Canyon Lake is the third in a chain of four lakes created by damming up the flow of the river. Two others, Apache Lake and Roosevelt Lake are upstream. The fourth is Saguaro Lake downstream.

Palo Verde, Mesquite, Acacia and Ironwood, Prickly Pear and Saguaro. Brittlebrush and Hedgehog Cactus fill the country-side around the lake.

Tortilla Creek and Boulder Creek flow into the Lake. The creeks can be raging white-water torrents after major storms. The main source of the Lake's water is from the Salt River, which drains thousands of square miles of mountain watershed in eastern and central Arizona.

Created by the Morman Dam built in 1923-25.

Directions

Distance from Tucson: 3.5 hours
Distance from Phoenix: 1 hour

Highway 60 to Apache Junction, turn North on Idaho Rd. to "The Apache Trail" Highway 88, travel 16 miles NE on the paved Apache Trail; just past the second one lane bridge, turn left into the Canyon Lake Marina parking lot or right into the shore fishing area.

Canyon Lake is home to 6 species of fish:
Bluegill - Catfish - Crappie - Largemouth Bass - Rainbow Trout - Walleye