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FISHING GUIDE · LEES FERRY, ARIZONA
Lees Ferry (Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam) Fishing Guide
The cold, clear water released from Glen Canyon Dam makes Lees Ferry a well-known rainbow trout tailwater. Anglers either fish the walk-in water near the boat ramp or run a boat upstream toward the dam to fish runs and gravel bars you cannot reach on foot. It sits inside Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, so both Arizona fishing rules and National Park Service rules apply.
📍 Lees Ferry, Arizona, in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area at the start of the Grand Canyon. It is 42 miles from Page via Hwy 89 and 89A; the park entrance is in Marble Canyon near Navajo Bridge, then 5 miles of paved road to the river. Boats run upstream about 15 miles of smooth water toward Glen Canyon Dam.
Map: spots, ramps and marinas
★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)
Open the full Southwest & California Lakes map →
Quick facts
- Lees Ferry is the only place in Glen Canyon where you can drive to the Colorado River in over 700 miles of canyon country (NPS).
- There are about 15 miles of smooth water open to boaters between Lees Ferry and Glen Canyon Dam.
- Glen Canyon Dam stands 710 feet above bedrock; its last concrete was poured on September 13, 1963 (Bureau of Reclamation).
- From the dam down to the Paria riffle the rainbow trout limit is 2 per day, artificial flies and lures only, barbless hooks only.
- In 2018 Arizona Game and Fish stocked rainbow trout in the roughly 3-mile walk-in section below the boat ramp, the first stocking there since 1998.
What you can catch
- Rainbow trout
Main target. 2 per day from the dam to Paria riffle; must be kept or released right away. - Brown trout
No limit; NPS calls brown trout an invasive top predator here. Past programs paid anglers to harvest them; check if any program is running. - Humpback chub
Protected native fish; do not target or keep. Release unharmed. - Razorback sucker
Protected native fish; release immediately if caught. - Flannelmouth sucker
Protected native fish; release immediately if caught. - Bluehead sucker and speckled dace
Protected native fish; release immediately if caught.
Month by month
| January | Trout fishing open. Dam release flows are set monthly by the Bureau of Reclamation; check before you go. |
|---|---|
| February | Trout fishing open. Check the monthly flow schedule. |
| March | Spring is a favorite time. Osprey closure at river mile -15.1 near Kayak Beach starts March 15. |
| April | Spring fishing; osprey closure near Kayak Beach in effect. |
| May | Osprey closure near Kayak Beach in effect. The dam sometimes makes large releases to rebuild beaches and native fish habitat; check flows. |
| June | Summer heat in the canyon; fish early and late. Osprey closure in effect. |
| July | Osprey closure in effect. Summer heat; fish early and late. |
| August | Osprey closure in effect until September 1. |
| September | Osprey closure near Kayak Beach ends September 1. |
| October | Fall fishing. AZGFD reports list bead-head midges, scuds, San Juan worms and cicada dries; spinners like Kastmasters in the walk-in water. |
| November | Trout fishing open. Check the monthly flow schedule. |
| December | Trout fishing open. Check the monthly flow schedule. |
Tips
- Get an Arizona fishing license (age 10 and over) at azgfd.com or at Lees Ferry Anglers at Cliff Dwellers Lodge.
- Any boat going upstream from Lees Ferry needs a free Lees Ferry Backcountry Permit from the kiosk near the launch; bank anglers do not.
- Do not go past the three closure buoys about a quarter mile below Glen Canyon Dam; the posted area is closed.
- Do not boat below the cable downstream of the launch ramp without a permit; that is the Grand Canyon river trip zone.
- Clean, drain and dry boats, waders and gear; quagga mussels and New Zealand mudsnails are here. Wader cleaning stations are at Lees Ferry.
Rules and license
Arizona Game and Fish Department; National Park Service (Glen Canyon NRA) · Official rules page ↗
- Arizona fishing or combination license required for anglers 10 and older. Check current fees with AZGFD.
- Glen Canyon Dam to Paria riffle: 2 rainbow trout per day; artificial flies and lures only; no bait or scents; barbless hooks only.
- Paria riffle to Navajo Bridge: 6 rainbow trout per day. Rainbows must be kept and counted or released right away.
- No limit on brown trout, other trout, bass (including stripers), catfish or walleye in these sections.
- Live baitfish are not allowed on waters in Coconino County.
- Humpback chub, razorback sucker, bluehead sucker, flannelmouth sucker and speckled dace are protected; do not target or keep.
- Closed areas: posted water just below Glen Canyon Dam; the Charles H. Spencer riverboat wreck; river mile -15.1 near Kayak Beach is closed to all use March 15 - September 1.
- Personal watercraft (jet skis) are not allowed on the river between the dam and Grand Canyon National Park; PFDs required in hand-powered craft.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 9 boat ramps and 3 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Antelope Point Marina
- Wahweap Boat Rental
- Wahweap Marina
- Wahweap Marina Main boat launch
Sources
- https://www.nps.gov/glca/planyourvisit/fishing.htm
- https://www.nps.gov/glca/planyourvisit/lees-ferry.htm
- https://www.nps.gov/places/lees-ferry-boat-launch.htm
- https://home.nps.gov/grca/learn/management/recreational-fishing-information.htm
- https://www.nps.gov/glca/learn/news/20210222.htm
- https://www.usbr.gov/uc/rm/crsp/gc/
- https://sltrib.com/news/nation-world/2018/11/14/arizona-stock-prized
- https://www.arizonafishreports.com/fish_reports/206153/lees-ferry-anglers-report.php
- https://blog.vailvalleyanglers.com/fly-fishing-the-colorado-river-at-lees-ferry/
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.