Drive northeast of Phoenix and the desert opens into Arizona’s calmest canyon lake

One of the Salt River’s Quietest Lakes

You drive about 65 miles northeast of Phoenix into Tonto National Forest, and the desert breaks open into a canyon holding 17 miles of water.

Apache Lake ranks as the second largest of four lakes strung along the Salt River, but it never draws the crowds that pack Canyon Lake and Saguaro Lake.

Pink and gold canyon walls rise straight out of the water, and once you’re on it, you start to understand why people who know Arizona keep this one mostly to themselves.

The Dam That Built This Lake

Horse Mesa Dam went up in 1927, and once the concrete set, the Salt River backed up into the canyon you see today.

The dam stands 305 feet high and stretches 660 feet across, built by a crew of about 700 workers who lived in a camp complete with its own shops and a schoolhouse.

It ranks as the second of three power dams built on the lower Salt River during the 1920s, and it still turns out electricity now.

Where Anglers Pull Five-Pound Bass

You can pull largemouth and smallmouth bass right out of the rocky coves here, and the lake holds walleye, catfish, crappie and bluegill too.

Managers stock rainbow trout, and they bite best once the water cools down. Some anglers fish from boats, others paddle in on kayaks, and plenty just cast from shore.

Every so often, someone lands a bass over 5 pounds, the kind of catch that gets talked about for the rest of the trip.

Paddle Into Coves You Can’t Reach By Car

The calmest water sits tucked into small coves that work best for kayaks and canoes. Some of these inlets only open up if you paddle in, since no road or trail gets you there.

No-wake zones keep the surface smooth right where paddlers need it most.

Canyon walls rise straight out of the water as you glide along, and because so few people make the trip out here, you can paddle for long stretches without seeing another boat.

Cruise Below Cliffs Hundreds of Feet Tall

Motorized boats have the run of most of the open lake, and you can cruise for miles below canyon walls that catch the sun in shades of orange and gold.

Summer heats the water enough for water skiing and tubing behind the boat.

The lake narrows into tight passages before opening again into wide basins, and in some of those deeper stretches, the bottom drops more than 200 feet below your hull.

Cool Off in Clear Desert Water

Sandy patches and rocky ledges along the shore give you plenty of places to wade in and swim. The water runs clear, and after a summer drive through the desert, it feels like the best kind of relief.

Paddlers share the calmer coves with swimmers, so you’re not fighting for space.

The water stays warm enough through summer for long swims, and several shoreline spots have shade where you can set up a picnic afterward.

Fall Asleep to the Sound of Water

Some campsites sit close enough to the shore that the water is the last thing you hear before falling asleep.

Burnt Corral Campground has picnic tables, grills and restrooms, along with developed nonelectric sites that fit RVs.

If you want more room to yourself, other shoreline spots stay simple and primitive, tucked farther from the crowd.

Out here, far from any city, the nights turn dark enough to see every star and quiet enough to hear the water lapping at the rocks.

Watch Bighorn Sheep Climb Vertical Cliffs

Desert bighorn sheep work their way up the steep cliffs above the lake’s northern shore, and the best view of them comes from a boat looking straight up at the rock.

These animals move across near-vertical faces without a stumble, the kind of footing that looks impossible until you watch it happen.

A lot of the herd gathers near Goat Mountain, toward Horse Mesa Dam, and early morning gives you the best odds of spotting them out on the rock.

More Than 100 Bird Species Pass Through

Javelina, mule deer and coyotes move across the canyon floor below the cliffs, while bald eagles and ospreys hunt for fish out over the open water.

Great blue herons and hawks show up along the shore often enough that you start to expect them.

More than 100 bird species pass through the area over the course of a year, and if you time your visit for early morning or evening, you’ll catch the most activity.

Pink and Gold Walls Glow at Sunset

Low desert sun turns the canyon walls pink and gold, especially near sunrise and sunset when the light hits the rock and water at the same time.

Saguaro cactus dot the slopes above the shoreline the whole way through. Blue water against red rock makes for the kind of photo people stop paddling to take.

Follow the lake around one of its wide bends and the canyon opens into views that stretch on for a while.

Wildflowers Bloom After a Wet Winter

A wet winter sets up a good wildflower season, and by spring, color spreads across the canyon slopes above the water. Mild temperatures make spring a favorite time for a lot of visitors.

Blooming cactus join in along the shoreline, adding another layer to the display.

The cooler air also brings more birds and other wildlife into view, so you get the wildflowers and the wildlife watching in the same trip.

The Historic Road That Leads You Here

Apache Lake sits along the Apache Trail, State Route 88, one of the oldest and most scenic drives in Arizona. The road winds past overlook after overlook, each one opening up views that run for miles across the desert.

Along the way, the trail also connects Canyon Lake, Tortilla Flat and Roosevelt Lake, so you can turn one stop into a full day.

By the time the road drops through the rugged desert to the water, you’ll see why people still drive the whole route.

Visit Apache Lake, Arizona

You’ll find Apache Lake inside Tonto National Forest, about 65 miles northeast of Phoenix.

Apache Lake Marina is the only developed service point on the water, reached by State Route 88, the Apache Trail, which turns narrow, winding and partly unpaved for the final stretch. Check road conditions before you go.

You’ll need a Tonto Pass and a watercraft sticker to boat, plus an Arizona fishing license to fish. The lake stays open year-round, though levels can shift depending on the dam’s power operations.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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