Horseshoe Lake

Horseshoe Lake is situated in the Cotswolds just outside the village of Lechlade, near to Swindon and Burford on the Glos / Wilt's border.

Horseshoe has undoubtedly become one of the country's premier carp waters and is renowned for it's large population of tremendous Leney carp.

Approx 70 acres in size the lake consists of two main 'arms' or 'bays' commonly known as The Summer Bay and The Winter Bay. Depths vary from an average of 4 ft in the Summer Bay to an average of around 11ft in the Winter Bay.

The lake is weedy in all areas, some very dense. There are very few larger clear bottom or gravel areas. Hence most fishing is aimed at sparser silkweed areas or holes in the weed.

Horseshoe Lake is the fourth largest on the Reservation (121 Acres) and holds the record for the largest brown trout in the state (16 lbs. 7 oz.). This lake has lots of feed because of the large amount of aquatic weeds. There are lots of fish and they grow well. Brown trout fishing is excellent after October off the dam. Lake contains Apache and rainbow trout with large numbers of browns. Camping, store and boat rentals are available.

The Apache trout (Oncorhynchus Apache) is a separate species of trout that is native to the White Mountains. The original range of Apache trout was reduced from 600 miles of stream to less than 30 miles in the late 1970's because of competition and hybridization with introduced trout and habitat degradation. This reduction in habitat caused the federal government to list Apache trout as endagered in 1973. The Tribe initiated protective measures in the 1940's. Since then, aggressive work by the Tribe, Arizona Game & Fish, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and private groups has allowed the Apache trout recovery team to consider delisting the species. Most restoration work consists of building barriers to prevent trout from swimming upstream, removing exotic trout from above the barrier and restocking with pure Apache trout above the barrier.

Apache trout are raised on the Reservation at Williams Creek National Fish Hatchery (visiting hours: weekdays from 7am to 3:30pm (520) 334-2346) and are stocked in Reservation waters for anglers to catch and keep. Christmas Tree, Hurricane and Earl Park Lakes are famous for large Apache trout; also most lakes on the Reservation are stocked with Apache trout. The best time to catch Apache trout in the lakes is in May or June. Apache trout are stocked weekly in the steams near campgrounds all summer.

GENERAL TROUT FISHING

The division remommends the following waters: APRIL THROUGH JUNE - All lakes provide excellent fishing. Bait and wet flies (brown and black wooley worms) work especially well when water temperatures are cold. JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER - Sunrise Lake is consistently the best, especially if you have a boat; fish early in the day because the wind often picks up at this lake in the afternoon. Boat anglers do well with cowbells and worms at all lakes. Boats can be rented at Sunrise, Horseshoe, Hawley, and Reservation Lakes during this summer. For bank anglers, trout often bite flies at dusk (ant and caddis imitations are popular). If you prefer using bait from the shore you must remember the fish prefer colder water this time of year. Try fishing at deep water near dams or toward inlets for best results. Stream fishing is often excellent this time of year. Fish near campgrounds for stocked fish and isolated streams for wild brown trout. Good areas to catch wild brown trout are streams in the Diamond Creek Drainage, streams in the Bonito Creek Drainage, Reservation Creek, Pacheta Creek, upper Black River, and upper Canyon Creek.

OCTOBER THROUGH NOVEMBER - As temperatures drop fishing in the lakes improves. This is a good time of year to try for big brown and brook trout in the larger lakes. Brook trout move into shallows to spawn at Sunrise, Reservation, and Earl Park Lakes. They can be caught on Salmon eggs and wooley buggers. Big brown trout can be caught at Hawley, Reservation, Pacheta, and Horseshoe Lakes. Anglers use gold rapalas, z-rays, and wet flies.

DECEMBER THROUGH MARCH - Some lakes can be fished through the ice. The best lake is Sunrise, although anglers also A-1, Hawley and Earl Park Lakes.

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