Arizona Wildlife Conservation Strategy

Silver Creek - Bourdon Ranch Road to Silver Creek Hatchery Boundary COA

Silver Creek, from the Bourdon Ranch Road crossing upstream through the AZGFD property to Silver Springs will be managed primarily as blue-ribbon coldwater fishery supported with rainbow trout and/or Apache trout stockings. Seasonal harvest closures will assist in managing for larger size class of fish. A catch-release season will continue to be managed through the fall and winter seasons, with intensive use and harvest open through the summer season. Populations of bluehead sucker and speckled dace exist throughout this management unit and will represent the secondary management of self-sustaining native fish emphasis for this portion of Silver Creek. The Silver Creek Fish hatchery is also located just downstream of Silver Springs to raise recreational sportfish and is always closed to fishing. The department has an interest in also managing for other self-sustaining native fish populations where habitat is present in this management unit including: Roundtail chub, Little Colorado sucker, and Little Colorado spinedace. Some non-native warmwater fish exist in low numbers and are removed whenever encountered.

Watershed

Little Colorado River

Map

Conservation Potential

High

Management Priority

Sport Fish Recreation (Sport Fish Coldwater-Blue Ribbon-Trophy); Native Aquatic Species Management (Native Fish-Self-sustaining)

Primary Strategy Species

Fish

Apache Trout, Rainbow Trout

Secondary Strategy Species

Fish

Bluehead Sucker, Little Colorado Spinedace, Little Colorado Sucker, Roundtail Chub, Speckled Dace