Fishing
LOCATION/DIRECTION:
From I-17, travel west on SR 69 toward Prescott Valley, turn left on Glassford Hills road. Turn right on 2nd Street and go past Arizona Department of Transportation yard. Follow Fain Park signs to lake.
RAMP/ACCESS:
No established ramp. Accessible Fishing Opportunities available for physically challenged anglers to restrooms and paved fishing access.
SPORTFISH SPECIES:
Rainbow Trout.
MANAGEMENT STRATEGY:
Intensive use. Stocked with rainbow trout catchables
Fishing License
Arizona Fish Stocking Schedules
Fishing Report
Gold Panning - Map and Town Ordinance (PDF)
What are the allowed methods for gold panning?
Only panning is allowed. If there is no water flow you can dry pan. If you prefer to pan with water you will have to haul in your own water by hand. You are allowed to dig in the creek bed and the shore line provided you replace the soil. Do not damage any plant roots or remove large rocks. Sluice boxes and Dredgers of any kind are strictly prohibited.
Fitzmaurice Ruins
Between 1050 and 1300 AD, a mesa pueblo existed on the south side of Lynx Creek on the southwest corner of present-day Prescott Valley.
In 1864 when gold seekers were searching Lynx Creek, the ruins were discovered by white men. The ruin is on property originally owned by G. S. Fitzmaurice, hence its name.
The ruins were first excavated in 1933 by Edward Spicer and Louis Caywood. Another excavation was worked on in 1968 by Franklin and Joan Barnett. A third excavation was worked in 1975 by a Yavapai College class.
The ruins’ main structure is 200 ft. x 48 ft. The pueblo contains about 32 rooms with 21 outlying rooms. The ceramics found in all three excavations total 57,902 pieces. The 1975 class found the partial skeletal remains of a 14-year-old female, uncovered 18 whole or restoreable jars and bowls, a hammer stone and awl fragments, shell pieces and various stone tools.
The Fain Land and Cattle Co bought the property in 1955 and deeded the area as a town park in 2002.
Tours and a knowledgeable talk about the Fitzmaurice Ruin are given by members of the Arizona Site Stewards, whose duty it is to protect prehistoric and historic treasure. For information regarding tours for small groups, contact the Prescott Valley Parks and Recreation Department at 928-759-3090.