Woods Canyon Lake, AZ

Woods Canyon Lake is a small and moderately deep lake (average depth of 25 ft) located in northern Arizona, about 30 mi (48 km) east of the city of Payson. It is one in a series of small, canyon-bound lakes located on the Mogollon Rim, collectively referred to as the Rim Lakes. It is among the more developed and accessible of the Rim Lakes. It is also the first reservoir on Chevelon Creek, formed by an earthen dam upstream from Chevelon Canyon Lake and created primarily for recreational purposes.

The lake is accessed via paved forest roads that are open most of the year, although access may be restricted due to snow during winter months from December to April. During the summer months the lake is regularly stocked with rainbow trout, and brown trout can also be found in the lake.  The lake is well developed, having numerous maintained campsites, facilities for recreational vehicles, and access for boats on the lake. The facilities are maintained by Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest division of the USDA Forest Service.

Woods Canyon Lake has no permanent inflow; however, it receives adequate winter snowpack to fill the lake every year.