When is rainbow trout season in Arizona?

Arizona keeps rainbow trout open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.

What is the Arizona bag limit for rainbow trout?

The Arizona daily bag limit for rainbow trout is 4 / day combined trout (rainbow + brown + brook + cutthroat + tiger + Gila + Apache trout + grayling); 2 / day on listed quality-management trout reaches. The possession limit is 8 in possession combined trout (2× daily). Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size rainbow trout can you keep in Arizona?

The Arizona size rule for rainbow trout is No statewide minimum on most waters. Trophy rule: AZ state-record rainbow trout 21 lb 5 oz Willow Beach Lake Mohave 1966 (one of largest inland rainbow trout records in the Southwest outside the Pyramid Lake NV Lahontan cutthroat fishery); Oak Creek country's premier desert-canyon dry-fly + small-stream wild brown + AZGFD-stocked rainbow trout fishery; Lake Mohave below Hoover Dam (Willow Beach tailwater) country's southernmost coldwater rainbow trout tailwater fishery + USFWS Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery + AZGFD/NDOW joint stocking program (~500,000 rainbow trout annually); AZGFD Community Fishing Program ~70 urban-park ponds carry the winter-only catchable-rainbow-trout urban-fishing program (~250,000 rainbow trout stocked annually November – March) — one of country's only urban-park rainbow trout stocking programs in the Sonoran Desert.

Do you need a license to fish for rainbow trout in Arizona?

Yes. Arizona requires a valid fishing license to fish for rainbow trout, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Arizona license — compare resident and non-resident Arizona fees on the state regulations page below.

Are there gear restrictions for rainbow trout in Arizona?

Yes. In Arizona, rainbow trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trolling permitted on White Mountains lakes; Fly-fishing-only on listed Quality Management reaches (Oak Creek + West Fork Black + listed catch-and-release reaches); Barbless single hook + artificial-only on listed Apache trout + Gila trout recovery waters; Arizona Fishing License required ages 10+ ($37 res annual / $55 NR annual); General Fishing license covers AZGFD Community Fishing Program urban-park waters — there is no separate Community Fishing License (it was folded into the General Fishing license); Confirm current-year AZGFD Fishing Regulations for Mogollon Rim + White Mountains reach + season list.

Do specific Arizona waters have different rainbow trout rules?

Yes. 5 named Arizona waters carry rules that override the statewide rainbow trout regulation, including Oak Creek, Lake Mohave below Hoover Dam, White Mountain lakes, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

Arizona Rainbow trout 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Last updated June 8, 2026

Arizona rainbow trout fishery is anchored by the Mogollon Rim coldwater stream system + the White Mountains coldwater system + the Lake Mohave below-Hoover-Dam tailwater + the AZGFD Community Fishing Program winter-stocked urban-park ponds. Oak Creek (Coconino + Yavapai Counties — 12-mile creek through Sedona AZ + Oak Creek Canyon — country's premier desert-canyon dry-fly + small-stream wild brown + AZGFD-stocked rainbow trout fishery) is Arizona's most famous trout stream. The Mogollon Rim trout stream system (West Fork Black + East Fork Black + Big Lake + Crescent Lake + Sunrise Lake + Lyman Lake + Hawley Lake — Apache + Greenlee + Navajo Counties — White Mountains high-altitude coldwater fishery above 8,000 ft elevation) carries the southern-Mogollon-Rim wild + AZGFD-stocked rainbow trout fishery. Lake Mohave below Hoover Dam (Willow Beach tailwater — 12-mile cold-water Colorado River reach immediately downstream of Hoover Dam — Mohave County AZ + Clark County NV) carries the country's southernmost coldwater rainbow trout tailwater fishery + USFWS Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery + AZGFD/NDOW joint stocking program (~500,000 rainbow trout annually). The AZGFD Community Fishing Program ~70 urban-park ponds in Phoenix + Tucson + Yuma + Sierra Vista metropolitan areas carry the winter-only catchable-rainbow-trout urban-fishing program (AZGFD stocks ~250,000 rainbow trout annually at Community waters from November through March when desert-park water temperatures support trout — one of the country's only urban-park rainbow trout stocking programs in the Sonoran Desert). The 2024 AZGFD simplification lowered the statewide combined trout limit to 4 / day (down from the former 6 / day), now covering rainbow + brown + brook + cutthroat + tiger + Gila + Apache trout + grayling — with 2 / day on listed quality-management trout reaches. AZGFD stocks ~1.5 million catchable + fingerling rainbow trout annually statewide via Tonto Creek + Page Springs + Bubbling Ponds + Silver Creek + Sterling Springs + Williams Creek State Fish Hatcheries + USFWS Williams Creek NFH. Open year-round on Mogollon Rim + White Mountains streams; winter-only at AZGFD Community Fishing Program urban-park ponds.

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Season

Open year-round Open year-round on Mogollon Rim + White Mountains trout streams + listed AZGFD-stocked Lake Mohave tailwater + Community trout waters; April – October densest fishing window on White Mountains streams; AZGFD Community Fishing Program winter-only urban-park stocking November – March.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 4 / day combined trout (rainbow + brown + brook + cutthroat + tiger + Gila + Apache trout + grayling); 2 / day on listed quality-management trout reaches
Possession: 8 in possession combined trout (2× daily)

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No statewide minimum on most waters
Trophy rule: AZ state-record rainbow trout 21 lb 5 oz Willow Beach Lake Mohave 1966 (one of largest inland rainbow trout records in the Southwest outside the Pyramid Lake NV Lahontan cutthroat fishery); Oak Creek country's premier desert-canyon dry-fly + small-stream wild brown + AZGFD-stocked rainbow trout fishery; Lake Mohave below Hoover Dam (Willow Beach tailwater) country's southernmost coldwater rainbow trout tailwater fishery + USFWS Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery + AZGFD/NDOW joint stocking program (~500,000 rainbow trout annually); AZGFD Community Fishing Program ~70 urban-park ponds carry the winter-only catchable-rainbow-trout urban-fishing program (~250,000 rainbow trout stocked annually November – March) — one of country's only urban-park rainbow trout stocking programs in the Sonoran Desert

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; trolling permitted on White Mountains lakes
Fly-fishing-only on listed Quality Management reaches (Oak Creek + West Fork Black + listed catch-and-release reaches)
Barbless single hook + artificial-only on listed Apache trout + Gila trout recovery waters
Arizona Fishing License required ages 10+ ($37 res annual / $55 NR annual)
General Fishing license covers AZGFD Community Fishing Program urban-park waters — there is no separate Community Fishing License (it was folded into the General Fishing license)
Confirm current-year AZGFD Fishing Regulations for Mogollon Rim + White Mountains reach + season list

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Arizona waters:

Oak Creek
4 / day combined trout; 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
Lake Mohave below Hoover Dam
4 / day on the tailwater; AZGFD/NDOW joint stocking program (~500,000 rainbow trout annually) + USFWS Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery; AZ state-record rainbow trout 21 lb 5 oz Willow Beach 1966
Big Lake + Crescent Lake + Sunrise Lake + Lyman Lake + Hawley Lake
4 / day combined trout; AZGFD-stocked rainbow trout + native Apache trout (Apache trout 2 / day where harvest permitted)
Lee Valley + Frye Mesa + Carnero + Chevelon Canyon + Granite Dells
2 / day combined trout (quality-management reaches with reduced bag limits)
AZGFD Community Fishing Program
Rainbow trout per posted Community-water bag limit (commonly 4 / day); AZGFD winter-only catchable stocking November – March (~250,000 rainbow trout stocked annually)

Official source

Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) publishes the authoritative 2026 Arizonafishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.

The rainbow trout rules on this page are sourced from Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD)'s official rainbow trout regulation page.

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Emergency-order channel

Rainbow trout closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to Arizona Game and Fish Department's emergency-order feed — check it before any Arizona trip during the active season.

Frequently asked questions

When is rainbow trout season in Arizona?: Arizona keeps rainbow trout open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.
What is the Arizona bag limit for rainbow trout?: The Arizona daily bag limit for rainbow trout is 4 / day combined trout (rainbow + brown + brook + cutthroat + tiger + Gila + Apache trout + grayling); 2 / day on listed quality-management trout reaches. The possession limit is 8 in possession combined trout (2× daily). Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size rainbow trout can you keep in Arizona?: The Arizona size rule for rainbow trout is No statewide minimum on most waters. Trophy rule: AZ state-record rainbow trout 21 lb 5 oz Willow Beach Lake Mohave 1966 (one of largest inland rainbow trout records in the Southwest outside the Pyramid Lake NV Lahontan cutthroat fishery); Oak Creek country's premier desert-canyon dry-fly + small-stream wild brown + AZGFD-stocked rainbow trout fishery; Lake Mohave below Hoover Dam (Willow Beach tailwater) country's southernmost coldwater rainbow trout tailwater fishery + USFWS Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery + AZGFD/NDOW joint stocking program (~500,000 rainbow trout annually); AZGFD Community Fishing Program ~70 urban-park ponds carry the winter-only catchable-rainbow-trout urban-fishing program (~250,000 rainbow trout stocked annually November – March) — one of country's only urban-park rainbow trout stocking programs in the Sonoran Desert.
Do you need a license to fish for rainbow trout in Arizona?: Yes. Arizona requires a valid fishing license to fish for rainbow trout, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Arizona license — compare resident and non-resident Arizona fees on the state regulations page below.
Are there gear restrictions for rainbow trout in Arizona?: Yes. In Arizona, rainbow trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trolling permitted on White Mountains lakes; Fly-fishing-only on listed Quality Management reaches (Oak Creek + West Fork Black + listed catch-and-release reaches); Barbless single hook + artificial-only on listed Apache trout + Gila trout recovery waters; Arizona Fishing License required ages 10+ ($37 res annual / $55 NR annual); General Fishing license covers AZGFD Community Fishing Program urban-park waters — there is no separate Community Fishing License (it was folded into the General Fishing license); Confirm current-year AZGFD Fishing Regulations for Mogollon Rim + White Mountains reach + season list.
Do specific Arizona waters have different rainbow trout rules?: Yes. 5 named Arizona waters carry rules that override the statewide rainbow trout regulation, including Oak Creek, Lake Mohave below Hoover Dam, White Mountain lakes, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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