Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
21,500-acre lake in Gila County, Arizona. The lake tops out around 181 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Drawn out, this is 18,153 acres of water rimmed by 95.9 miles of bank — 8 islands included. A development index of 5.1 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 7% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. Figure 18.4 mi of water from one end to the other, 4.5 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Gila County. The nearest mapped water is Apache Lake, 10 mi to the southwest.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Secondary point, a point in about 5 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (5 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (12 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Rock reef, a rock pile in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (6 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (12 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Sharp break (51 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Cottonwood Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Cottonwood Creek inflow (9 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Cottonwood Creek inflow (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (181 ft) |
Spring puts flathead catfish in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 45 ft. Cottonwood Creek inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 9 ft, rated good for spring flathead catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Cottonwood Creek inflow (9 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (181 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (181 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Marina / dock area, a dock line in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Marina / dock area (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (12 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Dock / pier line (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (181 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. Spring bluegill concentrate at Feeding flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Feeding flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Marina / dock area (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (10 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Roosevelt Lake also holds common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), tilapia (2 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 20 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 181 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 Roosevelt Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Arizona fishing regulations →
Roosevelt Lake is about 181 ft (55 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, crappie, bluegill, common carp, tilapia on Roosevelt Lake.
Secondary point is the top-rated area: a point in about 5 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.
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 Roosevelt Lake 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.
Apache Lake 10 mi · Workman Creek 13 mi · Upper Salt River 17 mi · Canyon Lake 19 mi · Saguaro Lake 24 mi · Lower Salt River 31 mi · Bartlett Lake 31 mi · Verde River (Lower) 32 mi · Haigler Creek 37 mi · Red Mountain Lake 37 mi · Horseshoe Reservoir 41 mi · Tonto Creek 43 mi
See how Roosevelt Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Arizona · best tilapia lakes in Arizona · best smallmouth bass lakes in Arizona · best crappie lakes in Arizona
More water nearby: Gila County fishing maps (10 charts). Browse all Arizona fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.