By Dillon Luera · Updated
The Phoenix area has more stocked catfish water than any other part of Arizona. AZGFD's Community Fishing page counts 29 program waters in the Phoenix area, almost all of them in city parks with parking and bank access, and channel catfish go into them every spring and fall. They are not interchangeable, though. A 13-acre lake that stays open until midnight fishes very differently from a 2.5-acre pond that closes at 10 p.m., and the bag limit is cut in half at waters designated as ponds. Below is a side-by-side look at seven Valley community waters, using the size, depth, hours, and amenities published by AZGFD and the cities that run the parks.
Four things matter most for catfish. Size spreads out fishing pressure, so stocked fish last longer on bigger water. Depth gives catfish somewhere cooler to sit on hot afternoons; AZGFD advises fishing the deepest spots during the day and shallower areas after dark. Park hours decide whether you can fish the evening bite at all. And the lake-or-pond designation sets your limit: AZGFD's regulations allow 4 catfish a day at community lakes and 2 at community ponds.
Shade and amenities matter more than people expect in the Valley. Restrooms, ramadas, and playgrounds make it practical to bring kids, and a shaded bank can be the difference between a two-hour session and a twenty-minute one on a warm spring afternoon.
AZGFD lists Kiwanis Lake at 13 acres with a maximum depth of 8 feet. It sits inside Kiwanis Park, which is open 6 a.m. to midnight. That late closing time makes it one of the few Valley community waters where you can keep fishing well after dark. AZGFD's listing for the park includes seasonal paddleboat rentals, a recreation center with a wave pool, sports fields, a playground, and group ramadas.
The trade-off is depth. With 8 feet at its deepest, Kiwanis does not have much deep water for catfish to drop into on hot days, so daytime sessions are best kept to the mornings. Boating requires a City of Tempe annual permit, gas and electric motors are prohibited, and boats are allowed only between sunrise and sunset, according to AZGFD.
Red Mountain Lake in northeast Mesa covers 8 acres and reaches 17 feet, according to AZGFD, making it the deepest water in this comparison. Park hours are sunrise to 10 p.m. AZGFD's page says boating is not allowed and that pets are not allowed in the park, and lists a multigenerational center, walking trail, sports fields, playground, and group ramadas.
That depth is the main draw for catfish. When the surface warms up, fish have more room to sink into cooler water, and a bait fished toward the deeper sections can keep producing later into the morning than at shallower lakes. For East Valley anglers, Red Mountain is often the first water worth trying.
Encanto Lake is in Encanto Park near downtown Phoenix. AZGFD lists it at 7.5 acres with a maximum depth of 10 feet, and the park is open 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., the earliest opening time of the waters here. Amenities listed by AZGFD include the Enchanted Island amusement park, seasonal paddleboat rentals, a swimming pool, ball courts, and a playground.
Private boats are not allowed, and AZGFD notes that fishing from the golf course is prohibited where posted. Encanto suits central Phoenix anglers who want a long evening of fishing close to home, but it is also a busy family park, so expect company on weekends.
Desert Breeze Lake is 4 acres with a maximum depth of 12 feet, and its park is open 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. AZGFD's listing highlights large shade trees, a splash park, walking trails, a playground, and carousel and train rides, which makes it one of the easiest Southeast Valley waters to fish with young kids.
It is designated a lake, so the 4-catfish limit applies. Twelve feet of depth on a 4-acre lake gives catfish a refuge without making the water hard to read, and the shade trees help on warm spring and fall afternoons.
Riverview Lake is only 3 acres, but AZGFD lists a maximum depth of 16 feet. It sits in Riverview Park, which AZGFD notes has sports fields, a playground, and group ramadas. Hours are sunrise to 10 p.m., and boating is not allowed.
Because it is officially a lake, the 4-catfish limit applies despite the small surface area. Small water concentrates both fish and anglers, so the days right after a stocking are the window to aim for here.
Two central Phoenix options are designated ponds, so the daily limit is 2 catfish instead of 4. Steele Indian School Park Pond is 2.5 acres with a maximum depth of 12 feet, inside a 72-acre park that the City of Phoenix describes as having mature shade trees; hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Papago Ponds is three separate ponds totaling 6 acres, the deepest reaching 11 feet, next to the Phoenix Zoo and Hole-in-the-Rock.
Papago's hours are its main drawback for catfish. AZGFD lists the ponds as open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the City of Phoenix also lists 7 p.m. closing times for park areas, so evening sessions end around sunset or earlier for much of the year. Treat it as a morning catfish spot.
For after-dark catfishing, Kiwanis (midnight) and Encanto (11 p.m.) give you the longest evenings. For deep water on hot days, Red Mountain and Riverview stand out. For shade with kids, Desert Breeze and Steele Indian School are strong picks. For the larger 4-fish limit, stick with waters designated as lakes.
Whichever you pick, check the community stocking schedule for the current week, line up a backup water nearby, and confirm hours on the city's website, since posted hours can change. Tempe Town Lake, at 224 acres according to AZGFD, is also a Community Fishing water if you want far more room, though on water that size you have to work harder to find the fish.
Among the waters compared here, AZGFD lists Kiwanis Lake in Tempe as open until midnight and Encanto Lake in Phoenix until 11 p.m. Tempe Town Lake is also listed as open until midnight. Confirm posted hours before you go.
AZGFD designates each community water as either a lake or a pond. Ponds, such as Steele Indian School Park Pond and Papago Ponds, have daily bag limits half those of lakes, so the catfish limit is 2 instead of 4.
It depends on the park. Kiwanis Lake allows boating with a City of Tempe permit, while AZGFD lists boating as not allowed at Red Mountain, Riverview, Steele Indian School, and Papago, and private boats are not allowed at Encanto.
In spring and fall. AZGFD has said low-elevation waters are stocked through May, nothing goes into community waters from June 25 to September 15, and fall stockings resume once the water cools.
Dates are AZGFD stocking weeks, not guaranteed plant days. How this data is sourced