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Fishing regulations at Santa Cruz River, AZ
Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.
Fishing regulations in Arizona can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.
Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Channel catfish as of April 2nd, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.
Seasons
Bag limit
Aggregate
No size limit.
These regulations apply statewide unless Site-Specific Special Regulations apply to that body of water. Click here to see Site-Specific Special Regulations Statewide includes all state and federal refuges, parks and monuments; open areas do not include any area closed to hunting, fishing, or trapping.
Special Regulation Areas: (catfish bag limit includes channel catfish and flathead catfish)
- Community fishing lakes: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Community fishing ponds: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Alamar Park Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Alvord Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Apache Lake: bag limit = 5 catfish when taken by bow and arrow
- Bear Canyon Lake: no bag limit
- Beaver Creek (Wet and Dry): no bag limit
- Black Canyon Lake: no bag limit
- Bonsall Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Canyon Lake: bag limit = 5 catfish when taken by bow and arrow
- Cataract Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- CC Cragin Reservoir (Blue Ridge): no bag limit
- Chaparral Park Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Chevelon Canyon Lake: no bag limit
- City Reservoir: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Cluff Ranch Ponds: catch and release only
- Colorado River-Glen Canyon Dam to Separation Canyon: no bag limit
- Copper Sky Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Cortez Park Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Council Avenue Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Crystal Gardens Water Treatment Facility (city of Avondale): catch and release only
- Dankworth Pond: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Dave White Regional Park Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Dead Horse Ranch State Park Lagoons: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Desert Breeze Park Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Desert West Park Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Discovery Park Ponds: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Dogtown Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- East Verde River: no bag limit
- Eastmark Park Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Eldorado Park Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Encanto Park Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Evelyn Hallman Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Fain Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Festival Fields Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Fortuna Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Francis Short Pond: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Freestone Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Friendship Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Gilbert Regional Park Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Graham County Fairgrounds Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Granite Basin Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Green Valley Park Lakes: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Greenfield Park Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Heroes Regional Park Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Horseshoe Lake: no bag limit
- Kaibab Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Kennedy Park Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Kiwanis Park Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Knoll Lake: no bag limit
- Lakeside Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Long Tom Lake: no bag limit
- Lower Goldwater: artificial flies and lures only; catch and release only
- Lower Lake Mary: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Mansel Carter Oasis Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- McQueen Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Oak Creek: no bag limit
- Pacana Park Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Paloma Park Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Papago Park Ponds: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Parker Canyon Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Patterson Ponds: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Pena Blanca Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Pioneer Park Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Red Mountain Park Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Redondo Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Rio Vista Park Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Riverview Park Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Roadrunner Park Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Roper Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Saguaro Lake: bag limit = 5 catfish when taken by bow and arrow
- Sahuarita Park Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Santa Fe Reservoir: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Show Low Creek Meadow: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Silverbell Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Steele Indian School Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Stone Dam: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Sundance Park Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Surprise Park Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Tempe Town Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- The Pond at Town Hall (town of Gilbert): catch and release only
- Tucson waters in the city park system, but not in the CFP: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Upper Salt River (Roosevelt Diversion Dam upstream to the Reservation Boundary): no bag limit
- Verde River upstream of Horseshoe Dam including tributaries: no bag limit
- Veterans Oasis Park Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Virgin River: no bag limit
- Water Ranch Park Lake: bag limit = 2 catfish
- West Clear Creek: no bag limit
- West Wetlands Pond: bag limit = 2 catfish
- Whitehorse Lake: bag limit = 4 catfish
- Willow Springs Lake: no bag limit
- Woods Canyon Lake: no bag limit
- Yavapai Lakes: bag limit = 4 catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
Regulations for
FAQ about Santa Cruz River fishing
- Channel catfish - 38 members reported to have caught this fish
- Common carp - 35 members reported to have caught this fish
- Green sunfish - 13 members reported to have caught this fish
- @PeZ_762 reported a nice Channel catfish.
- @PeZ_762 reported a nice Common carp.
- @PeZ_762 reported a nice Common carp.
- @PeZ_762 reported a nice Common carp.
- @PeZ_762 reported a nice Ghost carp.
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