Apache Lake is situated at an elevation of 1,900 feet in the Tonto National Forest, 60 miles northeast of Phoenix.

Part of the Salt River Chain, the lake has 2,568 surface acres, 17 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 253 feet. The United States Forest Service maintains the area but it's owned by the United States Air Force.

This deep canyon reservoir is one of Arizona's best smallmouth fisheries. The lake has relatively low fishing pressure due to it's distant location and also that it has a 20 mile dirt road to gain access.

Largemouth, smallmouth and yellow bass are available to the angler. Other species found in the lake are rainbow trout, crappie, sunfish, bluegill, channel and flathead catfish, walleye, bullhead, and carp.

The most direct route to Apache Lake is State road 88 out of Apache Junction, but this road is not for the faint of heart. It's a one hour trip and the last 20 miles of the trip are on an unpaved dirt road that winds along the steep mountain walls of the Superstition Mountains.

For more information, call (602) 467-2511.

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Recent Reports

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Name: Dan	Date: 2004-06-21
Location:	E-Mail:
Water Teamp: 80	Water Clarity: 2
Report: .It appears that most of the Bluegill are dead. My kids usually catch and release dozens a day. They caught none and saw none, other than a few dead ones. We also saw hundrededs of dead or dying shad. We caught no fish at all but spoke to a couple that had several bass that were all caught at a depth of 5 to 15 feet and all on purple 4 inch power worms. Game and Fish blames the fish kill on a rare algae that was made worse by the recent White Mountain fires sending ash down the Salt River. In 40 years this is the first time I have not seen a Bluegill at Apache Lake. I hope they return.
Tips: Fish off the bottom in 5 to 15 feet of water. Although the fishing is less than stellar the crawfish are abundant and easily caught day or night. Raw bacon or hot dogs work great tied to a string. My kids had a blast catching them.