Depth is what separates Red Mountain Lake from most Valley park waters. AZGFD lists the 8-acre lake at Red Mountain Park in northeast Mesa with a maximum depth of 17 feet. Encanto Lake in Phoenix, nearly the same size at 7.5 acres, bottoms out at 10. That extra water column gives stocked fish room to suspend and changes how the lake should be fished.
The lake also holds a place in the state record book. On April 2, 2019, Dennis Gleason of Mesa landed a white amur here that weighed 61 pounds, 1.92 ounces and measured 60 inches, and AZGFD still lists it as Arizona's inland hook-and-line record for the species. White amur, also called grass carp, are sterile fish that lake managers stock to control aquatic weeds; AZGFD calls them underwater lawnmowers.
There is a less welcome distinction too. AZGFD reported quagga mussels in Red Mountain Lake in 2012, and the current regulations list it as affected by both quagga mussels and apple snails, alongside big reservoirs such as Lake Pleasant and Saguaro Lake. Stocking otherwise follows the metro pattern of catfish in fall and spring and trout in winter.
Lake notes updated October 6, 2026No recent official weeks are listed for Red Mountain Lake right now. AZGFD may still add this water in a later schedule.
No stocking activity found for this period.
Mesa describes the fishing lake as south of Brown Road and east of Power Road. Use 7745 E. Brown Rd. for navigation, since the park's ballfield complexes have their own Brown Road addresses.
City-listed features include restrooms, picnic tables, BBQ grills, ramadas, a shaded playground, lighted courts, a disc golf course and an unpaved walking path. AZGFD rules prohibit swimming, wading, glass containers and distilled spirits, and boating is not allowed, so all fishing is from shore. A "Know Before You Go" virtual tour linked from the city page helps visitors preview the grounds before arriving with a wheelchair or stroller.
Channel catfish are stocked about every other week once the summer hiatus ends. New fish tend to cruise the edges for a few days before moving deeper.
Rainbow trout take over. The 17-foot depth means trout are not confined to the top few feet, so on bright, calm days they can hold well below the depth a standard bobber rig covers.
Catfish stockings pick back up, and AZGFD adds one bluegill stocking each spring. The deeper basin stays cooler longer than shallow park ponds, which can stretch the trout bite a bit further into the season.
AZGFD does not stock community waters during this window because of extreme heat. Holdover catfish, bass and sunfish remain; with a 10 p.m. closing, the hours after sunset are the most comfortable time to fish.
Red Mountain is a community Lake, with daily limits of 4 catfish, 4 trout, 2 bass (13-inch minimum), 10 sunfish and 1 white amur (30-inch minimum); statewide limits apply to other species. When you reach the limit for a species, you must stop fishing for it. Anglers 10 and older need a valid Arizona fishing or combination hunt and fish license; children under 10 fish free. Because the lake is listed for aquatic invasive species, take extra care to clean, drain and dry all equipment that leaves the lake. Check AZGFD for current rules.
Yes. AZGFD's inland hook-and-line record is a 61 lb 1.92 oz, 60-inch white amur caught at Red Mountain Park by Dennis Gleason of Mesa on April 2, 2019.
Quagga mussels were found here in 2012, and apple snails are also listed. AZGFD asks anglers to remove mud and plants and to clean, drain and dry gear before using it at another water so the species do not spread.
No. AZGFD rules for Red Mountain Lake state that boating is not allowed, so all fishing is from shore.
Dates are AZGFD stocking weeks, not guaranteed plant days. How this data is sourced