Less than an hour away from Phoenix is hands down my favorite and if not the most scenic lake we have in this state. It has 950 surface acres of water and 28 miles of shoreline. The river is covered with steep canyon walls that make the drive up river one to definitely slow down and take in. Canyon Lake is loaded with wildlife and if you make your trip up the river you will be sure to see some Desert Bighorn Sheep.
Canyon Lake used to be known as the big bass factory here in Arizona where 10lb largies were not uncommon. They have had Florida Strain Largemouth for quite some time which made this an excellent fishery. Unfortunately, it had a few battles with the elusive golden algae that Arizona and other warm states have to deal with. The algae killed off a good amount of fish but Canyon Lake Arizona fishing is rebounding and we are seeing some healthy bass being caught. If you really want to go after some Giants at Canyon Lake, a great time is in December when the Arizona Game & Fish stocks the lake with trout. Tie on your favorite trout swimbait and pay attention because you will see some dinosaurs follow that thing in. Below is a short video from a 29lb topwater bag at Canyon caught by the FishIn48 team, an incredible morning of Canyon Lake bass fishing!
Canyon Lake has a wide variety of fish anglers can target. Those species include: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Yellow Bass, Rainbow Trout, Sunfish, Flathead and Channel Catfish. If you would like to get out and go fishing with our FishIn48 Canyon Lake Fishing Guides, click the book a trip button and we will get you scheduled for a fun day of Canyon Lake Arizona fishing! When driving to Canyon Lake you will notice that the beginning of the Apache Trail starts at Canyon Lake. So you get one of the most scenic drives in the country on your way to do some Canyon Lake bass fishing. The trail is 40 miles long with the majority of it being unpaved narrow roads with steep walls. Its not for the faint of heart but an experience to say the least. There was a mudslide in 2019 so it has been closed since until further notice.
Secluded beach up river for camping at Canyon Lake, Arizona
Canyon Lake Arizona fishing offers 196 covered slips, 87 open slips, and 100 dry storage spaces. They also offer a wide range of rentals from, Runabouts, Pontoons, Fishing Boats and Canoes Ship’s Store with Sundries, Marine Hardware, Water Ski Equipment, Bait, Tackle, and Fishing Supplies so you have a great Canyon Lake bass fishing experience. If you are not looking to rent, you can book a cruise on Dolly’s Steamboat which has been doing lake cruises since 1983. They do a great job of letting you take in all of Canyon Lakes’ beauty and keep a good eye out for all of the amazing wildlife Canyon Lake has to offer. They are also open to book for private charters
From Phoenix: Take the Superstition Freeway (Highway 60) east to Apache Junction. Exit at Idaho Road and turn north to Highway 88 (Apache Trail). Travel along Highway 88 northeast for about 14 miles. Just past the second one-lane bridge, turn left into the Canyon Lake Marina.
