Canyon Lake is closed. Tonto National Forest shut the lake, marina, ramps, day-use sites and Tortilla Campground on September 8, 2026, ahead of a Salt River Project drawdown that began September 16. SRP and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation lower the lake about once every 20 years to service the submerged parts of Mormon Flat and Horse Mesa dams; this time the water is dropping roughly 54 feet. SRP expects about 16 weeks of work and warns repairs could delay reopening, and the closure order runs through February 28, 2027, unless rescinded sooner.
Mormon Flat Dam, a 224-foot concrete thin-arch structure built from 1923 to 1926, was the first of SRP’s three 1920s hydroelectric dams on the lower Salt; it is named for a spot where Utah pioneers camped on their way to the Valley. Behind it, about 950 acres of water wind between red rock cliffs some 50 miles east of Phoenix. A pumped-storage unit added in 1971 lets SRP recycle water through the dam, which the utility says keeps lake levels relatively constant.
AZGFD describes the lake in terms of towering rock walls and lunker largemouth bass, and the record book agrees: Arizona’s state-record largemouth, 16 pounds 7.68 ounces, was caught here in April 1997, and the state-record yellow bass, 2 pounds 2.56 ounces, in February 2020. The Forest Service’s lake page also says AZGFD stocks rainbow trout monthly from November through March in normal years.
Lake notes updated October 6, 2026No recent official weeks are listed for Canyon Lake right now. AZGFD may still add this water in a later schedule.
No stocking activity found for this period.
Canyon Lake lies on State Route 88, the Apache Trail. From Mesa, the Forest Service routes drivers along U.S. 60 to the Idaho Road exit (#196) and north on SR 88, a paved but often congested road. During the drawdown SR 88 stays open, but the closure covers the lake, the exposed lakebed, the Acacia, Palo Verde, Boulder and Laguna sites, Canyon Lake Marina, Tortilla Campground and Forest Road 80, to protect the public from unstable shoreline and lakebed conditions.
Once the lake reopens, expect the usual layout: shoreline day-use sites, motorized launches at Laguna and Palo Verde, a floating fishing pier at Boulder Recreation Site, boat-access camping at The Point, and marina and campground services at Canyon Lake Marina. Boating requires a Tonto Daily Pass with a Watercraft Sticker or a Tonto Discovery Pass; America the Beautiful passes count only at picnic sites. Traffic moves counterclockwise, glass is banned, and the lake often hits boating capacity early on weekends and holidays from April through October.
No access to the water or lakebed while SRP lowers, inspects and refills the lake. Watch Tonto National Forest alerts and SRP’s drawdown page for a reopening announcement.
The Forest Service says AZGFD stocks rainbow trout monthly during these months. Whether stocking resumes after the refill is up to AZGFD, so confirm on the statewide stocking schedule.
The state-record largemouth came from Canyon in April 1997, a reminder that the lake’s biggest bass are catchable in spring. Weekend boat traffic builds once the April-October peak season begins.
Fish early and late, when AZGFD’s recommended bass presentations work best and before ramps fill.
When the lake is open, statewide regulations apply with two Canyon Lake exceptions in AZGFD’s 2025-26 booklet: a 15-crappie daily limit, and a 5-catfish limit for fish taken by bow and arrow (10 by other legal methods). Fishing is closed in posted areas immediately below Horse Mesa Dam. Canyon appears in the booklet’s fish consumption advisory table (check azdeq.gov/fca for affected species) and on AZGFD’s list of quagga mussel and golden algae waters, so clean, drain and dry watercraft. Anglers 10 and older need an Arizona fishing license, plus a Tonto pass for launching.
No. Tonto National Forest closed the lake and all its recreation sites on September 8, 2026, for SRP’s drawdown. SR 88 remains open, but the lake and lakebed are off-limits.
No reopening date had been announced as of early October 2026. SRP estimates the project at about 16 weeks from September 16 and says it could run longer, and the Forest Service closure order is written through February 28, 2027, unless rescinded sooner.
Arizona’s state-record largemouth bass, 16 pounds 7.68 ounces, caught in April 1997, according to AZGFD’s record list.
Yes, once it reopens. Boating requires a Tonto Daily Pass with a Watercraft Sticker or a Tonto Discovery Pass.
Dates are AZGFD stocking weeks, not guaranteed plant days. How this data is sourced