Carnero Lake

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Carnero Lake

Apache County, AZ - Near Eager/Springerville - A shallow lake with a brief and colorful history, Carnero Lake can grow some big fish. Built in 1979, the lake quickly became popular with anglers, to the dismay of downstream water users. Because of the dispute, the Arizona Game and Fish discontinued stocking for many years. In 1999, the Arizona Game and Fish has acquired a major share of the water rights, setting the stage for a new and vigorous trout fishery.

Carnero Lake is located at 9,033 feet (2,753 m) on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. Due to snow and ice, these roads are typically closed from mid-November to mid-April.

Carnero Lake is a shallow 65-acre (26 ha) headwater impoundment of Carnero Creek. It has a maximum depth of ten feet. It's quite weedy, which is problematic for fishing, but is also an indicator of a highly productive lake. It's stocked with subcatchable and catchable-sized rainbow trout in the spring. Because it's at high elevation and shallow, it's subject to periodic winter kills.

Fish species include Rainbow Trout.