Salt River Project is releasing water from Stewart Mountain Dam into the Lower Salt River, which means the prime time for desert river trout fishing is at hand.

Arizona Game and Fish Department officials said the Lower Salt is stocked throughout the winter, but only from the confluence of the Salt with the Verde River (primarily the Phon D. Sutton Recreational Area). Releases on the Salt River from Stewart Mountain Dam don’t start until late spring. The time is here. The rainbow stocking occurs this week throughout that reach of river.

"Once the flows and trout stockings commence on the upper reach, it probably triples the amount of available trout fishing, and the fishery probably increases tenfold in popularity," said Information Branch Joe Janisch.

The Lower Salt has the distinction of being the only cold-water river trout fishery in the nation that is located in the desert. "This is truly a remarkable fishery. I run across people who fish for trout before going to work in the morning or after getting off work in the evening. That type of trout fishing is not most people’s mental image of living in desert metropolitan area," said Public Information Officer Rory Aikens.

The Lower Salt below Stewart Mountain Dam meanders through upper an upper Sonoran desert habitat that is home to a wide variety of wildlife from bald eagles to desert bighorn sheep. "It always seems a little strange to be fishing for trout where saguaro cactus and ocotillos line the river bank. While fishing there, I have seen desert bighorn sheep come down to water and watched peregrine falcons ambushing waterfowl flying along the river course. I even saw a mountain lion come down to water one time. It’s an amazing area," Aikens said.

The Lower Salt River is located along Bush Highway between Beeline Highway on the northwestern end and Usery Pass on the southeastern one. It is also a great riparian area for birders, so bring along your binoculars. That stretch of river is also popular with tubers.