Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry: 15 miles of wild rainbows beneath sandstone walls. The river tops out around 20 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Drawn out, this is 614 acres of water rimmed by 32 miles of bank. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 9.2) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 69% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 8 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.8 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Coconino County. The nearest mapped water is Lake Powell, 52 mi to the northeast.
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 5 to 20 ft covers summer, 4 to 20 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Lowhead weir tailrace, a dam tailrace in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Lowhead weir tailrace (17 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Glen Canyon tailrace (15 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Lowhead weir tailrace (17 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 4 to 20 ft | dawn | Lowhead weir tailrace (17 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring brown trout on Colorado River (Lees Ferry) hold shallow, usually 2 to 20 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 6 to 20 ft in summer, 3 to 20 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Lowhead weir tailrace — dam tailrace, 17 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in after dark and early morning. The summer box starts with a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Lowhead weir tailrace (17 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | night & dawn | Lowhead weir tailrace (17 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dusk & dawn | Lowhead weir tailrace (17 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Lowhead weir tailrace (17 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Count 11 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Lowhead weir tailrace, sits near 17 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 Colorado River (Lees Ferry) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Arizona fishing regulations →
Colorado River (Lees Ferry) is about 20 ft (6 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, brown trout on Colorado River (Lees Ferry).
Lowhead weir tailrace is the top-rated area: a dam tailrace in about 17 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 Colorado River (Lees Ferry) 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.
Lake Powell 52 mi, UT/AZ · Bright Angel Creek 60 mi · Wide Hollow Reservoir 62 mi, UT · Pine Lake 63 mi, UT · Navajo Lake 82 mi, UT · Panguitch Lake 83 mi, UT · Lower Bowns Reservoir 85 mi, UT · Yankee Meadow Reservoir 90 mi, UT · Kolob Reservoir 92 mi, UT · Paragonah (Red Creek) Reservoir 92 mi, UT · Otter Creek Reservoir 94 mi, UT · Sand Hollow Reservoir 103 mi, UT
See how Colorado River (Lees Ferry) stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Arizona · best brown trout lakes in Arizona
More water nearby: Coconino County fishing maps (16 charts). Browse all Arizona fishing maps or 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.