZGFD lists no striped-bass water exceptions) | No statewide minimum |
| WalleyeCompare across states → | Open year-round statewide; March – May post-ice through pre-spawn densest fishing window on Show Low + Fool Hollow + Lyman + Upper/Lower Lake Mary White Mountains lakes | 6 / day no statewide minimum (raised from the former 2 / day in the 2024 AZGFD simplification); applies on all waters including Lake Powell | No statewide minimum |
| Channel catfishCompare across states → | Open year-round statewide; June – September warm-water densest fishing window on Roosevelt + Apache + Canyon + Saguaro + Powell + Mead + Havasu | 10 / day combined channel + flathead catfish (lowered from the former 25 / day in the 2024 AZGFD simplification) | No statewide minimum |
| Flathead catfishCompare across states → | Open year-round statewide; May – September warm-water densest fishing window on Bartlett + Lake Pleasant + Roosevelt + San Carlos + Lower Colorado River | 10 / day combined channel + flathead catfish (lowered from the former 25 / day in the 2024 AZGFD simplification) | No statewide minimum |
| Rainbow troutCompare across states → | Open year-round on Mogollon Rim + White Mountains trout streams + listed AZGFD-stocked Community trout waters; April – October densest fishing window | 4 / day combined trout (rainbow + brown + brook + cutthroat + tiger + Gila + Apache trout + grayling); 2 / day on listed quality-management trout reaches | No statewide minimum on most waters |
| Apache trout | Open year-round on listed harvest waters; many native White Mountains recovery streams closed January 1 – April 30, catch-and-release-only May 1 – December 31 | 2 / day where harvest is permitted, within the statewide 4 / day combined trout limit; most native stream populations catch-and-release-only | No statewide minimum where harvest is permitted |
Notable water-body special regulations
UT/AZ joint reciprocal compact on the boundary reservoir (the Arizona license covers the AZ portion; the old Utah Lake Powell Reciprocal stamp was retired Jan 1 2019); smallmouth bass 20 / day + largemouth bass 5 / day (the one AZGFD bass-split water); striped bass 10 / day + walleye 6 / day (statewide limits — AZGFD lists no Powell exception for either); channel + flathead catfish 10 / day combined; crappie 10 / day; mandatory boat inspection at all AIS-positive entry points (quagga mussel detection 2012)
AZ/NV boundary reservoir — fishable on the Arizona license (the Colorado River boundary-water privilege is bundled into every AZ license, no separate stamp); striped bass 10 / day (statewide limit — no Mead exception); largemouth + smallmouth bass 6 / day combined; channel + flathead catfish 10 / day combined; crappie 15 / day; razorback sucker catch-and-release-only (federally Endangered ESA — USFWS Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program)
AZ/NV boundary reservoir — fishable on the Arizona license (Colorado River boundary-water privilege bundled in, no separate stamp); striped bass 10 / day (statewide limit); crappie 15 / day; rainbow trout 5 / day on the Colorado River-Separation-Canyon-to-CA/NV-Boundary reach incl Lake Mead + Lake Mohave (AZGFD + NDOW stocking program at Willow Beach NFH below Hoover Dam — one of country's premier cold-water tailwater rainbow + trophy striper fisheries); razorback sucker + bonytail catch-and-release-only (federally Endangered ESA — USFWS Multi-Species Conservation Program recovery population)
AZ/CA joint reciprocal compact on the boundary reservoir (anglers fishing the main stem may use AZ or CA license); smallmouth + largemouth bass 6 / day combined 13 in minimum — country's premier desert smallmouth fishery (4-6 lb fish routinely with 8+ lb fish landed annually); striped bass 10 / day; trout 10 / day; sunfish or crappie 25 / day combined (Lake Havasu carries the IGFA all-tackle world-record redear sunfish 5 lb 7.83 oz March 17, 2024 by Hudson Engalla); channel + flathead catfish 10 / day combined
Largemouth + smallmouth bass 6 / day combined no min (2024 AZGFD simplification retired the former 13-16 in slot); AZ state-record smallmouth 7 lb 1 oz Roosevelt 1988; striped bass 10 / day; channel + flathead catfish 10 / day combined (5 / day when taken by bow + arrow); crappie 15 / day
Largemouth + smallmouth bass 6 / day combined no min (former 13-16 in slot retired in the 2024 simplification); striped bass 10 / day; channel + flathead catfish 10 / day combined (5 / day when taken by bow + arrow); crappie 15 / day
Largemouth + smallmouth bass 6 / day combined no min (former 13-16 in slot retired in the 2024 simplification); AZ state-record largemouth 16 lb 7.68 oz Canyon Lake 1997 (one of the largest state-record largemouth records in the desert SW outside CA + TX); striped bass 10 / day; crappie 15 / day
Largemouth + smallmouth bass 6 / day combined no min; striped bass 10 / day; rainbow trout 4 / day (AZGFD stocking program — winter trout fishery within 50 miles of Phoenix metro); channel + flathead catfish 10 / day combined (5 / day when taken by bow + arrow); crappie 15 / day
Channel + flathead catfish 10 / day combined; crappie 15 / day; AZ state-record flathead catfish 76 lb 8 oz Bartlett Lake 2013 (Eddie 'Flathead Ed' Wilcoxson — the heaviest fish of any kind ever recorded in Arizona, 53.5 in); largemouth bass 6 / day no min multi-species Tonto National Forest reservoir on the Verde River
Walleye 6 / day no min; AZ state-record walleye 16 lb 1.76 oz Show Low Lake 2002 (Gregg Munck, 31 in); trout 4 / day combined; White Mountains multi-species lake — premier AZ walleye water
San Carlos Apache Tribe Fishing Permit required (tribal jurisdiction supersedes AZGFD on the reservation); largemouth bass + crappie + channel + flathead catfish multi-species reservoir on the largest reservoir wholly inside Arizona by surface area
Apache trout 2 / day where harvest permitted (the only US state with a viable Apache trout angling fishery — Apache trout Oncorhynchus apache downlisted from ESA Threatened to ESA Recovered in 2025 after AZGFD + USFWS + White Mountain Apache Tribe 50-year recovery program); rainbow trout 4 / day combined trout
Rainbow trout 4 / day combined trout; walleye 6 / day no min; smallmouth bass 6 / day combined no min; channel + flathead catfish 10 / day combined
10,000-acre Agua Fria reservoir NW of Phoenix — the metro's premier striped + white bass fishery; striped bass 10 / day + largemouth/smallmouth bass 6 / day combined no min + walleye 6 / day + channel + flathead catfish 10 / day combined; crappie 15 / day; AZ inland-record striped bass 29 lb 13.76 oz Lake Pleasant 2010 + AZ-record white bass + white crappie + hybrid striped bass all from Lake Pleasant
Lower Colorado River backwater in the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge above Lake Havasu — largemouth + smallmouth bass 6 / day combined, 13-in minimum; crappie 25 / day combined with sunfish; channel + flathead catfish 10 / day combined; fishable on the Arizona license (Colorado River boundary-water privilege bundled in)
Colorado River tailwater from Glen Canyon Dam down to Lees Ferry / Navajo Bridge — one of the West's premier trophy rainbow trout tailwaters; trout 2 / day, artificial flies and lures only; the upstream dam-to-Ferry reach is the blue-ribbon wild-rainbow fishery (the Colorado River below Navajo Bridge to Separation Canyon carries unlimited-trout regulations instead)
White Mountains spring creek near Show Low — premier winter catch-and-release Apache + rainbow trout fishery; Oct. 1 – March 31 catch-and-release, artificial flies and lures only; statewide trout limits (4 / day) the rest of the year; AZGFD-stocked Apache trout broodstock water
Long, narrow reservoir SE of Flagstaff — walleye 6 / day + northern pike unlimited (immediate kill or release) + channel catfish 10 / day combined; AZ state-record channel catfish 33 lb 5.76 oz Upper Lake Mary 2017 (Carson Pete, 39.5 in); ADEQ consumption advisory on walleye + northern pike
White Mountains quality trout water near Springerville — trout catch-and-release, artificial flies and lures only; largemouth + smallmouth bass unlimited (no limit) + channel + flathead catfish unlimited (no limit) to protect the trout fishery
Mogollon Rim trout lake on the Coconino Plateau — AZGFD-stocked rainbow trout 4 / day combined; largemouth + smallmouth bass unlimited (no limit) + channel + flathead catfish unlimited (no limit); AZ state-record rainbow trout 15 lb 9.12 oz Willow Springs Lake 2006 (32.5 in)
Trout 4 / day combined; 2 / day on listed quality-management reaches; AZGFD-stocked rainbow trout + naturalized wild brown trout fishery; barbless single-hook + artificial-only on listed catch-and-release reaches
Native Trout Recovery water — Apache trout catch-and-release-only; trout must be released unharmed; artificial fly + lure only, single-pointed barbless hooks; listed reaches closed January 1 – April 30 (one of country's only native Apache trout angling streams)
AZGFD Community Fishing Program
Rainbow trout (winter stocked) + channel catfish (summer stocked) + tilapia + bluegill + redear sunfish + crappie multi-species urban-park fishery — AZGFD catchable stocking program throughout the year for family + youth-focused fishing access (Community waters carry their own posted per-water bag limits)
No separate stamp — every Arizona license bundles the Colorado River boundary-water privilege, letting AZ-licensed anglers fish the AZ shore of the Lower Colorado River (the old pre-2014 CA + NV Colorado River Stamps are folded in); striped bass 10 / day + largemouth + smallmouth bass 6 / day combined 13-in min on the Davis-Dam-to-International-Boundary reach (incl Lake Havasu + Topock Marsh) + flathead + channel catfish 10 / day combined + crappie 25 / day (Davis Dam to border, combined with sunfish) multi-species fishery
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a fishing license to fish in Arizona?
- Yes. Arizona requires residents and non-residents alike to hold a valid fishing license, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. Buy directly from Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD); resident and non-resident fees are listed in the tables above.
- How much is a fishing license in Arizona?
- Resident fees range from $5.00 (resident youth combination hunt + fish (ages 10-17)) to $57.00 (resident combination hunt + fish (annual)); Non-resident fees range from $5.00 (non-resident youth combination hunt + fish (ages 10-17)) to $160.00 (non-resident combination hunt + fish (annual)). The full breakdown — annual, multi-day, senior, and lifetime options — is in the license-fee tables above, and you can compare Arizona against every other state on the license-fee comparator.
- What fish can you catch in Arizona?
- Arizona anglers most commonly target Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Striped bass, Walleye, Channel catfish, Flathead catfish, and others. Each species sets its own season, daily bag, and size or slot limit — compare them in the species table above, or open a species page for the full 2026 rule.
- When does fishing season open in Arizona?
- It depends on the species — Arizona sets a separate season for each. Warmwater fish like bass, catfish, and panfish are open year-round in most of the state, while trout, walleye, salmon, and other cold-water or migratory species have dated seasons. The season column in the table above shows each one, and Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) can shift dates by emergency order.
- Are there special fishing rules on specific Arizona waters?
- Yes. 24 named Arizona waters carry regulations that differ from the statewide rule, including Lake Powell, Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, and 21 more. See the notable water-body special regulations above for the exact rule on each.
Official source
Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is the authoritative source for Arizona fishing regulations. Always verify rules before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override published booklets.
Visit official Arizona fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Arizona Game and Fish Department's emergency-order feed — check it before any Arizona trip during the active season.