Community program brings fishing ‘to the people’

Five miles is a long jog for some, a quick bike ride for others, and for most, a short drive. One of the goals of the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Community Fishing Program is to help make it possible for Arizona anglers to be within 5 miles of good fishing. As the program’s saying goes: “If people can’t get to the fish, we’ll bring fish to the people.”

We’re getting there. We have worked to incorporate new Community waters in areas such as St. Johns, Ash Fork and most recently Show Low, where Show Low Creek winds through a majestic meadow. In total, there are now 41 Community Fishing waters in 20 communities — and we’re still growing. More Community fishing facilities are being planned for Queen Creek, Peoria, Avondale, Glendale, Gilbert, Thatcher, Mammoth, and Holbrook.

This means more friends, more families, more memories. Most Community ponds and lakes are in well-maintained and safe parks. Restrooms, ramadas, playgrounds and stretches of grass await, making fishing a perfect way to find some community. That could be family, a local interest group, neighborhood — or friends at your nearest Community water.

And at these communities, the “groceries” are delivered fresh. These waters are stocked consistently in the winter with trout, and through spring and fall, sunfish and catfish. Some of the new waters will benefit from stockings of feature species such as largemouth bass or crappie.

All trout and catfish stocked into Community waters that are “Green Light Fisheries,” meaning places where the fish are safe to eat and there are no restrictions on the number of meals that may be consumed. You have a bright, green light to go fishing right in your community.

Whenever you see an AZGFD fish stocking truck with our “Managing Today for Wildlife Tomorrow” slogan etched on the side, you know more Community waters are being stocked with fresh deliveries of fish. We’ve made fishing close to home a reality in communities such as Tucson, Sahuarita, Payson, St. Johns, Show Low, Yuma, Ash Fork, Phoenix, Avondale, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Peoria, Scottsdale, Surprise, Tempe, Maricopa, and Casa Grande (an excellent dove hunting area, too).

If your area isn’t on the list, it soon may be.

Simpler license options have made it easy to go fishing and all licenses are valid for 365 days from the date of purchase. Plus, they help us conserve more than 800 species of wildlife for future generations. By the way: you can get licenses online, 24/7, at azgfd.gov.

If a Community water hasn’t developed near your home, give it time. Our hope is that someday, everyone in Arizona will have great fishing less than 5 miles away.