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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
Palo Verde Dam through Cibola NWR. Meandering warmwater bass, catfish and crappie with fish-rich backwaters. The river tops out around 22 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 6,014 acres wrapped in 141.5 miles of bank. A development index of 13 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 78% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 49.2 mi of water from one end to the other, 15.1 mi at the beam. It sits in La Paz County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Colorado River (Imperial Division), is 30 mi to the south.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 22 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Channel bar / point (mile 18.0): a point around 9 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 18.0) (9 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 18.0) (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 18.0) (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 2.5) (18 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: striped bass in 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 7 to 22 ft before dropping to 7 to 22 ft for winter. The spot to know is Perphery Gate tailrace, a dam tailrace in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Perphery Gate tailrace (19 ft) | 3-5 inch baitfish swimbait, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Perphery Gate tailrace (19 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 6 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Perphery Gate tailrace (19 ft) | Baitfish swimbait, Metal jig |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft | midday | Perphery Gate tailrace (19 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 7 to 22 ft in summer and finish the year down in 7 to 22 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-channel hole (mile 2.5): a creek channel around 18 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 51.9) (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 2.5) (18 ft) | |
| Fall | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Main-channel hole (mile 2.5) (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 2.5) (18 ft) |
When the water first warms, flathead catfish slide up into 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 22 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 22 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Tailout eddy (mile 51.9): an eddy pocket around 12 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 51.9) (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 6 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 51.9) (12 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 51.9) (12 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 51.9) (12 ft) |
Spring common carp on Colorado River (Palo Verde / Cibola) hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 7 to 22 ft. The chart's best answer is Tailout eddy (mile 51.9) — eddy pocket, 12 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | open water | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 51.9) (12 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 2.5) (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 22 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 51.9) (12 ft) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 37 features, led in depth by Perphery Gate tailrace at roughly 19 ft.
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 (Palo Verde / Cibola) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Arizona fishing regulations →
Colorado River (Palo Verde / Cibola) is about 22 ft (7 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 largemouth bass, striped bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, common carp on Colorado River (Palo Verde / Cibola).
Channel bar / point (mile 18.0) is the top-rated area: a point in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For largemouth bass, 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 (Palo Verde / Cibola) 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.
Colorado River (Imperial Division) 30 mi · Colorado River (Laguna Division) 37 mi · Colorado River (Yuma Division) 42 mi · Redondo Lake 44 mi · Colorado River (Parker Strip) 63 mi · Alamo Lake 84 mi · Lake Havasu 95 mi, AZ/CA · Colorado River (below Davis Dam) 109 mi · Gila River 114 mi · Lake Hemet 122 mi, CA · Surprise Lake 130 mi · Pioneer Lake 137 mi
See how Colorado River (Palo Verde / Cibola) stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Arizona · best channel catfish lakes in Arizona · best striped bass lakes in Arizona · best flathead catfish lakes in Arizona
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.