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Fishing Desert West Lake: what the data says
5-acre lake near Arizona. The lake tops out around 15 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Desert West Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Desert West Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Desert West Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 5 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall largemouth bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Desert West Lake
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 13 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday |
Bluegill fishing at Desert West Lake
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 13 ft, rated prime for winter bluegill. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 13 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 7 ft
Common questions
How deep is Desert West Lake?
Desert West Lake is about 15 ft 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.
What fish are in Desert West Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, rainbow trout on Desert West Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Desert West Lake?
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Desert West Lake?
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.
Nearby waters
Pioneer Lake · Alvord Lake · Surprise Lake · Tempe Town Lake · Kiwanis Park Lake · Lake Pleasant
See how Desert West Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Arizona · best bluegill lakes in Arizona · best channel catfish lakes in Arizona · best rainbow trout lakes in Arizona
Browse all Arizona fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.