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Rating depth structure for smallmouth bass.
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Salt River Canyon wilderness whitewater above Roosevelt Lake. Smallmouth bass and catfish in remote canyon pools. The river tops out around 12 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The outline encloses 354 acres, worked by 41.9 miles of shoreline. The 15.9 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. The basin spans about 11.3 mi end to end and 2.9 mi across at its widest. It sits in Gila County. Workman Creek sits 15 mi northwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring smallmouth bass on Upper Salt River hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 4 to 12 ft in summer, 4 to 12 ft once it turns cold. Put Current seam (mile 18.7) first on the milk run — a current seam near 7 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
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 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 18.7) (7 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 18.7) (7 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 18.7) (7 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 18.7) (7 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Even in summer they hold at 4 to 12 ft; winter keeps them in 4 to 12 ft. The chart's best answer is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) — creek channel, 9 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is after dark 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 | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (9 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (9 ft) |
Early season flathead catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 12 ft; winter keeps them in 4 to 12 ft. Put Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) first on the milk run — a creek channel near 9 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark 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 | 3 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (9 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (9 ft) |
The chart marks 7 structure features on Upper Salt River; the deepest is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) at about 9 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 Upper Salt River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Arizona fishing regulations →
Upper Salt River is about 12 ft (4 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 smallmouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish on Upper Salt River.
Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For smallmouth 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 Upper 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.
Workman Creek 15 mi · Roosevelt Lake 17 mi · Apache Lake 25 mi · Canyon Lake 34 mi · San Carlos Lake 39 mi · Saguaro Lake 39 mi · Haigler Creek 40 mi · Willow Springs Lake 45 mi · Lower Salt River 46 mi · Black Canyon Lake 47 mi · Woods Canyon Lake 47 mi · Tonto Creek 48 mi
See how Upper Salt River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Arizona · best channel catfish lakes in Arizona · best flathead catfish lakes in Arizona
More water nearby: Gila County fishing maps (10 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.