Saguaro Lake, 41 miles from downtown Phoenix, is the Salt River Project lake closest to Phoenix. It is a long, narrow and winding lake created by the construction of Stewart Mountain Dam. Saguaro del Norte Recreation site is near the dam and includes the Saguaro Lake Marina (which includes a restaurant and boat concession), an aid station, picnic tables, restrooms and boat ramps. Butcher Jones Beach, which can be reached by a road a few miles north of Saguaro del Norte, features swimming, picnic and restroom facilities. The area is open daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. from April through September. Bagley Flat Campground (30 spaces) is about four miles from the dam but is accessible only by boat. It is open all year (no fees). To get there, travel up a narrow cliff-bordered portion of the lake. The campground is in a scenic and peaceful area and has sanitation facilities. The Arizona Game and Fish Department stocks all of the SRP lakes with fish. There generally are good supplies of walleye, large mouth and yellow bass, rainbow and brown trout, bluegills, channel catfish, and crappie in Saguaro. Camping is accessible by boat only.
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