We stopped at Dankworth Pond to see what was there. I didn't intend to stay long because the kids were starting to get sleepy as naptime was approaching. Right as you enter, there's a sign for a hot spring. It's more of a hot well that drains into the pond, with a small wading area before it gets there.
We waded in the warm water since there's not enough to soak in past mid-calf.
The pond looked pretty nice. It used to be a catfish farm, but now is part of the Arizona State Park system. It's a smaller subunit of Roper Lake State Park, and is just for fishing, walking, and boating in small motorless boats. As far as fishing was concerned, we saw several fishermen there, and several of them were catching fish. As we'd been skunked so far at the Gila River and Roper Lake, I gave in and we got out the fishing poles.
We wandered down the dike that makes the north shoreline of the pond, found a fishy looking place, and casted out a few poles. Fish on! We had several nibbles and a few solid hookups. Grasshoppers about 2 feet under a small bobber was the perfect meal ticket for the bluegills and bass. The kids even were able to handle things all by themselves. Can you spot the fish in the picture above?
The fish we caught weren't very big, but the kids were determined to keep them and bring them home to eat for dinner. Bluegills are great for helping kids learn to enjoy fishing- they're easy to catch and if you find them there will be plenty of action. We caught enough for dinner, but not quite our limit then headed home. If I'm ever back near Safford to go fishing, I'll pick Dankworth Pond over Roper Lake any day!
Nearest City:
Safford, AZ
Location: N° W°
Time Needed:
Difficulty:
Kid Friendly:
yes
Additional Info:
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