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Best smallmouth bass lakes in Arizona

12 Arizona waters hold smallmouth bass, 4 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Current- and rock-loving fighter. Lives around gravel, boulders and hard-bottom structure.

1. Lake Powell — 516 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
2. Lake Havasu — 105 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
3. Lake Mead — 526 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
4. Lake Mohave — 147 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
5. Roosevelt Lake — 181 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Tilapia, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie
6. Apache Lake — 266 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Tilapia, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye
7. Lake Pleasant — 293 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Tilapia, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass
8. Horseshoe Reservoir — 39 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
9. Saguaro Lake — 89 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Tilapia, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye
10. Verde River — 8 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
11. Fool Hollow Lake — 32 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
12. Show Low Lake — 39 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Bluegill

When to fish smallmouth bass in Arizona

• Spring 3–12 ft — Gravel and rock flats near deep water; spawning happens on hard bottom.
• Summer 10–30 ft — Offshore rock humps and deep points; smallmouth suspend near bait.
• Fall 8–25 ft — Feeding hard for winter — long tapering points and rocky drops.
• Winter 20–45 ft — Deep, vertical presentations near rocky wintering holes.

Also in Arizona: best largemouth bass lakes · best tilapia lakes · best walleye lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best striped bass lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best common carp lakes · best brown trout lakes

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