Bear Canyon Lake
Coconino County, Arizona65 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- 16 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Bear Canyon Lake in Coconino County, Arizona is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 65 acres.
- Max depth
- ~16 ft est.
- Area
- 65 acres
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Bear Canyon Lake’s letter
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Why Bear Canyon Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Bear Canyon Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by ADEQ and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Bear Canyon Lake is a 65-acre lake in Coconino County, Arizona with an estimated average depth of about 16 feet. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2025-11-07. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Bear Canyon Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Bear Canyon Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples |
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 65 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Arizona has not published bathymetry for Bear Canyon Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Bear Canyon LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Bear Canyon Lake
- Promontory Pit Road2.8 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fishing Bear Canyon Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.204 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -7.9 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Bear Canyon Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Bear Canyon (completed 1929), built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the Bear Creek; earth-type dam, 50 ft tall and 345 ft long.
- Surface area
- 65 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,430 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,638 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- ARIZONA GAME & FISH DEPARTMENT
All listed purposes: Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AZ00130 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Coconino County
Frequently asked questions about Bear Canyon Lake
Where is Bear Canyon Lake?
- Bear Canyon Lake is a lake in Coconino County, Arizona. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Bear Canyon Lake?
- Bear Canyon Lake in Coconino County, Arizona is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Surface area: 65 acres.
Is Bear Canyon Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Bear Canyon Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Bear Canyon Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 16 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 65 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Bear Canyon Lake?
- Bear Canyon Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bear Canyon Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Bear Canyon Lake?
- Bear Canyon Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Promontory Pit Road. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
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Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Great Lakes Environmental Center
GLEC7 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 300.0 ~ EPA; Determination of Inorganic Anions by Ion Chromatography
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles