Best rainbow trout lakes in Arizona
39 Arizona waters hold rainbow trout. 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. The classic stocked cold-water trout. Depth is everything: rainbows follow the temperature layer they like.
- Lake Mohave — 147 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Apache Lake — 266 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Tilapia, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye
- San Carlos Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Saguaro Lake — 89 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Tilapia, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye
- C.C. Cragin Reservoir (Blue Ridge Reservoir) — 79 ft max · Rainbow Trout
- Chevelon Canyon Lake — 80 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
- Fool Hollow Lake — 32 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
- Lower Lake Mary — 27 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Woods Canyon Lake — 40 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
- Show Low Lake — 39 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Bluegill
- Watson Lake — 20 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout
- Colorado River (Lees Ferry) — 20 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
- River Reservoir — 12 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Common Carp, Brown Trout
- Parker Canyon Lake — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout
- Luna Lake — 10 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout
- Ashurst Lake — 12 ft max · Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
- Knoll Lake — 27 ft max · Rainbow Trout
- Kaibab Lake — 14 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Nelson Reservoir — 24 ft max · Crappie, Rainbow Trout
- Bear Canyon Lake — 50 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Arctic Grayling
- Becker Lake — 17 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout
- Peña Blanca Lake — 32 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout
- Kiwanis Park Lake — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout
- Carnero Lake — 10 ft max · Rainbow Trout
- Black Canyon Lake — 60 ft max · Rainbow Trout
…plus 14 more Arizona waters holding rainbow trout.
When to fish rainbow trout in Arizona
- Spring 5–20 ft — Post-ice-out trout roam shallow; fish inflows and windblown shorelines.
- Summer 8–30 ft — Rainbows hold near cold inflows, current seams and the thermocline — find the cool water and you've found the fish.
- Fall 10–35 ft — Fall feeding on rock shoals, current and channel edges as water cools.
- Winter 8–40 ft — Trout are comfortable in cold water — one of the best winter targets; streams and tailwaters fish shallow, deep lakes hold on basin edges.
Also in Arizona: best largemouth bass lakes · best tilapia lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best striped bass lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best common carp lakes · best brown trout lakes
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