Hay Lake

Hay Lake in Apache County is a lake in Arizona and covers about 32.6 acres, reaches about 16.9 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 220.5 acre-feet.

Hay Lake is compact enough to fish slowly, but a change in weeds or bottom can still split it into separate patterns.

Fish and Baits

Fish listed for Hay Lake include Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Green Sunfish, and Largemouth Bass.

For black crappie, fish a small jig or minnow around wood, weeds, and sharp little drops; work each small drop before going deeper; follow bait before changing areas on this 32.6-acre lake.

For bluegill, use a small jig, worm, or tiny plastic around green weeds and protected pockets; use one moving lure and one slow bait.

For largemouth bass, work a soft plastic, jig, or spinnerbait around weeds and protected cover; use the same depth on the next similar feature; follow bait before changing areas on this 32.6-acre lake.

For channel catfish, fish cut bait or a nightcrawler on the bottom along a channel edge or warm flat; write down the productive depth.

At Hay Lake, other targets listed here include Common Carp; give each one its own bait and depth instead of trying to catch everything with the same rig.

How to Read the Water

Keep the first check on Hay Lake simple: do not let the deepest number control the whole day; nearby cover, firm bottom, and food usually matter more than the deepest hole by itself.

Season by Season

For a short trip to Hay Lake, 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

At Hay Lake, 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.

At Hay Lake, 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.

Hay Lake FAQs

What is a simple way to start fishing for black crappie at Hay Lake?

Try the first deep shelf after the bank, then fish a small jig or minnow around wood, weeds, and sharp little drops; test a point before fishing a featureless bank.

What does the 16.9 feet deepest point mean when fishing Hay Lake?

Treat 16.9 feet as the deepest point, not the automatic fishing depth; start beside cover and move lower only when bites or bait give a reason.

What is the best reason to change spots at Hay Lake?

When the bite is slow on this water, move after checking the same useful feature at several depths without finding bait, a clean edge, or a bite.