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10 Best Lakes in Arizona

Many of Arizona’s most spectacular lakes are the result of the damming of rivers, with some of the best lakes being in proximity to major population centers, so getting to them is easy and quick. These lakes spread across the entire state, they run the gamut from reservoirs in the desert to flooded canyons to high altitude gems sparkling in the clear mountain air.

In addition to water preservation, given the dry climate in Arizona, these lakes provide great recreational opportunities that include pleasure boating, swimming, fishing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, and stand up paddleboarding. Below are the 10 best lakes in Arizona;

1. Lake Powell

Lake Powell – Flicker

Lake Powell was formed by the damming of Glen Canyon on the Colorado River in 1963. It is the second-largest artificial reservoir by maximum water capacity in the United States behind Lake Mead, storing 24,322,000 acre-feet (3.0001×1010 m3) of water when full. It is 400 feet deep, 186 miles long with a 1,900 miles shoreline.

The lake is most famous for the Rainbow Bridge National Monument, one of the largest natural bridges on earth. In addition, the long and winding Lake is known for its scenic beauty and recreational opportunities including houseboating, swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, boating, water-skiing and jet skiing.

The lake was named in honor of a Civil War veteran, John Wesley Powell, who led an expedition in wooden boats down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in 1869.

2.

Lake Mead- Flickr

Lake Mead is a reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in the states of Nevada and Arizona, 24 mi (39 km) east from the Las Vegas Strip. At maximum capacity, Lake Mead is 112 miles (180 km) long, 532 feet (162 m) at its greatest depth, has a surface elevation of 1,221.4 feet (372.3 m) above sea level and 247 square miles (640 km2) of surface area, and contains 26.12 million acre-feet (32,220,000 megaliters) of water.

It is famous for its clear water, wide-open spaces and the largest reservoir in the United States in terms of water capacity. The lake serves water to the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada, as well as some of Mexico.

Lake Mead is a fascinating place, with desert juxtaposed against turquoise waters under mesmerizing blue skies. The shoreline around Lake Mead is an incredible labyrinth of narrowing canyons that lead to amazing sights on shore, secluded beaches, and secret fishing holes. Scuba diving is popular in Lake Mead, and is known for interesting geological structures, spectacular wall dives, and even the wreck of a B-52 Bomber plane.

3. Lake Mohave

Lake Mohave – Flickr

Lake Mohave is a reservoir on the Colorado River created in 1951 between the Hoover Dam and Davis Dam in Cottonwood Valley, defining the border between Nevada and Arizona in the United States. The lake encompasses 28,260 acres of water at an elevation of 647ft (197 m) above sea level, covering 237 miles of rugged shoreline.

The lake is known for its water sports, swimming, skiing, scuba diving, boating and fishing. Lake Mohave also offers other recreation. Ancient Indian petroglyphs and other historical phenomena lure hikers into the mountains.

4. Lake Havasu

Lake Havasu – Flickr

Lake Havasu is a large reservoir formed by Parker Dam on the Colorado River, on the border between San Bernardino County, California and Mohave County, Arizona, Arizona. The lake has some of the top beaches in the state. Dotted along the 400 miles of shoreline that is popular with the spring break crowd who come to party on the water and on the sandy beaches.

Lake Havasu is well known for its recreational fishing and boating. Its coast features scaled-down replicas of famous American lighthouses, which serve as navigational aids. It is also home to the London Bridge, shipped in small blocks from the U.K. to Lake Havasu City in 1971.

The lake was named (in 1939) after the Mojave word for blue.

5. Lake Pleasant

Lake Pleasant – Flickr

Formed by the Waddell Dam on the Agua Fria River northwest of Phoenix, Lake Pleasant is located a 45-minute drive from downtown Phoenix. It is the largest lake in the Phoenix area, This 10,000-acre lake shimmers in the desert sun like a massive oasis.

The lake boasts some fantastic scenery, with its surrounding area being great for hiking, picnicking, mountain biking and camping. There are two marinas on the lake’s shoreline that offer boat rentals, storage and mooring, as well as having a shop and a restaurant. You can also night fish here for largemouth, white, and striped bass.

Lake Pleasant was named after the dam’s designer, Carl Pleasant.

6. Canyon Lake

Canyon Lake – Flickr

Canyon Lake is one of four reservoirs that were formed by the damming of the Salt River in Arizona. The lake was formed by the Mormon Flat Dam, which was completed in 1925. It is the third and smallest of four lakes created along the Salt River.

The lake covers 950 acres and sits along the Superstition Mountains, creating a phenomenal scenery with the surrounding Superstition Wilderness Area. It is 24 kilometres away from the Apache Trail and 82 kilometres east of the city of Phoenix.

Canyon Lake is a popular destination for swimming, relaxing on the beach, hiking trails, camping, and boating. Game fishing is big in Canyon Lake, with species like rainbow trout, largemouth bass, yellow bass, carp and walleye swimming in the water.

7. Theodore Roosevelt Lake

Theodore Roosevelt Lake – Flickr

Theodore Roosevelt Lake also known as Roosevelt Lake or Lake Roosevelt is named after the former President, Theodore Roosevelt who dedicated the dam himself in March 1911. At the time of its construction, it was the largest man-made lake in the word. However, today it is the largest lake or reservoir located entirely within the state of Arizona (Lake Mead and Lake Powell are larger but are both located partially within the bordering states of Nevada and Utah respectively).

The lake has the largest storage capacity of the Salt River Project lakes with the ability to store 1,653,043 acre-feet (2.039 km3) of water when the conservation limit of Roosevelt Dam is reached. It has a surface area of over 8,600 hectares and a 205-kilometre shoreline.

The Lake is known for its great fishing. Fishes found in the lake include carp, crappie, sunfish, smallmouth bass and channel catfish. The lake is also home to the endangered Neotropical migrant bird, the willow flycatcher.

8. Bartlett Lake

Bartlett Lake – Flicker

Bartlett Lake is a reservoir that was formed by the damming of the Verde River in Arizona. It was the first reservoir built on the Verde River. When full, Bartlett Lake has over 2,800 acres of water surface, is about 12 miles long, and has an average depth of 100 feet with a maximum depth of 174 feet. The lake has two contrasting sides, with gently sloping beaches on one side and mountains on the other.

The Lake is the second-largest lake in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area, behind Lake Pleasant. Bartlett Lake is a great place to enjoy boating, kayaking, waterskiing, and other water sports. Fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, sunfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish, carp, crayfish, and bullfrogs is also available on the lake.

The lake was named after Bill Bartlett, a government surveyor.

9. Watson Lake

Watson Lake – Arizona

Watson Lake is one of two reservoirs at the Granite Dells, in Prescott, Arizona, that was formed in the early 1900s when the Chino Valley Irrigation District built a dam on Granite Creek. For decades, the Lake served as a reservoir for irrigation of farmland to the north before the city of Prescott bought it in the late 1990s as a recreational and water-storage asset.

The Lake is known for its striking granite formations that surround it and dot its surface. Though swimming is prohibited, but you can enjoy fishing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, rock climbing, camping and day picnicking. The fish species found in the lake are Largemouth bass, Crappie, Sunfish, Channel catfish, Carp and Gila Trout.

Watson Lake was named after the president of the Hassayampa Alfalfa Company of Indiana.

10. Big Lake

Big Lake – Flicker

Big Lake is a White Mountains’ fishing lake located at 9,000 feet (2,700 m) in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. The Lake has 680 acres (280 ha), an average depth of 30 feet (9.1 m) with an elevation of 9,000ft.

It is considered to be the best fishing lake in the White Mountains area. Primary fish species here include rainbow, brook and cutthroat trout, with an occasional Brown trout.