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13,058-acre reservoir near San Carlos. The lake tops out around 75 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Shoreline on the chart totals 60 miles. An index of 4.5 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. About 57% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 11.1 mi end to end and 3 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Gila County. The nearest mapped water is Upper Salt River, 39 mi to the northwest.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. 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 (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (19 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (34 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Gila River inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 8 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Gila River inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Gila River inflow (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (38 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Old creek channel (38 ft) |
Spring puts flathead catfish in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Winter flathead catfish concentrate at Old creek channel, a prime-rated creek channel around 38 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Gila River inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (38 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (38 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Old creek channel (38 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Old creek channel (38 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Time it for early morning and the evening. 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 | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (64 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Spring puts rainbow trout 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 8 to 40 ft. Gila River inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring rainbow trout. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Gila River inflow (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Gila River inflow (8 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (19 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (34 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
San Carlos Lake also holds brown trout (25 to 60 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 12 structure features on San Carlos Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 64 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 San Carlos Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Arizona fishing regulations →
San Carlos Lake is about 75 ft (23 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, channel catfish, flathead catfish, crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout, brown trout on San Carlos Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 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 San Carlos 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.
Upper Salt River 39 mi · Cluff Ranch Pond 3 43 mi · Roosevelt Lake 52 mi · Workman Creek 53 mi · Apache Lake 55 mi · Canyon Lake 61 mi · Saguaro Lake 66 mi · Black River 68 mi · Woodland Reservoir 70 mi · Lower Salt River 71 mi · Silverbell Lake 72 mi · West Fork Black River 72 mi
See how San Carlos Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Arizona · best crappie lakes in Arizona · best bluegill lakes in Arizona · best channel catfish lakes in Arizona
More water nearby: Gila County fishing maps (10 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.