Tempe Town Lake offers an opportunity to get back to nature without leaving the Phoenix metropolitan area. Just minutes from Sky Harbor Airport off the 202 Freeway, Town Lake is a phenomenal setting for recreation, new business locations, shopping and condominium living. Fishing is one of many activities available at the Lake. Trout, bass, catfish and sunfish can all be found in the lake's waters.

Fish at Tempe Town Lake are fat and happy, according to Arizona Game and Fish Department's Creel Report. Thirteen varieties of fish continue to thrive, with largemouth bass getting larger and more prevalent. Water conditions are fine and there is plenty of nutrition for all the species, even the goldfish that were found, to grow and prosper.

Fishing licenses can be purchased at any Game and Fish office, most fishing supply stores or sporting good stores, or you can visit the Arizona Game & Fish Department website. Children ages 13 years and younger are not required to have a fishing license or to be accompanied by a licensed adult. Anglers fishing for trout with a Class A license must also have a valid Trout Stamp.

Tempe Town Lake has not been specifically designated as part of the Arizona Urban Fishing Program. Town Lake is considered a state fishing water, therefore, the Class U (Urban Fishing) License is not valid. For further details on general fishing rules and regulations, please refer to the Arizona Fishing Regulations found at all fishing license dealers and the Town Lake Operations Center.

• Fish hooks and lures left on the shore can cause a safety hazard. Please dispose of unwanted line, hooks, bait containers or lures in marked trash containers.
• Boats have the right-of-way at Town Lake. For safety’s sake, please do not cast your line if a boat is within reach.
• Fish remains left on the shore can attract insects and create foul smells. Please do not clean fish at Tempe Town Lake.
• It is the goal of the City of Tempe to keep the lake as clean as possible. Please take all cans, bottles, food packaging, newspapers or other debris to a marked trash container.
• Respect the rights of others enjoying the lake. Keep the volume down on music or radios.
• Please keep a respectful distance between you and other anglers.
• Conserve the bounty of Tempe Town Lake. Safely release any fish you do not intend to eat into the lake right away. Properly care for the fish you want by keeping them alive or putting them on ice until it is time to take them home.
• Obtain the appropriate fishing licenses and do not exceed the limit of fish you are allowed to take. 
• Contact numbers to report violations: Tempe Park Rangers (480) 858-2198; Operation Game Thief  (800) 352-0700.

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Rainbow Trout
This fish has silvery, very fine scales and a spotted body with a horizontal pink streak on the sides. Most trout are from 9 to 12 inches. These fish are not easily fooled. To successfully catch trout, cover the hook completely and use a clear, fine weight line. Powerbait, salmon eggs, worms and cheese are the most enticing baits. The legal limit is four fish of any size for licensed fishermen and two for children.
Channel Catfish
These fish have spines in the dorsal and pectoral fins and long, whiskery-looking barbels at the mouth. Their bodies are scaleless and their tails are deeply forked. The younger fish are silvery with black spots, while older ones are bluish-black with white bellies. These fish can weigh from 1 to 6 pounds. The legal limit is four fish of any size. To catch these, fish at night, dawn or dusk and use worms, liver, shrimp or hotdogs.
Sunfish
Sunfish have small mouths and short, flat bodies ranging from 4 to 8 inches. The legal limit is 10 fish of any size. These are easily caught using mealworms.
Largemouth Bass
Bass are known by the wide, dark mottled bar on the sides of the body. They tend to be dark green on top and white on the belly. The legal limit of bass is four, but lake biologists prefer these to be released, as the hardy nature of the species allows it to be caught many times. Bass are the only species in the lake with a size limit. They must be at least 13 inches before they can be kept. Bass feed predominantly on other fish, especially bluegill, but they can be caught on crank baits and worms.
Other fish found in Town Lake are Israeli carp, Threadfin shad, Bluegill, Yellow bass, Common carp, and Inland silverside minnow.

The City plans to improve the lake bottom for spawning where the Indian Bend Wash joins the Salt River, particularly in the lake area under the Loop 202 freeway overpass. Within this area the habitat could be improved by placing pea gravel, or small one-inch to five-inch river rock in patches along the lake bottom. The City will also use materials like snow fencing held up by PVC pipe framework, or bundling tires like skirt structures near the Loop-202 freeway pylons. The City works with boating or fishing clubs to adopt the lake for fish habitat improvement projects.
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