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San Carlos Lake Details
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List
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Rated: 1.07 / 10
73 votes
8499 visits
|
San Carlos Lake
Location
Description: |
A major storage facility of irrigation water for fertile downstream farmlands
from Coolidge and Florence to Sacaton and Casa Grande
President Calvin Coolidge and Will Rogers were both on hand in 1930 for the dedication of the dam with no water behind it. Rogers said after surveying the Gila River that had shrunk to a tiny trickle and a lake bottom filled, not with water, but with grazing cows,
"If this was my lake, I’d mow it."
It took half a century for the lake to fill
Water levels range from fairly high to near empty driven by downstream irrigation needs, water levels have dropped low enough to cause fish kills and risen high enough to set new high-water marks. The lake has been drawn to the dead-pool level nearly 20 times.
It has been full – the largest body of water in Arizona, with 158 miles of shoreline and 19,500 acre-feet of water – on just three occasions.
The 25-mile-long lake is relatively shallow with few drop offs.
The main lake has a maximum depth of some 75 feet at the dam.
Before the dam was built, mesquite and palo verde trees covered what is now the lake bottom. Reportedly creates more productive fishing-per-acre than any other southeast Arizona lake
|
Records
/ History: |
16-pound largemouth bass taken here in 1996
'San Carlos Lake was formed by the construction of the Coolidge Dam and is rimmed by 158 miles of shoreline. The lake is located within the 3,000 square-mile San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, and is thus subject to tribal regulations. A permit is required for all activities along the lake.
President Calvin Coolidge and Will Rogers were both on hand in 1930 for the dedication of the dam with no water behind it. Rogers said after surveying the Gila River that had shrunk to a tiny trickle and a lake bottom filled, not with water, but with grazing cows,
"If this was my lake, I’d mow it."
It took half a century for the lake to fill
Water levels range from fairly high to near empty driven by downstream irrigation needs, water levels have dropped low enough to cause fish kills and risen high enough to set new high-water marks. The lake has been drawn to the dead-pool level nearly 20 times.
It has been full – the largest body of water in Arizona, with 158 miles of shoreline and 19,500 acre-feet of water – on just three occasions. |
 Climate: Tucson Weather:
Phoenix Weather:
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 |
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| Licence: |
AZ State Fishing Licence AND Indian Res. Permit |
| Cost
/ Fee : |
Fees for day use - Fee charged for camping |
| Hours
/ Season: |
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| Best
Time to Visit: |
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| Times
to Avoid: |
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Accessibility
|
 |
Accessibility
Information |
There are many facilities at the lake, hilly but with many nice areas to fish from shore. This lake is well worth the trip if you live in Tucson or Southern Arizona. We enjoy this lake with a boat, because it is so large
The area is rugged , may ne |
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Area
Size /
Lake Depth: |
maximum depth of some 75 feet at the dam |
Altitude
/
Elevation: |
3000-foot |
Lake
Size /
Trail Length: |
25 miles long |
Hike
Time /
Drive Time: |
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| Latitude: |
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| Longitude: |
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| Difficulty: |
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San Carlos Lake
General
Rules: |
Daily Permits and Fees
<br><br>
Recreation permits for picnicking, <br>
hiking or camping -- family $10, individual $5<br>
Boating permits -- $3<br>
Water- or jet-skiing permits -- $7<br>
Fishing permits -- all anglers over age 12, $7<br>
Boating/fishing combination permits -- $10
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Boat
/ Auto Rules: |
Any size motor |
Camping: |
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Restrooms: |
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Dogs: |
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Horses: |
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Bikes: |
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San Carlos Lake |
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Access
Road Description: |
Paved roads most of the way, then rough road last miles |
Distance
from Tucson |
3.5 hours |
Distance
from Phoenix |
3 hours |
Distance
from Flagstaff |
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|
Directions: On the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation
25 miles east of Globe
50 miles west of Safford, AZ
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 |
|
Type
of Wildlife /
Type of Hunting: |
Standard bluegill and green sunfish, carp, bullhead, channel catfish (up to 22 pounds) and flathead catfish (up to 65 pounds) springtime crappie, with some panfish nudging the five-pound mark. Also yields good-size largemouth bass
In any given year, black crappie fishing typically starts early in the year (March – April) when water temperatures reach approximately 60 degrees. Black crappie form large schools that are typically caught in 15 to 20 ft of water adjacent to brushy shorelines during pre-spawn conditions. When water temperatures reach the mid-60’s, black crappie move closer to shoreline and begin to spawn in and among the submerged points and cover. During the peak of spawning, crappie are caught in 2-4 ft of water. Crappie anglers use a variety of techniques including trolling or drifting crappie jigs, twister tails, or minnows, or still fishing with minnows under a bobber. During the peak of spawning, shoreline anglers are also successful in catching limits of crappie. Springtime largemouth bass fishing typically starts shortly after the crappie spawn when water temperatures reach the mid- to upper-60’s. Largemouth bass begin to move to shallow water adjacent to cover to begin spawning. Largemouth bass remain near shore until the spawning season is over, during which time fish can be caught using jigs, spinner baits, plastic worms, and top water baits. After largemouth bass spawn and early-summer approaches, bass can be caught using top water baits early in the morning, and as the day progresses, crank baits and plastic worms near main channel points and drop-offs in 10-15 ft of water become productive. Carp along the shorelines provide quarry for bow-fishermen.
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Bag
Limits /
Harvest Laws: |
State limits apply |
Stocking
Schedule: |
not stocked |
| Posted
By : |
Bubba
|
| Created
on : |
2004 |
| Last
Updated: |
Fri. Apr 14, 2006 |
|
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Area List
 Visitor
Comments on San Carlos Lake
San Carlos Lake Thu. Jul 1, 2010
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Thu. Jul 1, 2010 |
|
The past few weekends I've been doing pretty good for bass. Expect the fishing to be slow but best early in AM and PM. I'm fishing off main lake points into about 10-13' depth. Water is very clear rite now maybe about 5'visibility. Variety of baits from texas rigs, westy worms, 3/8oz.hula grub jigs in watermelon green have been my go to baits for bass. Lately spoons have also been producing good fish. I usually catch 5-8 bass on every outing.
Crappie fishing at night is great rite now.
Expect evening storms with high winds. Be very careful, especially with little boats.
From: Dwes |
San Carlos Lake Thu. May 13, 2010
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Thu. May 13, 2010 |
|
| Going to Ol' San Carlos tomorrow afternoon to do some nightfishing.. ill give updates by saturday
From: Mark |
San Carlos Lake Wed. Apr 7, 2010
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Wed. Apr 7, 2010 |
|
| i did pretty good at old san corlos point to mahave point.i did with bass was crawdads lure and cappie menows and john deer jigs.
From: larry owen bunch III |
San Carlos Lake Mon. Apr 5, 2010
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Mon. Apr 5, 2010 |
|
| the lake is so hella awsome and its a really nicwe place to spend your day !
From: esmralda |
San Carlos Lake Tue. Jul 21, 2009
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Tue. Jul 21, 2009 |
|
Excellent for Bass and crappie rite now.Target the points with cobble and boulders. For bass 6-10" plastic worms Texas rigged, colors I think doesn't matter but Reds and Greens produced. I also fished a jig 3/8oz. and did well with this set-up too. Caught the bigger bass (~4 lbs)on a jig off a rocky point in about 10' of water.
Later in the day from 9am-1pm, we decided to troll for crappie and did well. We used deep divers in shad color. White/chrome colored from 10-12' depth trolled real slow with the outboard. The crappie were excellent size about 1-1.5 lbs. We didn't try minnows but they should also produce. Good times to be had out there.
From: WES |
San Carlos Lake Tue. Apr 28, 2009
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Tue. Apr 28, 2009 |
|
Myself and friend caught some real nice crappie on the Northside (Tulapai/Jackrabbit flats) area.
We totaled 15 crappies plus many tossed backed and the channel cats in the mix. A couple fish were real nice slabs (1-1.5#). We fished from about 4pm til dark. The bite seemed to really pickup at sundown.We were basically fishing minnows in about 6-8' depth with a float/bait. Our rig was pretty simple; float about 4' above bait and spilt-shot. We caught our bait right off shore with castnet. The shad are everywhere in the backs of coves.
While fishing for crappie, we also tried for bass. 2 for myself, 3 my friend caught all on plastic worms (watermelon, pumkinseed colors).
From: Wes |
San Carlos Lake Fri. Nov 14, 2008
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Fri. Nov 14, 2008 |
|
Went out Tuesday from 1PM-5PM and caught a total of 6 bass. All fish caught were on jigs. The bait was Plum colored rigged on a 3/8th Oz. football jig. I fished the steep drops near the dam,also had a few missed hits on a red worm but no hook-ups. Largest bass that PM was about 2#.
Most bites occured after 4PM and in about 10-15ft depth. Water clarity less than a foot and cold. Air temp was 62F by 5:45PM.
From: Wes |
San Carlos Lake Wed. Jul 16, 2008
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Wed. Jul 16, 2008 |
|
The bass, crappie and the catfishing is great rite now.
Many anglers I've bumped into have had excellent reports.
Crappie anglers trolling cranks in shad (deep-divers from 8-15') have been doing excellent.
The nitetime crappie fishing a lil slow lately but still producing good stringers.
Fishing plastics (texas, carolina, dropshotting)have produced bass from 2-4 lbs'ers. Even crankbaits in shad or craw colors are good baits.
Recent monsoon floods may have muddied the East end but the fishing should still be great.
From: Wes |
San Carlos Lake Thu. Jun 19, 2008
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Thu. Jun 19, 2008 |
|
I've been hammering the Largemouths on Main lake points after the morning and afternoon bites. Early in the AM have been targeting back coves with texas rigged worms and senkos. Not many in numbers but excellent in size (expect 3-4 lbs'ers for the norm even 5's).
The crappie should be excellent by now. Trolling and casting in about 15-20ft. I usually troll w/ 1/8 oz.-3/16th jig w/ or without minnow. JD, AR, yellows and BBC colored jigs have produced.
Nighttime bite has also been great, especially with the heat. Daytime temps. in the high 90's-100's. Hot.
From: Wes |
San Carlos Lake Fri. Jun 22, 2007
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Fri. Jun 22, 2007 |
|
| Fishing was great! Cought Crappie, Bass and Bluegill. I see more and more people fishing there in the evening and with the July 4 comming up it going to be crowded. Used Paddle Bugs, 2" Power Grub, 1/8 oz. Tiny-Trap, live worms, minows are all good to use. Heading out there on Saturday to catch more fish. Good Luck folks!!!
From: Stephen |
San Carlos Lake Wed. Dec 20, 2006
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Wed. Dec 20, 2006 |
|
| Had not fished the lake for several years, started going again in August and the fishing was great. It started to slack off a little this last trip but still managed to catch a few crappie and bass. During the months of Aug - Oct the bass were hitting on plastics and the crappie were hitting minnows. Caught our limit of bass and crappie each day. Hopefully the fishing stays good starting in Feb with the pre-spawn. Nov took a 2.6 lbs crappie.
From: AzDog |
San Carlos Lake Fri May 5 2006
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Fri May 5 2006 |
|
| yeah! shore fishing is worth it.As long as you have 4wd you'll be okay. This lake has a lot of coves. and good places to camp. Not a lot of trees.its a desert lake. good luck!!
From: Perry |
San Carlos Lake Mon May 1 2006
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Mon May 1 2006 |
|
| Thanks Perry I heard about the tanks. Is it worth it? (shore fishing) I have 4wd.
From: |
San Carlos Lake Mon May 1 2006
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Mon May 1 2006 |
|
| To ronmiranda1: I had no problem with theft of any kind, the best time for me to visit this lake is during the week mon.-thur. Good luck!!
From: Perry |
San Carlos Lake Mon Apr 24 2006
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Mon Apr 24 2006 |
|
| Going soon Wooried about theft.Let everyone know of status,if available.Never been before love to crappie fish. WHERE,WHEN,(shore fishing)Will monitor daily. THANX
From: ronmiranda1 |
San Carlos Lake Wed Apr 19 2006
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
Wed Apr 19 2006 |
|
I fished all day monday april 17th in high winds. I caught 7 nice crappie about 2lbs. each
and 4 small bass, and 1 catfish.
I believe it can only get better.
From: Al perry |
San Carlos Lake 5/2/2005
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
5/2/2005 |
|
| Anybody fish this last weekend?
From: Tommy |
San Carlos Lake 4/27/2005
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
4/27/2005 |
|
| Fished from 8-3 caught I crappie and 2 small bass. Water was 76 but no bites. Do you think they have spawn already in deep water or do you think they are just late beause of high water?
From: Billy |
San Carlos Lake 4/21/2005
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
4/21/2005 |
|
| Fished most of the day in high winds, caught 2 small bass on white 1/8th oncne jigs. no crappie but still a week or two away from the big bite
From: Doug |
San Carlos Lake 4/20/2005
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
4/20/2005 |
|
| The Weather has been really really warm here at San Carlos. The water is expected to warm up after the 21st and crappie should start bitting. The Fish finder is showing lots and lots of crappie. No reports on bass yet. Lake is highest its been in a vary long time
From: kevin |
San Carlos Lake 4/19/2005
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
4/19/2005 |
|
| We have made three trips to San Carlos lake this past month. Two boats, eight poles, 3 days each. We have caught a dink or two most days. We are showing crappie on the sonar, but NO bite. Does anyone one know what's going on? Everyone, we talked to, is haveing the same luck.
From: John Makin |
San Carlos Lake 4/20/2005
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
4/20/2005 |
|
| After experiencing bad fishing at Roosevelt on Sat. we decided to try San Carlos. Got there Sun. afternoon and fished until about 10:00 pm. catching a couple of crappie. Next morning we caught a couple more. Spent a couple of hours fishing for bass without a bite. No one else on the lake caught a bass to my knowlege either. Perhaps they all died when the lake was so low? Graph did show many crappie but they just wouldn't bite anything.
From: Steve Banbury |
San Carlos Lake 4/16/2005
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
4/16/2005 |
|
| Fished from morning until dark. 1 three pound catfish. No crappie, no Bass.
From: Tommy |
San Carlos Lake 4/15 4/16/4/17
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
4/15 4/16/4/17 |
|
| Not one crappie
From: Tom |
San Carlos Lake April 02 2005
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
April 02 2005 |
|
| On top of not catching many fish, I had my pick-up broken into while I was out fishing. Lost my wifes purse with 275.00, all credit cards, fishing gear, tapes. I reported it to the San Carlos Police, and they acted like it wasnt important to them. Beware.
From: Ron Rhoten |
San Carlos Lake 4/4/2005
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
4/4/2005 |
|
Spent four days fishing not one crappie
water too cold
From: Thomas Wa;ldrop |
San Carlos Lake 3/17/2005
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
3/17/2005 |
|
Fished San Carlos on Mon. 3/7/2005. I have never seen it as high before. Water was very cool, so was the fishing. Caught 4 fish and only one was a crappie. I would like to hear from anyone with info about the current fishing and conditions before I return on 3/28. My e-mail is javiera465@aol.com. Thanks
From: Javier |
San Carlos Lake 3/17/1995
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
3/17/1995 |
|
| Fished San Carlos on thursday from 0900 until 1600, with two boats and four people. Used minnows for crapie and had zero fish and zero bights. Water temp from fish finder said 64 F at noon. The wind started blowing and HOH temp fell to 54 F back in the coves.
From: Alton |
San Carlos Lake
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
|
|
| havn't heard anything in the news regarding this, and fishing reports really isnt the place to post this kind of information. if you could post some more details and possibly some links in the forum it would be appreciated. I searched all the local news media and didn't find anything to corroberate this report of and "gangs" robbing people.
From: VIVIsectI |
San Carlos Lake 2/9/2005
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
2/9/2005 |
|
| LISTEN UP!!!!! Fishing may become fantastic here shortly but if you haven't heard - - There are 4 different indian "gangs" making runs at the lake. They are trying to track them down but no luck yet. They'll come into your camp with or without anyone there and take whatever they can get their hands on. Including CASH and JEWELRY !! They are doing so by the size of the gangs. Not a good place to go until they get ahold of these 4 groups of bozos.
From: D D |
San Carlos Lake 1/1/2005
Rating: 15 out
of 10 |
1/1/2005 |
|
| You can get San Carlos permits in Safford, if you are coming from Tucson - or in Globe if coming from Phoenix. Not a problem.
From: KFMM-FM 99.1 |
San Carlos Lake 8/27/2004
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
8/27/2004 |
|
| The water is brown all over. How ever I did catch a 16lb flathead cat off new govt. Other than that its not worth the travel or money from tucson.
From: Jordan |
San Carlos Lake 3/8/2004
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
3/8/2004 |
|
| man soon as we arrived, my buddy hung a 2 and a half pound crappie, we docked the boat @ blue cove and pulled in roughly a little over 200 crappies. it was four of us and we each caught at least 75 fish per person, we did a killing. i was scaling fish for days, but it was very well worth the overnite trip. we used nothing but live minnows
From: deon |
San Carlos Lake 4/1/2004
Rating: 5 out
of 10 |
4/1/2004 |
|
| Is there any place in tucson to get san carlos permits, also is shore fishing any good there, if so any recommendations on areas of lake.
From: William C |
|
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