Fishing Regulations Changes

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission has changed the following regulations:

1---Alamo Lake: reduced limits of 6 bass with no more than 1 in the slot.

2---Arivaca Lake: Zero harvest for Arivaca until the lake can recover from an extensive fish kill suffered in 1999. Virtually all of the brood fish were killed after a rapid bloom of algae, followed by a rapid die-off. Consequently that removed most of the lakes oxygen due to decomposing algae. Arivaca has long been known as a "blue ribbon" bass fishery, where anglers often caught above average bass. For more than a decade now the lake has been run under a human healthy fish consumption advisory issued by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the Arizona Department of Health. The public has been advised not to consume bass from the lake, due to the accumulation of methyl-mercury in the tissue of the bass. The methyl-mercury had nothing to do with the algae problem. Game and Fish along with other angler groups, plan to re-stock the lake as soon as conditions return to normal.

3---Illegally introduced northern pikes: Unlimited harvest of illegally introduced northern pike. Lake surveys have detected the illegal introduction of northerns at the following lakes: Parker Canyon, Rainbow, Woodland, Ashurst, Coconino, Alamo, Santa Fe, and Marshall. The lakes where pike are normally managed are Stoneman and Lake Mary. These other lakes are subject to significant impacts on existing fish populations due to the pike being a very efficient predator. Particular concern is for trout managed lakes.

4---Urban Fishing and Tempe Town Lake: 10 is the bag limit for sunfish. Recently, hybrid sunfish were procured from private vendors as a bonus fish for the Urban Fisheries. The Tempe Town Lake, because it is so similar to the Urban Lakes, will also be included.