Fossil Creek Opens October 3rd

Roundtail chub are native to Arizona and are commonly referred to as "Verde Trout".  These fish live in the Verde River and are known to bite on many of the same lures and baits that trout do. 

The Arizona Fish and Game Department has been working the last few years to turn Fossil Creek into a prime fishery for Verde Trout.  On October 3, 2009, Fossil Creek will open for the first annual Verde Trout fishing season.

Fossil Creek will open the first Saturday in October every year and remain open through April 30th.  Only the middle 4.5 miles of the creek is open to fishing (there will be signs).

Since this is a special fishery, special rules are in place including:

• Single Barbless hooks only
• Artificial lures and flies only
• Catch and release only

The fishery is open to both spin and fly fishers alike, provided they follow the rules mentioned above.  Of course, all other Arizona Fishing Regulations remain in effect as well.

The AZ Fish and Game Department hope that this fishery will help anglers learn more about its native fish. 

Other fish can also be found in Fossil Creek including the Speckled Dace, Longfin Dace, Desert Suckers, and Sonora Suckers.

You can find more information about each of these fish, by clicking here.  Just click on each of the pictures on the web page for more detailed info.


Fossil Creek is located on the Tonto and Coconino National Forests approximately 15 miles east of Camp Verde and 5 miles west of the town of Strawberry. You can find it by driving along Forest Service Road 708.