Things to do nearSaguaro Lake

Saguaro Lake is one of four reservoirs along the Salt River chain in Arizona, created by Stewart Mountain Dam and completed in 1930. Sitting within the vast Tonto National Forest, the lake covers roughly 1,265 acres and reaches depths of around 90 feet, making it one of the more substantial bodies of water in the Sonoran Desert.

On the water, visitors can rent kayaks, personal watercraft, and motorboats from the Saguaro Lake Marina. The warm, clear conditions make it a natural draw for swimming, wakeboarding, and boat tours through the narrow canyon passages. Anglers target largemouth and striped bass, catfish, and crappie year-round.

The surrounding cliffs and desert slopes are home to bighorn sheep, osprey, and bald eagles, giving the lake a genuine wildlife-watching dimension that few urban-fringe reservoirs can match. Hiking trails along the shoreline offer elevated perspectives of the water and the canyon. Nearby, Canyon Lake provides another scenic alternative for a multi-lake day trip.

Saguaro Lake earns its reputation as one of the Phoenix area's most spectacular natural escapes, combining desert grandeur with genuine on-water recreation.