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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
Below Saguaro Lake to Granite Reef. Stocked winter rainbows and warmwater bass in the Salt River recreation area. The river tops out around 10 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Lower Salt River runs 211 acres with 24.3 miles of edge. A development index of 11.9 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Figure 8.7 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.1 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Maricopa County. For a second option, Saguaro Lake lies 7 mi east.
Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 3 to 10 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 10 ft. Spring rainbow trout concentrate at Current seam (mile 2.4), a prime-rated current seam around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
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 10 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.4) (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.4) (6 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.4) (6 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 2.4) (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 10 ft through summer, 3 to 10 ft in winter. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 4.6), a creek channel in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait 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 | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Stewart Mountain Dam tailrace (9 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.4) (6 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 4.6) (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 4.6) (8 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 10 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 10 ft through summer, 3 to 10 ft in winter. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 4.6), a creek channel in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
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 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 4.6) (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 4.6) (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 4.6) (8 ft) |
Spring puts common carp in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Winter common carp concentrate at Tailout eddy (mile 0.3), a prime-rated eddy pocket around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around 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 | Stewart Mountain Dam tailrace (9 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Stewart Mountain Dam tailrace (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 18 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 4.6) (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 0.3) (6 ft) |
Lower Salt River carries 7 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Stewart Mountain Dam tailrace, about 9 ft down.
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 Lower Salt River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Arizona fishing regulations →
Lower Salt River is about 10 ft (3 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, channel catfish, common carp on Lower Salt River.
Current seam (mile 2.4) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each 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 Lower Salt River 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 7 mi · Red Mountain Lake 8 mi · Verde River (Lower) 10 mi · Canyon Lake 12 mi · Tempe Town Lake 20 mi · Apache Lake 21 mi · Gilbert Regional Park Pond 21 mi · Kiwanis Park Lake 22 mi · Bartlett Lake 22 mi · Veterans Oasis Lake 23 mi · Roosevelt Lake 31 mi · Alvord Lake 33 mi
See how Lower Salt River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Arizona · best channel catfish lakes in Arizona · best rainbow trout lakes in Arizona · best common carp 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.