Rose Canyon Lake
Pima County, Arizona7 acresView mapDirections
ADEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Rose Canyon Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Limited data
Rose Canyon Lake in Pima County, Arizona has water-quality measurements published by ADEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 51 µg/L. Surface area: 7.3 acres.
Rose Canyon Lake is a 7-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Pima County, Arizona. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Pima County, Rose Canyon Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2026-04-03. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Rose Canyon Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping8 public campgrounds nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Rose Canyon Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Rose Canyon Lake
These are the measurements ADEQ publishes for Rose Canyon Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 51 µg/L. TSI 62.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 51µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 62 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Rose Canyon Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
7 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Rose Canyon Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Rose Canyon Lake
- Rose Canyon0.9 km
- Showers Point2.4 km
- Showers Point Group Site2.5 kmReserve
- Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin2.5 kmReserve
- General Hitchcock2.7 km
- Whitetail Group3.3 km
- Whitetail Campground3.3 kmReserve
- Spencer Canyon4.2 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
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Rose Canyon Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Rose Canyon Lake in Pima County, Arizona — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Rose Canyon Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Arizona’s top lakes →
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Fishing Rose Canyon Lake
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2014–2025). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Phosphorus
Stable-1.2 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Rose Canyon Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lower Rose Canyon (completed 1958), built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the Sycamore Creek - Tr; gravity-type dam, 45 ft tall and 188 ft long.
- Surface area
- 7.3 ac
- Normal storage
- 117 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 145 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.78 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- ARIZONA GAME & FISH DEPARTMENT
All listed purposes: Fish and Wildlife Pond;Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AZ00132 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.05 km)
Nearby Lakes in Pima County
Frequently asked questions about Rose Canyon Lake
Where is Rose Canyon Lake?
- Rose Canyon Lake is a lake in Pima County, Arizona. Its water-quality measurements are published by ADEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Rose Canyon Lake?
- Rose Canyon Lake in Pima County, Arizona has water-quality measurements published by ADEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 51 µg/L. Surface area: 7.3 acres.
Is Rose Canyon Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there campgrounds on Rose Canyon Lake?
- Rose Canyon Lake has 8 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Rose Canyon, Showers Point, Showers Point Group Site, Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin. 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.
Explore Rose Canyon Lake across LakeQuality
2 thermal springs within 7.4 mi, nearest Mercer Spring
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Arizona's top lakes, each with its readings
Arizona's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
Planning a trip around Saguaro?
Rose Canyon Lake is about 13 miles from Saguaro National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Saguaro →More lakes in Arizona
Other Lakes in Arizona
Eutrophic Lakes in Arizona
Where this data comes from
12 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2022–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Great Lakes Environmental Center
GLEC10 samples · 2022–2026 - AZDEQ_SW
AZDEQ_SW2 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 300.0 ~ EPA; Determination of Inorganic Anions by Ion Chromatography
- EPA 365.1
- FIELD
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles