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Updated August 2026

Biggest Lake in Arizona: Roosevelt Lake (21,493 acres)

Roosevelt Lake is Arizona's largest inland lake per the Salt River Project (SRP) — operator of Theodore Roosevelt Dam for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Below: 50 Arizona lakes ranked by surface area.

The largest lake in Arizona is Roosevelt Lake at 21,493 acres , in Gila and Maricopa County, according to the Salt River Project (SRP) — operator of Theodore Roosevelt Dam for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Lake Mead (Colorado River) is far larger but is shared with Nevada — the AZ–NV line runs through it (NPS: 157,418 acres). Lake Powell is also larger (~160,800 acres at full pool per USACE NID for Glen Canyon Dam) but is shared with Utah, with most of its area in Utah. Roosevelt is the largest lake wholly inside Arizona.

See our Roosevelt Lake water-quality report card NR

Source: Salt River Project (SRP) — operator of Theodore Roosevelt Dam for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (2026-07-30). The table below ranks the Arizona lakes in our own index by surface area.

Lakes with area data

160,784

Largest (acres)

338

Median of top 50

19/50

Reservoirs (vs natural)

Reading Arizona's size profile

Arizona's largest lake by surface area is Lake Powell in Coconino County, spanning 160,784 acres. Most of Arizona's biggest waters are natural basins left by glaciers, with stable shorelines and deep main basins.

Surface area is a poor proxy for water quality on its own — a large lake can hold a clean, deep core and a nutrient-loaded bay at the same time. Each lake below links to its full report card with grade, clarity, depth, and EPA impairment status. Area figures come from state DNR surveys and the USACE National Inventory of Dams; grades come from EPA and state monitoring data.

The 50 biggest lakes in Arizona by surface area

#	Lake	County	Surface area	Max depth	Grade
1	Lake Powell	Coconino	160,784 acres	-	NR
2	Alamo Lake	La Paz	41,500 acres	-	NR
3	San Carlos Reservoir	Gila	13,059 acres	-	NR
4	Lake Pleasant	Yavapai	9,957 acres	-	NR
5	Mormon Lake	Coconino	4,904 acres	-	NR
6	Bartlett Lake	Maricopa	3,519 acres	-	NR
7	Alamo Lake	Mohave	3,058 acres	-	NR
8	Horseshoe Reservoir	Yavapai	1,959 acres	-	NR
9	Lake Mead	Mohave	1,771 acres	-	NR
10	Dry Lake	Navajo	1,686 acres	-	NR
11	Many Farms Lake	Apache	1,610 acres	-	NR
12	Lyman Reservoir	Apache	1,324 acres	-	NR
13	Saguaro Lake	Maricopa	1,265 acres	-	NR
14	Rogers Lake	Coconino	1,198 acres	-	NR
15	Canyon Lake	Maricopa	950 acres	-	C
16	Theodore Roosevelt Lake	Gila	712 acres	-	NR
17	Tremaine Lake	Coconino	665 acres	-	NR
18	Painted Rock Reservoir	Maricopa	549 acres	-	NR
19	Long Lake	Navajo	548 acres	-	NR
20	Big Lake	Apache	518 acres	-	NR
21	Red Lake	Coconino	501 acres	-	NR
22	Willow Creek Reservoir	Yavapai	460 acres	-	NR
23	Hay Lake	Coconino	459 acres	-	NR
24	Martinez Lake	Yuma	452 acres	-	NR
25	Parks Lake	Graham	425 acres	-	NR
26	Long Lake	Coconino	338 acres	-	NR
27	Sunrise Lake	Apache	307 acres	-	NR
28	Ganado Lake	Apache	279 acres	-	NR
29	Dry Lake	Graham	278 acres	-	NR
30	Tsaile Lake	Apache	265 acres	-	NR
31	Patagonia Lake	Santa Cruz	260 acres	-	NR
32	Lower Lake Mary	Coconino	257 acres	-	NR
33	C.C. Cragin Reservoir	Coconino	247 acres	-	NR
34	Hawley Lake	Apache	244 acres	-	NR
35	Happy Tank	Navajo	238 acres	-	NR
36	Little Ortega Lake	Apache	235 acres	-	NR
37	Ashurst Lake	Coconino	230 acres	-	NR
38	Wheatfields Lake	Apache	226 acres	-	NR
39	Tempe Town Lake	Maricopa	214 acres	-	NR
40	Watson Lake	Yavapai	202 acres	-	D
41	Chevelon Canyon Lake	Coconino	198 acres	-	NR
42	White Mountain Lake	Navajo	197 acres	-	NR
43	Lake Takalai	Graham	194 acres	-	NR
44	Show Low Lake	Navajo	186 acres	-	NR
45	Mexican Hay Lake	Apache	165 acres	-	NR
46	Tunnel Reservoir	Apache	164 acres	-	NR
47	Marshall Lake	Coconino	164 acres	-	NR
48	Luna Lake	Apache	163 acres	-	NR
49	Picacho Reservoir	Pinal	156 acres	-	NR
50	Concho Lake	Apache	155 acres	-	NR

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the largest lake in Arizona?

Roosevelt Lake, at 21,493 acres, in Gila and Maricopa County. Lake Mead (Colorado River) is far larger but is shared with Nevada — the AZ–NV line runs through it (NPS: 157,418 acres). Lake Powell is also larger (~160,800 acres at full pool per USACE NID for Glen Canyon Dam) but is shared with Utah, with most of its area in Utah. Roosevelt is the largest lake wholly inside Arizona. Source: Salt River Project (SRP) — operator of Theodore Roosevelt Dam for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 2026-07-30.

How is lake surface area measured?

Surface area comes from state DNR lake surveys and, for reservoirs, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) National Inventory of Dams records. Area is reported in acres at normal pool level. Reservoirs rise and fall with management and drought, so their listed area is the long-term normal rather than a single-day reading.

Are Arizona's largest lakes natural or reservoirs?

Of the top 50 Arizona lakes by area, 19 sit on a dammed river (reservoirs) and 31 are natural basins. Glacial states (MN, WI, MI, NY) skew natural; plains and southern states (MO, IA, ND, OH) skew toward reservoirs built for water supply, flood control, and recreation.

Do larger lakes have better water quality?

Not reliably. Quality varies more within a big lake than between lakes — a large lake can have a clean, deep main basin and a murky, algae-prone bay fed by a tributary, so one grade can mask wide swings. Depth, watershed land use, and how fast the lake flushes matter far more than raw surface area.

How big is the typical Arizona lake in this ranking?

Across the top 50 Arizona lakes by surface area, the median is 338 acres (Long Lake). This list is biased toward the biggest waters; the typical Arizona lake is far smaller.

Where to stay near Arizona's largest lakes

Planning a trip? Jump to live cabin, resort, and hotel availability near Arizona's biggest lakes.

Deepest lakes in Arizona →Largest lakes (all states) →All Arizona lakes →