Canyon Lake (Arizona) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Canyon Lake
View from the Boulder Canyon Trail
Canyon Lake Location in Arizona Show map of Arizona Canyon Lake Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Maricopa County, Arizona
Coordinates	33°32′37″N 111°26′12″W / 33.54361°N 111.43667°W / 33.54361; -111.43667
Lake type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Salt River
Primary outflows	Salt River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	950 acres (380 ha)
Average depth	130 ft (40 m)
Surface elevation	1,660 ft (510 m)

Canyon Lake is a beautiful lake in Arizona, a state in the United States. It's actually one of four large reservoirs, which are like big artificial lakes. These lakes were created by building dams on the Salt River.

The lake was formed when the Mormon Flat Dam was finished in 1925. It took two years to build this dam. Canyon Lake covers about 950 acres (380 ha) of water. It is the third and smallest of the four lakes along the Salt River. Two other lakes, Apache Lake and Roosevelt Lake, are located upstream (further up the river). The fourth lake, Saguaro Lake, is downstream (further down the river).

Canyon Lake is located about 15 miles (24 km) from Apache Junction, Arizona. It's also about 51 miles (82 km) east of Phoenix, a major city. The lake is inside the Superstition Wilderness area, which is part of the Tonto National Forest. It's a very popular spot for people from the Phoenix metropolitan area to visit and have fun.

Fun Things to Do at Canyon Lake

Canyon Lake offers many exciting activities. You can go hiking on trails, enjoy camping under the stars, or go boating on the water. The United States Forest Service helps manage all these fun things to do. Canyon Lake is also a popular stop if you're driving along the scenic Apache Trail route. This route goes from Apache Junction, Arizona, through Tortilla Flat, Arizona, and then leads to Apache Lake and Roosevelt Lake.

Fish You Might Find in Canyon Lake

Canyon Lake is home to many different kinds of fish. If you enjoy fishing, you might catch some of these:

• Rainbow Trout
• Largemouth Bass
• Smallmouth Bass
• Yellow Bass
• Crappie
• Sunfish
• Catfish (Channel)
• Walleye
• Carp

Gallery

Panoramic photo of Canyon Lake (Arizona).

Canyon Lake at Sunset

Canyon Lake at dusk

Images for kids

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  Canyon Lake as seen from Canyon Lake Vista on the Apache Trail (Arizona State Route 88)

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  The Dolly Steamboat

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  ...and just after sunset.