Fishing At Parker Canyon Lake Arizona.

This medium-sized 132 acre lake is located in rolling hill country surrounded by distant mountains. For those who like to fish, Parker Canyon Lake offers both cold and warm water species, including stocked rainbow trout and resident bass, sunfish, and catfish. To make landing those wily lunkers a bit easier, there is a fishing pier and a paved boat ramp at the lake, as well as a lakeside paved area and a graveled path along some of the best catfishing shoreline. There is also a concessionaire-operated country store at the lakeshore where you can pick up some last minute supplies, buy a fishing license, or rent a boat.

Bird watchers and just plain nature lovers will also find much to enjoy at Parker Canyon Lake. A five mile trail leads around the shoreline never getting more than a few steps from the water. The Parker Lakeshore Trail offers excellent vantage points from which to enjoy the ducks and other waterfowl that are invariably bobbing on the lake’s clear waters. Some of those points even have benches and interpretive signs. Bald eagles and osprey are regularly sighted in this area, as are spring warblers and hummingbirds in season. On the terrestrial side, Coues whitetail deer can frequently be seen browsing among the oaks and grasses that surround the lake and in the two campgrounds near its shores. Coatimundi, javelina, and roadrunners, three animals that are about as southwestern as you can get, make occasional appearances as well. - Coronado National Forest

Just two hours southeast of Tucson, Parker Canyon lake offers some of the most varied fishing in the region. It is also home to one of Arizona's biggest controversies. There is an ongoing debate whether to poison or temporarily drain the lake to remedy illegally introduced northern pike-a species allegedly chronically killing stocked trout. Public hearings were held in September 2000, in both Tucson and Sierra Bista, though no decision was rendered at the tim.

Patagonia Lake may be more popular, but anyone striving to lose the crowd and fish alone should know about Parker Canyon Lake, only a few miles farther southeast.

Parker Canyon lake was created in 1966 by the Coronado national Forest and the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Despite criticism, the government agencies smoothed the entire bottom of the lake to resemble a huge bowl, and as it turned out, the critics were right. For the first few years the fish didn't do too well from lack of suitable habitat. But the weeds and aquatic vegetation have finally taken hold, and the fishing is usually pretty good. -G.J. Sagi, from the essential travel handbook Fishing Arizona

Map of Parker Canyon Lake Arizona

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Directions to Parker Canyon Lake Arizona

25 miles southeast of Sonoita in the scenic Canelo Hills. From Tucson, travel east on Interstate 10 to State Route 83 (exit 281) and turn south 50 miles through Sonoita to Parker Canyon Lake.

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