Lynx Lake

One of Prescott's Finest Fishing & Recreation Lakes

Note: The North Shore at Lynx Lake will be closed from June 18, 2009 to August 1, 2009 for maintenance. No parking will be permitted on the North Shore. For more information, click here.

Lynx Lake is Prescott's largest man-made lake (55 acres) . It's located in the wilderness area off Highway 69 behind Costco.

Turn south on Walker Road from Highway 69 and you'll see a turn-off sign a few miles up the road.

This lake contains several species of fish including:

• Rainbow trout
• Brown trout
• Bluegill
• Largemouth Bass
• Crappie
• Channel Catfish
• Carp
• Crawdads (I list these because many folks catch and eat them)

Rainbow trout is stocked regularly in this lake and draws the most anglers. Since this is one of Arizona's prime trout lakes, all anglers are required to have a trout stamp to fish this lake (even if you're not fishing for trout). The stocking schedule is posted on the AZFGD web.

Hours

The lake is open year-round for day-use but times vary depending on season (or daylight hours):

• April 1 - May 14: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• May 15 - August 14: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• August 15 - September 30: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• October 1 - November 30: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• December 1 - January 15: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• January 16 - March 31: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

It's a popular spot not only for its fishing, but for the picnic areas (with tables and BBQ grills). So it's a great spot to bring the whole family for a day outdoor fun and fishing.

Lynx Lake is divided into sections - North and South shores. The South Shore is the most popular section of the lake due to it's easy access to shoreline and boat ramp.

The North shore has a general purpose store and restaurant. You can rent row boats, paddle boats and kayaks in the general store. You can also access the dam from the North shore - which is a popular fishing spot during summer months.

The Lynx Lake store is open year-round and sells fishing/camping supplies, licenses, bait, firewood and various other goods. There is a restaurant inside the store which serves a breakfast and lunch daily (8 a.m. - 2 p.m.) and dinner on Friday and Saturday (4 - 8p.m.). The Lynx Lake store and restaurant are closed on Mondays. For more information, you can call the Lynx Lake store at (928) 778-0720.

Parking

In 2009, the parking fee increased 150% and now costs $5 per vehicle. Wednesday's are still free. Rangers at the Prescott National Forest are encouraging folks to buy the annual Prescott National Forest pass (which is currently $40) or the American the Beautiful Pass ($80). Both passes are recognized and must be displayed when parking at Lynx Lake.

Both annual passes are good for Lynx Lake, Granite Basin, Mingus Lake, and Thumb Butte (Goldwater Lake is NOT covered by the pass as it's controlled by city Parks and Rec). For more information on obtaining an annual pass, you can call the Bradshaw Mountain Ranger Station at (928) 443-8000 or visit the links above.

Parking is very limited due to recent growth in the Prescott area. During summer months, parking on sunny weekend days and holidays has become nearly impossible.

People arriving on foot or on bike do not need to pay parking fees.

Boats

As already mentioned, Lynx Lake does have a boat ramp on the South shore so you can easily launch your small own boat or kayak. As of February 2008, single gas engine and electric motors up to 10 horsepower are allowed on the lake. Float tubes where your feet touch the water are not allowed.

If you don't own a boat, you can rent one at the general store on the North shore. They have small row boats (and boat with electric motors), paddle boats, and kayaks for rent.

Contact the Lynx Lake Store at (928) 778-0720 for more information.

Lake Rules

Lynx Lake has strict rules about wading, swimming, etc. for people and dogs. As such, the following activities are NOT PERMITTED at Lynx Lake:

• No Wading (for people, fly fishers and dogs)
• No Swimming (for people and dogs)
• No Float Tubes (where you're feet touch the water - this means you can't use the floating pontoon boats or tubes where your legs typically dangle in the water while you fish).
• Discharing a firearm

For many, this takes half the fun out of being on the lake. But if you don't want to get fined, you'll have to abide by these rules. The Arizona Fish & Game Department checks this lake frequently for valid fishing licenses and they will catch you if you violate any of the above mentioned rules.

Every year beginning December 1st through June 30th, the East portion of Lynx Lake shoreline is closed to foot and boat traffic due to bald eagles breeding. Please respect these closures.

Handicap Access

A few years back, a small dock was built to allow wheelchair access to the lake for fishing. Before that, it was nearly impossible for anybody in a wheelchair to fish from the shore. Others do use it, but most people are courteous enough to give up their spot to anybody in a wheelchair wanting to fish.

Hiking

There is a hiking trail around the lake as well so you can enjoy a nice walk around the lake. However, bald eagles do nest here, so at various times of the year (December through June), you may see portions of the trail closed off so at not to disturb the eagles. Please abide by these closures as bald eagles are still a threatened species!

The lake is also full of ducks and one goose (there used to be two). So bring some bread along to feed them - kids will love it.

Camping

In addition to the day use areas at Lynx Lake, there are also two campgrounds - Lynx Campground and Hilltop Campground). These campgrounds tend to fill up in the summer time. For more camping information, contact the Bradshaw Mountain Ranger Station at(928) 443-8000.

Facilities

The following amenities can be found in the day use areas at Lynx Lake:

• Bathroom (no flush)
• Picnic tables
• BBQ grills
• Boat ramp

A Word of Caution

In the summer time, bees and wasps swarm the picnic area (especially around the trash cans). It's not uncommon to get stung while spending the day at the lake.

If you're allergic to bees, you'll want to exercise caution and make sure you bring any medications you need with you. Even if you're not allergic, you might want to bring some anti-bee sting wipes and band-aids for the kids.

I seem to get stung at least once or twice a summer while fishing at the lake. I keep hoping the fish and game department will spray for bees in the summer, but it hasn't happened yet.

For more pictures of Lynx Lake, click here.

Questions? For more information, please call the Bradshaw Mountain Ranger Station at 928-443-8000.