Roosevelt Lake is and anglers’ nirvana where the
crappie spawns and record-setting flathead and channel catfish swim.
Roosevelt is a big lake; it’s the largest reservoir in the state
of Arizona. It has over 88 miles of shoreline and is the single most
popular water-based recreational area in the state. It mixes fishing
opportunities, as well as boating, jet and water skiing, camping and
hiking. The lake gets over a million visitors a year, but it isn’t
hard to understand why Roosevelt’s so popular.
Arizona fishing here is fantastic. The panfish and crappie start biting
here around February, and with over 10 million of them, anglers are
sure to bag their limit. Large and small mouth bass numbers continue
to increase as well. Roosevelt also acts as a rest area for migrating
waterfowl, with as many as 3000 wintering Canada geese flocking here
to feed on Bermuda grass.
Many visitors to this jewel of Arizona lakes come to see the Tonto National
Monument, the ruins of cliff dwelling constituting 25 individual rooms
hewn from natural caves overlooking the lake that were inhabited by
the Salado Indians in the 14th century.
