W.M.A.T. Game and Fish Fishing Permits
White Mountain Apache Tribe Game and Fish (WMAT Game and Fish)
Contact
- Address
- PO Box 220 (office at 100 West Fatco Rd)
Whiteriver, AZ 85941 - Game and Fish Office, Whiteriver
- 928-338-4385
- wmatoutdoors@wmat.us
- Website
- wmatgameandfish.com
At a glance
- Licences and permits
- 12
- Of which specialty
- 6
- Cheapest listed licence
- $0.00
- Fees verified
- 4 Sep 2026
Who does not need one
The Fort Apache Indian Reservation is a sovereign jurisdiction of the White Mountain Apache Tribe and an Arizona fishing licence buys you nothing here. The Tribe's own fishing regulations state it directly: "State fishing licenses are NOT valid on the F.A.I.R." A W.M.A.T. tribal permit is required and is the only permit required - no Arizona state licence is needed in addition. "Fishing permits are required for all individuals ages 10 and older." Children under 10 may fish without a permit if accompanied by an adult holding a valid tribal permit, limited to three children per permitted adult. Enrolled W.M.A.T. members receive the annual fishing permit at $0.00. Trophy and special waters carry their own additional daily access permits on top of the fishing permit - Christmas Tree Lake (reservation-limited trophy Apache trout water) and the Black/Salt River corridor most notably. A separate boat or watercraft permit is required to fish from a boat.
Specialty licences 6
Extra items an angler must hold on top of the base licence. These are the ones most often missed — a base licence alone does not cover them.
| Licence | Type | Who needs it | Applies to | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Second Fishing Pole PermitListed as "2nd Fishing Pole" on the current permit price table. | Endorsement | Anglers fishing with a second pole | Any · annual · all | $10.00 |
| Boat / Watercraft Permit - Daily | Permit | Operating a boat or watercraft on reservation waters; a precondition to fishing from a boat | Any · 1-day · all | $10.00 |
| Black River / Salt River Daily Access PermitListed on the permit price table as "Black/Salt River, Daily Access". | Permit | Special use access to the Black River and Salt River corridors, in addition to a fishing permit | Any · 1-day · all | $25.00 |
| Boat / Watercraft Permit - Annual | Permit | Operating a boat or watercraft on reservation waters for the year | Any · annual · all | $30.00 |
| Pacheta Falls Daily Access Permit | Permit | Special use access to the Pacheta Falls area | Any · 1-day · all | $45.00 |
| Christmas Tree Lake Daily Access PermitThe Tribe's permit price table lists this as "From $35.00" rather than a single flat fee, so no exact price is recorded here. The fee varies by date and reservation tier and access is capped daily. Confirm the applicable fee at wmatgameandfish.com/permits/ or with Game and Fish at 928-338-4385. | Permit | Anglers fishing Christmas Tree Lake, the Tribe's trophy Apache trout water; access is limited and by reservation | Any · 1-day · all | Not published |
Every licence and fee 12
| Licence | Residency | Term | Ages | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base licence 6 | ||||
| Annual Fishing Permit - W.M.A.T. Member Enrolled White Mountain Apache tribal members Listed at $0.00 on the Tribe's permit price table. | Resident | annual | all | Freestill required |
| Fishing Permit - Juvenile, Daily Non-member anglers ages 10 to 14 | Non-resident | 1-day | 10-14 | $3.00 |
| Fishing Permit - Adult, Daily Non-member anglers age 15 and over fishing reservation waters for one day "Non-resident" here means non-member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe; the Tribe does not price by state residency. | Non-resident | 1-day | 15+ | $10.00 |
| Fishing Permit - Juvenile, Annual Non-member anglers ages 10 to 14 | Non-resident | annual | 10-14 | $32.00 |
| Non-Member Spouse Recreation Permit - Annual Non-member spouses of enrolled tribal members | Non-resident | annual | all | $75.00 |
| Fishing Permit - Adult, Annual Non-member anglers age 15 and over fishing reservation waters for the year | Non-resident | annual | 15+ | $200.00 |
| Endorsement 1 | ||||
| Second Fishing Pole Permit Anglers fishing with a second pole Listed as "2nd Fishing Pole" on the current permit price table. | Any | annual | all | $10.00 |
| Permit 5 | ||||
| Boat / Watercraft Permit - Daily Operating a boat or watercraft on reservation waters; a precondition to fishing from a boat | Any | 1-day | all | $10.00 |
| Black River / Salt River Daily Access Permit Special use access to the Black River and Salt River corridors, in addition to a fishing permit Listed on the permit price table as "Black/Salt River, Daily Access". | Any | 1-day | all | $25.00 |
| Boat / Watercraft Permit - Annual Operating a boat or watercraft on reservation waters for the year | Any | annual | all | $30.00 |
| Pacheta Falls Daily Access Permit Special use access to the Pacheta Falls area | Any | 1-day | all | $45.00 |
| Christmas Tree Lake Daily Access Permit Anglers fishing Christmas Tree Lake, the Tribe's trophy Apache trout water; access is limited and by reservation The Tribe's permit price table lists this as "From $35.00" rather than a single flat fee, so no exact price is recorded here. The fee varies by date and reservation tier and access is capped daily. Confirm the applicable fee at wmatgameandfish.com/permits/ or with Game and Fish at 928-338-4385. | Any | 1-day | all | Not published |
Fees as published by W.M.A.T. Game and Fish and read on 4 September 2026. Agencies change fees without notice and vendors add issuing charges, so confirm the current price at the point of sale. We do not reproduce seasons, limits or gear rules — see the agency's regulations page for those.
Notes on this listing
Prices are from wmatgameandfish.com/permits/, the Tribe's current Game and Fish site and online permit store, loaded 2026-09-04. The Tribe also still hosts an older site at wmatoutdoor.org whose permit-pricing page shows a partly different and evidently outdated schedule (second pole $9.00 rather than $10.00; Christmas Tree Lake $30.00 through July 4 and $25.00 after; rent-a-lake fees for Cyclone, Hurricane and Hawley lakes). Where the two disagree the current wmatgameandfish.com figures were used and the wmatoutdoor.org figures were NOT carried over. Christmas Tree Lake is recorded with a null price because the current site publishes it only as "From $35.00" - a tiered starting price, not a fixed fee. The fishing page labels the annual permits as "2025 Annual" while the permits store shows the same amounts without a year, so the annual figures may lag a season; confirm before relying on them. Hurricane Lake and Earl Park Lake fees are not published on the current site and are therefore not listed. No aquatic invasive species inspection or decontamination requirement appears in the Tribe's published fishing regulations. Office hours are not published.
About W.M.A.T. Game and Fish
White Mountain Apache Tribe Game and Fish manages fishing on the sovereign waters of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, Fort Apache Indian Reservation (AZ). A state fishing licence is generally not valid here.
Base and combination licences run from $0.00 to $200.00 depending on residency, term and age.
Beyond the base licence there are 6 specialty items to watch for, including the Second Fishing Pole Permit, Boat / Watercraft Permit – Daily, Black River / Salt River Daily Access Permit and the Boat / Watercraft Permit – Annual. These are separate purchases and a base licence does not cover them.
The fee table below was read from official sources on 4 September 2026. We list what each item is called, who needs it and what it costs, and link out for the rules themselves — seasons, limits and gear regulations live on the agency’s own page and change too often to mirror.