The point of this posting is to help fellow kayak anglers discover new waters to fish and help grow the sport of kayak fishing in Arizona. I will revisit from time to time to update this posting with more information as it becomes available. If I have inadvertently given away your secret honey hole stacked with 6+ pounders, please let us know in the comments below. To report a spoiler, please include the specific techniques and lure colors used to catch your secret fish and the posting will be removed within 48 hours.
Warning: Not all launches below are open year round. Do your research before you leave to ensure the area is open to the public at the time. Also note that all launches below require the proper pass to park a vehicle. For more information on parking requirements, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/tonto/, and http://www.maricopacountyparks.net/park-locator/lake-pleasant-regional-park/.
Saguaro Lake
A: Boat Ramps - Pros: Trailer parking, easy access to water's edge, courtesy docks, great fishing near marina and dam. Cons: Busy boat ramps, lots of power boat activity/wakes.
B: Butcher Jones Recreation Area - Pros: Motorless area, wide variety of cover/structure. Cons: Busy and pressured waters, 50 yards of beach to carry kayak across.
C: Cove No. 1 - Pros: Great fishing. Cons: Accessible only by 4x4, no trailer access.
Canyon Lake:
A: First Water Creek - Pros: Big, big fish neighborhood, easy access to western side of lake. Cons: Tough launch, steep hill down to water's edge, roadside parking only, popular party spot for pleasure boaters.
B: Accacia Recreation Area - Pros: Extremely easy launch, short paddle to anywhere on the main lake. Cons: Very busy during the warm seasons, lots of power boats/wakes to watch out for, no trailer parking.
C: Paloverde Ramp - Pros: Easy launch, trailer parking, short paddle to Boulder Motorless Area. Cons: Single vehicle parking is a long walk from the water, the dumbest people on Earth seem to be drawn to this ramp, somebody will absolutely do something stupid.
D: Boulder Recreation Area - Pros: Large motorless area, great fishing. Cons: Difficult to launch on your own, busy/pressured waters, old nudist couple that lives on a houseboat at the marina, no trailer parking.
E: Laguna Ramp - Pros: Easy launch, trailer parking. Cons: Long paddle from most of the lake.
Apache Lake:
A: Apach Lake Marina - Pros: Easy launch, trailer parking. Cons: Dirt road access only, competition with power boats/wakes.
B: Davis Wash - Pros: Short paddle to Mazatzal Bay and other great fishing spots, very secluded launch area. Cons: Dirt road access only, road periodically closes without notice.
C: Burnt Coral Campgrounds - Pros: Easy launch at boat ramp, lakeside campgrounds, great smallmouth fishing. Cons: Dirt road access only, fairly busy on weekends, always windy.
D: Three Mile Wash - Pros: Great smallmouth fishing. Cons: Dirt road access only, long drive from Phoenix area. Note: Three Mile Wash is further upriver than labeled on the map.
Roosevelt Lake (Salt End)
A: Windy Hill Recreation Site - Pros: Lots of launching options with several beaches and boat ramps, launch from either east or west side of Windy Hill, lots of parking available, nearby camping available. Cons: Long drive from Phoenix, fishing has slowed down in recent years, can get busy on weekends.
B: Grapevine Point - Pros: Easy launch from boat ramp, good winter/summer fishing in the area with deep structure nearby. Cons: Long drive from Phoenix, fishing has slowed down in recent years.
C: Schoolhouse Point - Pros: Ramp is often out of the water leaving plenty of space for kayak launch, tons of shallow cover, unnavigable for most powerboats, a kayak flipping and pitching paradise. Cons: Long drive from Phoenix.
Roosevelt Lake (Tonto End)
A: Horse Pasture Rec Area - Pros: Drive down to water's edge for easy launch, lake side camping available, easy access to Tonto end of lake. Cons: Very busy on weekends, long drive from Phoenix, 4x4 vehicle is recommended for driving near the shore
B: Cholla Campground - Pros: Easy launch at ramp, trailer parking available, easy access to Tonto end of lake. Cons: Long drive from Phoenix, long paddle from productive fishing areas.
C: Soltera Cove - Pros: Drive down to water's edge for easy launch, rarely busy. Cons: Long drive from Phoenix, 4x4 vehicle is recommended for driving near the shore, long paddle from productive fishing areas.
D: Vinyard Canyon Picnic Site - Pros: Short paddle to great fishing to the west. Cons: No trailer parking, difficult launch down a rocky slope, long drive from Phoenix.
E: Roosevelt Lake Marina - Pros: Short paddle to great fishing in all directions, easy launch from ramps. Cons: No public boat ramps at the marina, you need to make arrangements ahead of time through rlmaz.com.
F: Windy Hill Recreation Site - Pros: Lots of launching options with several beaches and boat ramps, launch from either east or west side of Windy Hill, lots of parking available, nearby camping available. Cons: Long drive from Phoenix, fishing has slowed down in recent years, can get busy on weekends.
Bartlett Lake:
A: South Cove, Jojoba Ramp, Marina, ect. - Pros: Easy launch from ramp, close to North Phoenix/Scottsdale, short paddle to great fishing, good numbers of bass. Cons: This place doesn't seem to have an official name and it makes it difficult to discuss with others, gets very busy during the summer, over populated with small fish.
B: Rattle Snake Cove - Pros: Motorless area, relatively close to the Phoenix area, good numbers of bass. Cons: Difficult launch, long haul for a kayak, a kayak dolly is practically required, no trailer parking, over populated with small fish.
C: Srv Rd 459 - Pros: Drive up right to the water's edge for an easy launch, great fishing in the immediate area. Cons: 4x4 recommended when driving on the wash, check before hand if road is currently open to the public, over populated with small fish.
D: SB Cove - Pros: Easy launch from ramp, trailer parking available, short paddle from great fishing. Cons: Over populated with small fish, busy during the warm seasons.
E: Cat Bay - Pros: Drive up right to the water's edge for an easy launch, great fishing in the immediate area. Cons: Often muddy due to low/changing water levels, 4x4 recommended for driving on sand, road closes periodically so check before driving up.
F: Echo Bay - Pros: Drive up right to the water's edge for an easy launch, great fishing in the immediate area. Cons: Often muddy due to low/changing water levels, 4x4 recommended for driving on sand, road closes periodically so check before driving up.
G: Jacks Cove - Pros: Secluded launch. Cons: Often muddy due to low/changing water levels, 4x4 required for driving on sand, road closes periodically so check before driving up.
Lake Pleasent:
A: Lake Pleasent Marina, South Ramp - Pros: Easy launch from ramp, trailer and single vehicle parking near ramp. Cons: Poor fishing in the immediate area, competition against power boats/wakes.
B: Lake Pleasent Marina, North Ramp - Pros: Easy launch from ramp, trailer and single vehicle parking near ramp. Cons: Competition against power boats/wakes.
C: 10 Lane Boat Ramp/Shriff's Station - Pros: n/a. Cons: Poor fishing in the immediate area, ramp is always busy and filled with the overflow of stupid people from the ramps at Canyon Lake.
D: Fireman's Cove - Pros: Drive up right to the water's edge for an easy launch, great fishing in the immediate area. Cons: Often muddy due to low/changing water levels, 4x4 recommended for driving on sand, parking permit is cash only via the envelope system.
E: Castle Creek Boat Ramp - Pros: Easy launch from ramp, trailer parking available, short paddle from great fishing, easy access to Castle Creek and great striper fishing. Cons: Lots of drunk idiots out with power boats disregarding the no wake regulations.
F: The Northern Coves - Pros: Great fishing in all of the northern coves, lots of easy launch areas where you can drive right up to the water's edge. Cons: 4x4 vehicle is required to navigate the dirt roads and sandy washes leading to the water, go with someone who knows the way, or be real good at reading a map... A paper map, Google won't help you up there.
G: Agua Fria River Access - Pros: Easy launch and parking for trailers and single vehicles, great fishing in unpressured waters. Cons: Only open certain weekends throughout the year, check ahead online before you go out.
Did I miss your favorite spot? Feel free to let us know about it in the comments, or of course you could always keep it a secret as well!
Tight lines!
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ReplyDeleteInteresting Article. Hoping that you will continue posting an article having a useful information. Northern Arizona fishing
ReplyDeletehi, an excellent write-up and diagrams. I do have a question, can you launch a kayak at the Saguaro Lake Mariana, ...or is that private, or is it even physically possible to put in at that location?
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