Wade4/100
Wading is the most sensitive plan today. Use protected edges only, avoid crossings, and downgrade quickly if clarity or current feels wrong.
All Arizona reports
Fly fishing report · Southwest
Oak Creek
Is Oak Creek worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Arizona before you go.
See the flow chart ↓Photo: W. Bulach Opens in a new tab. · CC BY-SA 4.0
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Poor
Not today. Make another plan.
39
Best option: Float. A float can fit better than wading only if launches, shuttle, boat skill, wind, and local rules all check out.
See update time and confidence
Live data checkHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Today's callHighA verified hard stop is active, so the avoid-or-wait decision is clearer than the fishing score itself.
Score calculated Aug 22, 2026, 7:33 PM MSTUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Best access methodFloat
These scores compare the risks of wading, bank fishing, and floating.
Bank / edge21/100
Bank and edge fishing is the safer default when water is high, pushy, or not fully verified.
Float · Best fit43/100
A float can fit better than wading only if launches, shuttle, boat skill, wind, and local rules all check out.
Water temperature above salmonid stress threshold
Your plan
Today's Oak Creek plan.
Oak Creek is useful trout water, but the plan changes quickly between shaded canyon water, the catch-and-release reach near Slide Rock and West Fork, tourist-heavy access, and warmer lower water near Sedona and Page Springs.
- Check first
- Use RiverReports and USGS 09504420 before choosing a wading plan.
- Try
- Pick the reach before picking the fly. The canyon, West Fork, Slide Rock area, Sedona, and Page Springs area do not fish the same.
- Leave when
- Skip trout fishing when water temperatures are stressful, storms are staining the canyon, crossings look unsafe, the special fishing rule reach is unclear, or swimmers and hikers have already taken over the pools you planned to fish.
Live river check
What the river is doing
Check the latest flow and weather before you go. A quick change can make the river harder or less safe to fish.
Showing the latest stored river check while current readings load.
- Flow
- 29 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.Water 70.9°F · 24h high 71.6°F · USGS provisional
- Air now
- 83°F
Current NWS forecast period
- Next 24h high
- 88.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 12%
For this forecast period
Latest stored weather check
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
- Wind
- 3 mph
- Weather checked
Recent flow chart is loading
The latest stored reading is shown above. Check the official source below if you need the newest value now.
More forecast and source details
National Weather Service
Oak Creek Canyon forecast point
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: Oak Creek at Sedona
Water 70.9°F · provisional · 24h high 71.6°F provisionalWater observed · high observed
How to fish it
How to fish Oak Creek today.
The best Oak Creek days usually have clear water, stable flows, cool shade, and enough space to fish without crowding swimmers or hikers. Fish early, keep presentations light, and move to another reach if the canyon is busy or the water warms.
Low and clear
Use longer leaders, small dries, tiny nymphs, and a careful upstream approach. Avoid repeated casts over visible fish.
Stable canyon flow
This is the best flexible window. Dry-droppers, small beadheads, caddis dries, and soft hackles can all work through riffles and pocket water.
Rising or stained
Do not push crossings. Fish soft edges and protected pockets only if safe, or wait for the creek to clear after storms.
Warm or crowded
Move earlier, higher, or to a shaded reach. If trout are stressed or swimmers are using the pool, scout instead of forcing the fishing.
Fishing words used on this page
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge
- A USGS gauge is an official river station that measures flow or water height.
- Cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Presentation
- Presentation means how you cast and move the fly so it looks natural to a fish.
- Riffle
- A riffle is shallow, fast water broken by rocks.
- Blue-winged olive (BWO)
- Blue-winged olives, or BWOs, are small mayflies that often hatch in cool or cloudy weather.
- Caddis
- Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
- Dry-dropper
- A dry-dropper rig has a floating fly with an underwater fly tied below it.
- Emerger
- An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
- Midge
- Midges are tiny flies and a common trout food, especially in cold water.
Why this call
Why this score
Water temperatureHurts
USGS water temperature is about 70.9F. USGS marks the temperature data provisional and may revise it. Do not pressure trout or salmonids in warm water.
Best mode nowHurts
Float: A float can fit better than wading only if launches, shuttle, boat skill, wind, and local rules all check out.
Short-term weatherUse caution
The forecast has storm or heavy-precipitation risk, so timing and access matter more than the score alone.
FlowHelps
USGS shows 29 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1982-2025, 44 readings) show a typical middle range of 27 cfs to 36 cfs. Flow is within the typical range for this date, so weather, temperature, and access become the next checks.
SeasonHelps
Summer: Fish early, focus on shade, watch water temperature, and expect recreation pressure.
Trip notes
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Use the Sedona gauge trend, water clarity, and temperature together. Stable or slowly falling clear water is the best clue. Rising, stained, warm, or crowded water should move the plan higher, earlier, or to another route.
Skip trout fishing when water temperatures are stressful, storms are staining the canyon, crossings look unsafe, the special fishing rule reach is unclear, or swimmers and hikers have already taken over the pools you planned to fish.
Start with a gauge and access check, then choose the reach: West Fork or the Slide Rock-to-Sterling Springs rule water for a shaded trout session, lower Sedona only when temperature, access, and crowds still support it.
If Oak Creek is warm, stained, crowded, or rule-limited, compare Canyon Creek, the Little Colorado near Greer, Black River, or a stocked lake after checking each water's current access and rules.
What to try
Oak Creek flies through the year.
Match the time of year, then let rising fish and current speed guide the next change.
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
Winter
What to look forMidges, tiny mayflies, light subsurface activity
Spring
What to look forBlue-winged olives, caddis, small mayflies, midges
SummerCurrent
What to look forTerrestrials, ants, beetles, caddis, small attractors
Flies to try
Fall
What to look forBWOs, midges, small caddis, baitfish or sculpin opportunity
High or stained water
What to look forLimited surface feeding
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
Access and safety
Oak Creek access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter. Verify the current Arizona fishing rules before fishing. Coconino National Forest says the catch-and-release section that began Jan. 1, 2023 runs from the Highway 89A bridge crossing at Slide Rock State Park upstream to the Arizona Game and Fish Sterling Springs Fish Hatchery property boundary, including West Fork Oak Creek. Arizona's Commission Order 40 lists that trout reach as catch-and-release, artificial fly and lure only, with barbless hooks. Arizona also lists Oak Creek as a New Zealand mudsnail affected water, so clean and dry gear after fishing.
Oak Creek Canyon / Highway 89A
The main canyon road parallels the creek between Flagstaff and Sedona, with picnic sites, campgrounds, and pullouts. Parking can fill early.
Slide Rock to Sterling Springs reach
This is the key special fishing rule reference reach. Confirm the current Arizona rule before fishing above the Highway 89A bridge crossing at Slide Rock.
West Fork Oak Creek
A shaded side-canyon plan with special fishing rule implications and high hiking pressure. Fish lightly and respect trail traffic.
Sedona and Red Rock Crossing area
Scenic lower access can be useful, but private land, warm water, swimmers, and mixed species should shape expectations.
Page Springs / lower Oak Creek
Useful for birding and lower-creek context, but do not assume all hatchery or private property edges are legal fishing access.
Coconino National Forest lists many canyon picnic and recreation sites, but site status, fire restrictions, fees, and parking can change.
Campgrounds in Oak Creek Canyon often fill early. A weekday morning plan is more realistic than arriving late on a summer weekend.
Glass containers are prohibited at Slide Rock State Park, and park rules are separate from fishing rules.
Storm runoff, icy roads, and crowded pullouts can all make a good fishing idea poor in practice.
Check Coconino National Forest fire restrictions before the trip. Restrictions and district fire danger can change during dry periods.
After rain, check water quality and avoid treating popular swimming areas as clean wading water by default.
Stay on legal public access. Lower Oak Creek has private property and conservation areas where casual creek entry may not be allowed.
River sources
Official Oak Creek sources.
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This report is maintained from official flow, weather, Arizona special-regulation, Forest Service access, and conservation-planning sources, then converted into conservative canyon-stream fishability guidance.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
See all 13 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
Quick answers
Quick Oak Creek answers.
Is Oak Creek near Sedona good for fly fishing?
Yes, especially in cooler, clear, less crowded windows. It is a small canyon stream, so stealth, legal reach selection, and water temperature matter more than long casts.
What gauge should I check for Oak Creek?
Use RiverReports for the quick Oak Creek at Sedona chart and USGS 09504420 for official discharge, gage height, water temperature, and cloudy water context.
Where are the special fishing rules?
Check the current Arizona rules. The key reach is from the Highway 89A bridge crossing at Slide Rock State Park upstream to the Sterling Springs Hatchery property boundary, including West Fork Oak Creek.
What flies should I bring?
Bring small dries, caddis, blue-winged olives, ants, beetles, zebra midges, pheasant tails, hare's ears, soft hackles, and small buggers.