Big Dam Tank

Big Dam Tank is a reservoir in Yavapai County, Arizona and covers about 2.2 acres, reaches about 11.4 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 11 acre-feet.

On a water as small as Big Dam Tank, one weed edge or deeper pocket can hold much of the day’s activity. With little deep water in Big Dam Tank, weeds, wind, and water color can matter more than depth alone.

Fish and Baits

Fish listed for Big Dam Tank include Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Green Sunfish, and Largemouth Bass.

When bluegill are the target on Big Dam Tank, use a small jig, worm, or tiny plastic around green weeds and protected pockets.

One direct largemouth bass tactic on Big Dam Tank is to work a soft plastic, jig, or spinnerbait around weeds and protected cover.

When channel catfish are the target on Big Dam Tank, fish cut bait or a nightcrawler on the bottom along a channel edge or warm flat.

How to Read the Water

While learning Big Dam Tank, start where two things meet: weeds and open water, rock and mud, a point and a drop, or clear water and dirty water; fish that edge at more than one depth before leaving it.

Season by Season

Keep the first check on Big Dam Tank simple: shallow water is worth a careful look in spring and again during fall; bright summer days favor shade, weeds, or deeper breaks; under ice, a small depth change can be more useful than a long move.

A Simple Tackle Plan

When working Big Dam Tank, a medium spinning rod, 8-pound line, a small box of jigs, a few crankbaits, and a simple bottom rig cover most situations; change depth or speed before changing every piece of tackle.

For the next pass on Big Dam Tank, record the wind, water color, productive depth, and cover after a bite; those four notes are more useful on the next trip than a long list of spots that did not produce.