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2,035-acre reservoir in Yavapai County, Arizona. The lake tops out around 39 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Horseshoe Reservoir maps at 2,636 acres behind 25.5 miles of shoreline. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 3.5) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. 68% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 5.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.7 mi at the beam. Yavapai County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Bartlett Lake, is 12 mi to the southeast.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring smallmouth bass on Horseshoe Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 12 to 39 ft. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 10 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 12 to 39 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 12 to 39 ft. Put Verde River inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Verde River inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 12 to 39 ft | midday | Deep basin (33 ft) |
Early season flathead catfish use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter a 12 to 39 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 33 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (33 ft) | |
| Winter | 12 to 39 ft | midday | Deep basin (33 ft) |
Spring bluegill on Horseshoe Reservoir hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Come spring, look for common carp tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (33 ft) |
Horseshoe Reservoir carries 12 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 33 ft down.
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 Horseshoe Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Arizona fishing regulations →
Horseshoe Reservoir is about 39 ft (12 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, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, bluegill, common carp on Horseshoe Reservoir.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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 Horseshoe Reservoir 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.
Bartlett Lake 12 mi · East Verde River 19 mi · Sycamore Creek 22 mi · Verde River (Lower) 24 mi · Verde River 30 mi · Pine Creek 32 mi · Lake Pleasant 33 mi · Lower Salt River 34 mi · Saguaro Lake 34 mi · Webber Creek 34 mi · West Clear Creek 35 mi · Canyon Lake 37 mi
See how Horseshoe Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Arizona · best smallmouth bass lakes in Arizona · best bluegill lakes in Arizona · best channel catfish lakes in Arizona
More water nearby: Yavapai County fishing maps (9 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.