Cotton Tank

Cotton Tank is a reservoir in Greenlee County, Arizona and covers about 0.1 acres, reaches about 4.6 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 0.2 acre-feet.

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

Fish and Baits

To begin fishing Cotton Tank, the fish mix here is not confirmed, so check fresh local information before choosing a target or keeping a catch.

A direct approach on Cotton Tank works like this: begin with one slow bottom presentation and one moving bait, then let bites show whether fish are holding close to cover or roaming open water.

How to Read the Water

At Cotton Tank, use wind as a clue; a light push can carry food toward a bank, but hard wind may muddy it, so look for a clean edge near a point or protected pocket.

Season by Season

Use this plain plan on Cotton Tank: in spring, start with warming banks, creek mouths, and shallow cover; summer usually pushes the better bite toward the outside weed edge or a nearby drop; fall can bring bait back to windblown points, while winter calls for smaller moves and a slower pace.

A Simple Tackle Plan

To narrow down Cotton 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.

One way to read Cotton Tank is this: 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.