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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
949-acre reservoir near Apache Junction. The lake tops out around 128 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Canyon Lake maps at 942 acres behind 28.6 miles of shoreline. With a shoreline index of 6.6, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 67% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 6.9 mi end to end and 2.3 mi across at its widest. It sits in Maricopa County. Saguaro Lake sits 6 mi west — the closest neighbouring chart.
Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 40 ft. Put La Barge Creek inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 8 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | La Barge Creek inflow (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | La Barge Creek inflow (8 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (32 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | La Barge Creek inflow (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it La Barge Creek inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | La Barge Creek inflow (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (32 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (32 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts walleye in skinny water — 4 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 35 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. La Barge Creek inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring walleye. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | La Barge Creek inflow (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (32 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Main-lake point (32 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (32 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at La Barge Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | La Barge Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | La Barge Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | open water |
Come spring, look for flathead catfish tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 45 ft. Start at La Barge Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 8 ft of water and rates good come spring. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | La Barge Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | open water | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | open water | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | open water |
Canyon Lake also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), tilapia (2 to 10 ft in summer), green sunfish (2 to 12 ft in summer), redear sunfish (4 to 18 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 9 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 109 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Arizona waters are set by the Arizona Game & Fish Department — and special regulations can apply to Canyon Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Arizona fishing regulations →
Canyon Lake is about 128 ft (39 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, flathead catfish, crappie, bluegill, common carp, tilapia, green sunfish, redear sunfish on Canyon Lake.
La Barge Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Canyon Lake is regulated by the Arizona Game & Fish Department. Check the official Arizona regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Saguaro Lake 6 mi · Apache Lake 9 mi · Lower Salt River 12 mi · Verde River (Lower) 18 mi · Red Mountain Lake 18 mi · Roosevelt Lake 19 mi · Bartlett Lake 25 mi · Gilbert Regional Park Pond 28 mi · Veterans Oasis Lake 31 mi · Workman Creek 31 mi · Tempe Town Lake 32 mi · Kiwanis Park Lake 33 mi
See how Canyon Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Arizona · best tilapia lakes in Arizona · best smallmouth bass lakes in Arizona · best walleye lakes in Arizona
More water nearby: Maricopa County fishing maps (16 charts). Browse all Arizona fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.