When most people think of Arizona, they imagine a barren, dust-ridden land. The joke’s on them because we actually have a large number of Arizona 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 the best lakes in Arizona, and remember to stay safe around water!

1. Ashurst Lake, Coconino County
Ashurst Lake, Arizona 86001, USA
cogdog/Flickr




Located 20 miles south of Flagstaff, this is a lovely site to fish for some Rainbow Trout when you want to escape the heat.
2. Bartlett Lake, Maricopa County
Bartlett Lake, Arizona, USA
Jeff Shewan/Flickr
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. This is one of the best lakes in Arizona
3. Big Lake, Apache County
Big Lake, Arizona 85927, USA
Jason Thompson/Flickr
We think this area lives up to its name, plus you can find a wide variety of fish species to catch!
4. Canyon Lake, Maricopa County
Canyon Lake, Arizona, USA
Kevin Stuart/Flickr
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? Canyon Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in Arizona; come see for yourself.
5. Cataract Lake, Coconino County
Cataract Lake, Williams, AZ 86046, USA
U.S. Forest Service, Southwestern Region/Flickr
This area is actually a lot prettier than its name suggests. We wouldn’t mind opening up our tents to a sight like this.
6. Chevelon Canyon Lake, Coconino County
Chevelon Canyon Lake, Arizona 85931, USA
Alan Levine/Flickr
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.
7. Dogtown Lake, Coconino County
Dogtown Lake Campground And Group, 1250 Pine Top Dr, Williams, AZ 86046, USA
U.S. Forest Service, Southwestern Region/Flickr
Melting in this heat? Maybe heading for the sparkling waters at Dogtown Lake would be a refreshing change.
8. Granite Basin Lake, Yavapai County
Granite Basin Lake, Arizona 86305, USA
Michelle Milla/Flickr
One of the smaller lakes surrounding Prescott, Granite Basin is a great location for camping, hiking, fishing, and photography.
9. Kaibab Lake, Coconino County
Kaibab Lake, Williams, AZ 86046, USA
U.S. Forest Service, Southwestern Region/Flickr
Another little lake sitting outside Williams, this area is quite popular with the camping and fishing crowd. Also, we don’t know about you, but that snow is looking refreshing right about now. The area is also home to some of the best camping in Arizona.
10. Lake Havasu, Mohave County
Lake Havasu, United States
Flickr/Max Richard




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.) There are lots of things to do at Lake Havasu too!

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11. Lake Mead, Mohave County
Lake Mead, United States
U.S. Geological Survey/Flickr
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, when the water levels are low. Lake Mead has the honor of being one of the largest lakes in Arizona!
12. Lake Pleasant, Maricopa County
Lake Pleasant, Arizona, USA
Richard Topalovich/Flickr
Another wildly popular area for the Phoenix crowd, this Arizona lake has plenty of areas for your family to enjoy picnics, fishing, and a variety of water sports.
13. Lake Powell, Coconino County
Lake Powell, AZ 86040, USA
Wolfgang Staudt/Flickr
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. It's one of the most breathtakingly scenic places in Arizona you can visit.
14. Mormon Lake, Coconino County
Mormon Lake, AZ 86038, USA
U.S. Forest Service, Southwestern Region/Flickr
Just barely a lake, the depth here fluctuates during the seasons between 10 feet and nothing at all.
15. Patagonia Lake, Santa Cruz County
Patagonia Lake, Arizona, USA
s_mestdagh/Flickr
A little more than 20 minutes north of Nogales sits Patagonia Lake, a popular site for sports fishing and bird watching.
16. Potato Lake, Coconino County
Potato Lake, Arizona 85541, USA
U.S. Forest Service, Coconino National Forest/Flickr
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.
17. Roper Lake, Graham County
Roper Lake State Park, Arizona 85546, USA
dmallen321/Flickr
Just seeing the picture of this lake, which sits minutes outside of Safford, makes me want to go there now.
18. Saguaro Lake, Maricopa County
Saguaro Lake, Arizona 85264, USA
JMK PHOTOGRAPHY/Flickr
Birding, boating, fishing. What else could you ask for in a lake? This scenic lake is definitely one of our picks for the best lakes in Arizona.
19. Tempe Town Lake, Maricopa County
Tempe Town Lake, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
Alan Stark/Flickr
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.
20. Woods Canyon Lake, Coconino County
Woods Canyon Lake, Arizona, USA
Alan Levine/Flickr




This large lake is another popular destination for fishing, camping, hiking, and kayaking. Woods Canyon Lake is picture-perfect.

What do you think of our list? Which of your favorite lakes in Northern Arizona deserves a spot on the list? Tell us in the comments!

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More to Explore

Lakes in Arizona

Tori Jane | May 25, 2022

What are the most beautiful northern Arizona lakes?  

Arizona sure does have a lot of absolutely beautiful lakes for being smack-dab in the middle of the desert. Some of the best, most beautiful lakes in Arizona are peppered across the northern half of the state, and each one is worthy of a bucket list trip! Some of our favorite Arizona lakes include:

  • Lake Mary
  • Mormon Lake
  • Stone Lake
  • Long Lake  

 

What are the best lakes in Arizona? 

The term “best” is subjective, but hey, we’ve got lots of amazing lakes in the Copper State to choose from (good luck) and all of them are beautiful and worth a visit:

  • If you prefer not to wander too far away from the metro Phoenix area, check out Saguaro Lake, which is east of the city on the Bush Highway, away from it all without being too far away from anything.
  • We also love Lake Patagonia, which is huge and very popular during the summer months with tourists and locals alike.
  • Lake Pleasant is ridiculously popular, and there’s plenty of fun to be had there as well. Obviously, this is nowhere near an exhaustive list, but it is a great start for your lake-exploring adventures.  

 

How many Arizona lakes are there?  

Yes, Arizona is a desert state, but did you know there are 128 lakes across the state? That’s right – 128! Of course, only two of those are naturally-formed lakes, but hey – a lake’s a lake, right? The largest lake in Arizona is Lake Powell, which is an impressive 254 square miles in size. The second-largest lake in Arizona is Lake Mead, which is just a little smaller, at 247.1 square miles. These lakes are extraordinarily popular, and locals often have annual traditions in which the whole family gathers at these desert oases. Other wonderful, clear lakes in Arizona include smaller jewels like Alamo Lake, Lake Mohave, and more. 

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