Fishing Vacations at Roosevelt Lake, Arizona 

Far from being just a dry and thirsty desert, Arizona is home to more than 400 bodies of water suitable for fishing and camping. In this state, you can choose between fishing in hot or cold water, and find a place where the fish are biting at any time of the year. In this regard, Roosevelt Lake will not disappoint you! Tonto National Forest hosts one of the most famous lakes in the state, Roosevelt Lake. A gem, especially when it comes to bass fishing in Arizona.

The lake is known for its 20,000 acres of warm waters and vegetation cover that allow the bass population to thrive. The lake is the third largest water reservoir in Arizona, which is formed by the Theodore Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River. Built in 1911, this reservoir is the oldest in the state.  Its named after President Theodore Roosevelt, who played a major role in the construction of this lake. When it comes to the common features of the lake - largemouth and smallmouth bass are the ones which are most popular amongst the anglers. The lake is open all year round for fishing, and that’s good news for sport fishing lovers.

Beware, the water fluctuations in this lake are frequent, so you should be careful while enjoying water activities!

Fishing Roosevelt Lake requires you to have a license if you are above 10 years of age. Its issued by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Various types of licenses are available for the Arizona residents and non-residents.

Roosevelt Lake Fishing

Roosevelt Lake offers many possibilities, providing you with the ultimate fishing experience. The nutrient-rich vegetation of the lake helps to produce largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white bass, striped bass, catfish, and bluegill.

The lake is famous for producing a large number of bass. Most people come to the lake to catch bass. The best time to fish in this lake is late winter and early spring when large sized bass move to the spawning flats. In March, the spawning season is at its peak. During this time, the anglers prefer to use bait that is made from rigged worms, and soft plastic, as well Texas-rigs. However, in the summer season, the best baits are: Carolina rigs, heavy jigs, and deep-running crankbaits.

During fall, the bass often returns to the shallow water. Most fishermen find success while fishing in this area for largemouth bass.  Then, anglers use spinner baits and crankbaits. During summer, the peak time is morning and evening at the deep areas and shoreline. For largemouth bass, anglers mostly choose both artificial and live nightcrawlers and spinner baits.

Smallmouth bass is another popular fish species found in the waters of Roosevelt Lake. During the day time, smallmouth can be found under the covers in water. While during morning and evening time, they move to the shorelines.

During the spring season, white bass move to shallow water to spawn, which provides a great opportunity for the anglers to catch them. Bait that are effective for white bass include: minnows, silver spoons (silver, white, yellow or chartreuse), and slabs. The surface lure can also be used, but usually, the fish is caught on slabs, live gizzard shad, and plastic shad. 

For catfish and shovelhead which are 11- to 24-inch range, the trotline area in the upper lake is good. From July to September, using large suckers, night crawlers, shrimp, and chicken liver -the anglers catch a fairly large number of shovelhead and catfish.

Anglers can try their luck in the areas of rip-rap and rocky shores during late spring and early summer. At this time, the effective baits will be: cut bait, sunfish, shad gizzards, blood bait, large minnows, and shrimp. When the fish migrate downstream to the main pool area in spring, you should choose live gizzard shad. Anglers do not hook catfish by rod and reel but usually by trotlining, with live sunfish as bait.

Roosevelt Lake Lodging and Amenities

Boating, swimming, jet skiing, and water skiing are featured, which makes the lake a favorite recreation spot. The lake features many marinas and boat rentals, which offer: sailboats, bass boats, pontoons, and other boats are available for all sort of pleasure.

Amenities such as restrooms, showers, and first aid stations are provided.

The Roosevelt Lake  area provides hotels and cabins to behold the nice views of Roosevelt Lake. The cabins are located in beautiful areas where you can fully enjoy the beautiful evenings. Restaurants and motels are located in the nearby areas.

Other Attractions At Roosevelt Lake

Grapevine, Schoolhouse, Cholla, Indian Point, Cholla Bay, and Bachelor Cove are popular camping sites which provide excellent camping opportunities. 

The Vineyard Canyon area has short trails known as the Vineyard Trails, which lead to the rocky lake shore. It is the only maintained trail along the shoreline. Apache Trail Route has some of the the most scenic views in Arizona, especially in the summer season. You can behold the beauty of this lake from the heights while walking or hiking on the trail. 

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