Willow Springs Lake on the Mogollon Rim in Arizona

Willow Springs Lake is a cold water

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

located on top of the

Mogollon Rim The Mogollon Rim ( or or ) is a topographical and geological feature cutting across the northern half of the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately , starting in northern Yavapai County and running eastward, ending near the border ...

in northern

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, about east of the city of Payson in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, immediately adjacent to SR 260. It is a

canyon A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...

-bound lake located on the

, and is part of the collectivity known as the Rim Lakes. It can be found upstream from

Chevelon Canyon Lake Chevelon Canyon Lake is a small reservoir located in northern Arizona, about northwest of the town of Heber, Arizona, Heber. It is one in a series of small, canyon-bound lakes located on the Mogollon Rim, collectively referred to as the Rim L ...

. The facilities are maintained by Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests division of the

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

Forest Service.

Description

In 1967, the

Arizona Game and Fish Department The Arizona Game and Fish Department is a state agency of Arizona, headquartered in Phoenix. The agency is tasked with conserving, enhancing, and restoring Arizona's diverse wildlife resources and habitats through protection and management progra ...

created Willow Springs Lake in order to provide water based recreational opportunities for the public. Willow Springs Lake is small and moderately deep with an average depth of and a surface area of . Boat motors are restricted to electric or 10 hp or less gas motors. From April through September the lake is regularly stocked with

rainbow trout The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...

and

tiger trout The tiger trout (''Salmo trutta'' × ''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a sterile, intergeneric hybrid of the brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') and the brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis''). Pronounced vermiculations in the fish's patterning gave rise ...

. Self-sustaining

largemouth bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus salmoides'') is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae ( sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, but ...

fathead minnow Fathead minnow (''Pimephales promelas''), also known as fathead or tuffy, is a species of temperate freshwater fish belonging to the genus ''Pimephales'' of the cyprinid family. The natural geographic range extends throughout much of North Ameri ...

s, smallmouth bass,

crayfish Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the clade Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. In some locations, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, rock lobsters, mu ...

, and

green sunfish The green sunfish (''Lepomis cyanellus'') is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. A panfish popular with anglers, the green sunfish is also kept as an aquarium fish by hobbyists. They are us ...

can also be found in the lake.

Black crappie The black crappie (''Pomoxis nigromaculatus'') is a freshwater fish found in North America, one of the two types of crappies. It is very similar to the white crappie in size, shape, and habits, except that it is darker, with a pattern of black sp ...

has been reported.

Ice fishing Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishers may fish in the open or in heated enclosures, some with bunks and amenities. Shelters Longer ...

is possible on the lake for

fishermen A fisher or fisherman is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers. Fishers may be professional or recreat ...

during the winter months. According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, "Willow Springs Lake is one of the most visited lakes in the region, due in part to its proximity to the Phoenix area and cool temperatures". Willow Springs Lake, Arizona - paved boat ramp access

Willow Springs Lake, Arizona - paved boat ramp access

The lake is well developed, having 26 maintained campsites at ''Sinkhole Campground'', barrier-free toilets, two picnic

ramadas S. Ashwath Narayan Rao Ramadas is an Indian politician. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is a Member of the Legislative Assembly (India) from Krishnaraja constituency in Mysore, Karnataka. In the 2008 Karnataka assembly ...

, two boat benches, and paved boat ramp access located on the west side of the lake at the main access point. Willow Springs Lake is accessible via paved Forest Road 149 from April through November. From December through March, the lake freezes over and is inaccessible for vehicles. The lake can also be accessed via a dirt road to ''Sardine Point'' between the two arms of the lake, or by hiking to the upper ends of the two arms from SR 260. Willow Springs Lake has no permanent inflow, but receives enough snow melt every year to keep the lake full. The Arizona Game and Fish Department holds sole water rights to the lake. Unless spill-off occurs during the spring, no water is released downstream for irrigation or other uses. Most of the year, no spill occurs. When spill occurs, it drains down Willow Springs Canyon for 3.4 miles and merges with Woods Canyon to form Chevelon Creek. Chevelon Creek has seasonal water flow for 12.2 miles down to

Willow Springs Lake is a popular destination for kayaking

Fish species

Catchable-sized

and

are stock into Willow Springs lake from April through September. Illegally introduced smallmouth bass,

, and

reproduce in the lake as well.

Fathead minnow Fathead minnow (''Pimephales promelas''), also known as fathead or tuffy, is a species of temperate freshwater fish belonging to the genus ''Pimephales'' of the cyprinid family. The natural geographic range extends throughout much of North Ameri ...

s reproduce in the lake as well.

has been reported in the lake as well. Also

are abundant in the lake. Willow Springs Lake on the Mogollon Rim is also popular for fishing

References

External links

Arizona Fishing Locations Map

Arizona Boating Locations Facilities Map
{{authority control Reservoirs in Coconino County, Arizona Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Reservoirs in Arizona