Wet Beaver Creek Fishing Guides
A perennial red-rock canyon creek above the Verde Valley, reached on the Bell Trail, with smallmouth in the pools and trout in the cold upper water.
Guides on the Wet Beaver Creek
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About the Wet Beaver Creek
Wet Beaver Creek runs west off the Mogollon Rim through a red sandstone canyon and out into the Verde Valley near Rimrock, and unlike its neighbor Dry Beaver Creek it flows year round. The name is the local shorthand for exactly that distinction. The canyon above the valley is protected as the Wet Beaver Wilderness, and the Bell Trail up its south side is one of the best known walk-in accesses in the Verde country.
The creek is spring-fed from the Rim and runs clear and cool over red sandstone bedrock, with the pools the defining feature. Long green plunge pools sit between low ledges and short riffles, some of them deep enough to swim, framed by sandstone walls, sycamore and Arizona ash. The best known is the Crack, a deep pool at the end of the Bell Trail that draws swimmers all summer and is one of the busiest single spots in the Coconino forest.
Smallmouth bass are the most reliable fish through the accessible canyon, holding in the deeper pools and along the ledge drop-offs. Rainbow trout are stocked in the lower reaches and hold where the water stays coldest, and brown trout are present in small numbers higher in the drainage. This is a mixed fishery rather than a trout stream, and it fishes best treated as one.
Fishing here is sight fishing as much as anything. The water is clear enough through most of the year that fish are visible in the pools, which cuts both ways: you can find them and they can find you. A careful approach along the ledges, a light presentation and some patience produce far more than covering water quickly. Small streamers, crayfish patterns and terrestrials all have their days.
The Bell Trail is the practical access and it is busy. The first few miles are well graded and heavily used, particularly in summer when the Crack becomes a destination in its own right. Walking past it upstream into the wilderness leaves most of the traffic behind within twenty minutes. Summer heat in the Verde Valley is severe, water is essential, and Rim thunderstorms can send the creek up fast.
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Access
Bell Trail - the main walk-in route up the canyon from the Beaver Creek trailhead.
The Crack - the deep swimming pool at the end of the maintained trail, heavily visited.
Beaver Creek Campground - the forest campground near the canyon mouth.
Wet Beaver Wilderness - the protected upper canyon beyond the maintained trail.
Rimrock - the Verde Valley community at the canyon mouth with nearby services.
Montezuma Castle National Monument - the landmark downstream on Beaver Creek.
Coconino National Forest - the public ground covering the canyon and the Rim above.
Seasons
Spring: snowmelt and high flows off the Rim, with pools cold and the creek pushy into May.
Summer: hot air and heavy visitor traffic, with early starts and thunderstorm awareness essential.
Fall: the best season, with warm days, low clear water, visible fish and far fewer people.
Winter: cold water and short days, with quiet fishing and occasional snow on the Rim above.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Wet Beaver Creek?
As of Sep 17, 4:45 am, the USGS gauge WET BEAVER CREEK NEAR RIMROCK, AZ reads 11 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Wet Beaver Creek?
Anglers target Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass on the Wet Beaver Creek in Arizona.
Where can you access the Wet Beaver Creek?
Bell Trail - the main walk-in route up the canyon from the Beaver Creek trailhead. The Crack - the deep swimming pool at the end of the maintained trail, heavily visited. Beaver Creek Campground - the forest campground near the canyon mouth. Wet Beaver Wilderness - the protected upper canyon beyond the maintained trail. Rimrock - the Verde Valley community at the canyon mouth with nearby services. Montezuma Castle National Monument - the landmark downstream on Beaver Creek. Coconino National Forest - the public ground covering the canyon and the Rim above.
When is the best time to fish the Wet Beaver Creek?
Spring: snowmelt and high flows off the Rim, with pools cold and the creek pushy into May. Summer: hot air and heavy visitor traffic, with early starts and thunderstorm awareness essential. Fall: the best season, with warm days, low clear water, visible fish and far fewer people. Winter: cold water and short days, with quiet fishing and occasional snow on the Rim above.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Wet Beaver Creek?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Arizona agency site: https://www.azgfd.com/fishing-2/licenses-and-regulations/