Posted in Arizona
June 20, 2015
These 20 Gorgeous Lakes In Arizona Are Demanding Your Attention
When most people think of Arizona, they imagine a barren, dust-ridden land. Joke’s on them because we actually have a large number of lakes for fishing, boating, and any other water activity you can imagine. Some are naturally occurring beauties of all sizes and others are human-made reservoirs that can still be quite alluring. Check out these lakes and remember to stay safe around water!
We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
Located 20 miles south of Flagstaff, this is a lovely site to fish for some Rainbow Trout when you want to escape the heat.
This reservoir is large and popular with the Phoenix crowd because it’s located less than an hour outside city limits. We can’t guarantee it always looks this quiet.
We think this area lives up to its name plus you can find a wide variety of fish species to catch!
Another large reservoir that’s actually not too far from Apache Junction in the Tonto National Forest. Can you imagine what it looked like before the river was dammed?
This area is actually a lot prettier than its name suggests. We wouldn’t mind opening up our tents to a sight like this.
Leave your little Smart Car at home if you plan to visit this reservoir. This picturesque site is only accessible by dirt road and a bit of hiking.
Melting in this heat? Maybe heading for the sparkling waters at Dogtown Lake would be a refreshing change.
One of the smaller lakes surrounding Prescott, Granite Basin is a great location for camping, hiking, fishing, and photography.
Another little lake sitting outside Williams, this area is quite popular with the camping and fishing crowd. Also, I don’t know about you but that snow is looking refreshing right about now.
You may want to head out here once the temperatures come down a bit. When you do be sure to check out the London Bridge (don’t worry, it won’t fall down.)
Next time you’re headed to Las Vegas, stop by our state’s largest reservoir which has traditionally been popular for boating and fishing. You can occasionally also see the ruins of the St. Thomas, the town that once existed there.
Another wildly popular area for the Phoenix crowd, this lake has plenty of areas for your family to enjoy picnics, fishing, and a variety of water sports.
Another major reservoir in the Southwest, Arizona shares this lake with Utah. It has also been the filming site for a handful of movies and the inspiration behind one of Edward Abbey's novel.
Just barely a lake, the depth here fluctuates during the seasons between 10 feet and nothing at all.
A little more than 20 minutes north of Nogales sits Patagonia Lake, a popular site for sports fishing and bird watching.
Who would have thought such a tiny place would look so dramatic? You probably won’t have any luck fishing here but the tiny lake is a popular site for hikers and picnickers.
Just seeing the picture of this lake, which sits minutes outside of Safford, makes me want to go there now.
Birding, boating, fishing. What else could you ask for in a lake?
Okay, this one is a bit divisive. You have one camp that professes their love for Tempe Town Lake while another claims it is nothing other than a large, green swimming pool. No matter which side of the argument you sit on, it does make a great setting for some stunning pictures.
This large lake is another popular destination for fishing, camping, hiking, and kayaking.
What do you think of our list? Tell us in the comments below.
