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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
Below Bartlett Dam to the Salt confluence. Dam-release largemouth and smallmouth bass, flathead and channel catfish. The river tops out around 8 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
On the chart, Verde River (Lower) draws 717 acres inside 46.1 miles of shoreline. An index of 12.3 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Call it 18 mi long by 1.4 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Maricopa County. The nearest mapped water is Lower Salt River, 10 mi to the south.
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 2 to 8 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), a creek channel in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
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 8 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 5.6) (4 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 2 to 8 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), a creek channel in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around 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 | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) |
In spring, flathead catfish run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 8 ft, and they winter in 2 to 8 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for summer flathead catfish. Time it for 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 | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 45 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) |
In spring, common carp run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 8 ft, and they winter in 2 to 8 ft. Fall common carp concentrate at Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), a prime-rated creek channel around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
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 8 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | open water | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 18 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft) |
Verde River (Lower) carries 11 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), about 6 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 Verde River (Lower) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Arizona fishing regulations →
Verde River (Lower) is about 8 ft (2 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, common carp on Verde River (Lower).
Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. 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 Verde River (Lower) 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.
Lower Salt River 10 mi · Saguaro Lake 13 mi · Bartlett Lake 13 mi · Red Mountain Lake 17 mi · Canyon Lake 18 mi · Tempe Town Lake 23 mi · Horseshoe Reservoir 24 mi · Apache Lake 24 mi · Kiwanis Park Lake 26 mi · Gilbert Regional Park Pond 29 mi · Veterans Oasis Lake 31 mi · Roosevelt Lake 32 mi
See how Verde River (Lower) stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Arizona · best channel catfish lakes in Arizona · best flathead catfish 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.