Pick a fishing water on your side of the Valley, then choose one nearby backup before leaving. This planner compares 20 public waters by the lot you’ll use, the place you’ll cast from, and the rules that can change your plans.
Choose the kind of trip you want
For a short bank session, start with Festival Fields Pond in Avondale or McQueen Pond in Gilbert. For a pier, compare Chaparral Lake in Scottsdale, Gilbert Regional Park and Greenfield Park Pond in Mesa. Check the route and current pier status with the operator if you need step-free access. Choose Water Ranch Lake if you want a catch-and-release trip and can bring single barbless hooks.
Glendale, Avondale and west Phoenix
- Bonsall Pond — Take 58th Avenue south of Bethany Home Road for the lot on the fishing side of the park.
- Friendship Pond — Enter from McDowell Road and look for the west-side parking area.
- Festival Fields Pond — Use the interior lot beside the pond off Lower Buckeye Road. Pick Friendship as a backup if a sports event fills the lots.
- Desert West Lake — Use the Encanto Boulevard sports complex approach for a west Phoenix bank trip.
- Alvord Lake — Use South 35th Avenue for the Águila Park approach. Read the lake’s separate boating rules if your group plans to bring a boat.
- Cortez Lake — Use Dunlap Avenue if you’re starting in northwest Phoenix. It gives you a same-side option without driving farther south.
For Glendale, Avondale and western Phoenix, compare parking approaches and nearby backups in the West Valley bank-fishing planner.
Central Phoenix, northeast Phoenix and Scottsdale
- Encanto Lake — Start from 15th Avenue and use the public park banks, keeping clear of the golf course boundary.
- Steele Indian School Pond — Choose this central Phoenix stop if you want a pond outing with a walk from public parking.
- Roadrunner Pond — Use the Cactus Road approach. Allow more time to park if the Saturday market is running.
- Papago Ponds — Use the east entrance and choose among three public fishing ponds.
- Chaparral Lake — For a Scottsdale pier trip, use the Chaparral Road lot and check the public bank if the pier is crowded.
Gilbert, Chandler and Mesa
- Water Ranch Lake — Use single barbless hooks and release bass and sunfish. Check the separate limits for other species.
- McQueen Pond — Use Horne Street and the activity-center parking for a Gilbert bank trip.
- Discovery Ponds — Compare upper and lower pond access before unloading, and read signs at the bank you choose.
- Gilbert Regional Park Pond — Use the Queen Creek Road approach for a pier outing with bank options.
- Desert Breeze Lake — Compare the north and east lots for a Chandler bank session.
- Veterans Oasis Lake — Use the park’s Chandler Heights Road approach and follow the fishing signs to the lake by the south bank. The preserve’s recharge basins are separate.
- Riverview Lake — Use Cubs Way and keep an eye on event activity around the ballpark.
- Red Mountain Lake — Compare the Brown Road bays and Sunvalley Boulevard approach for east Mesa bank access.
- Greenfield Park Pond — Use the Pueblo Avenue lot for the fishing pier. The park’s main listing gives a Diamond Avenue address.
- Southeast Valley fishing planner — Compare pier access, public banks and hook rules across Gilbert, Chandler and Mesa.
Check hours, rules and stocking before loading the car
A lake and a pond can have different limits even when both are part of the Community Fishing Program. Open the AZGFD Phoenix-area water directory, choose your exact water, and check posted signs before keeping fish. Arizona generally requires a valid fishing or combination license for anglers 10 and older. See state licensing rules and exemptions. For Water Ranch, check Gilbert’s fishing rules as well.
Use the tentative stocking schedule to compare trips. Check park hours and closures separately. For a cool morning bring layers, and in hotter weather plan around shade and bring plenty of water. Keep the walking path clear, pause casting when people pass, and pack out line and hooks.
Explore the Arizona guide index or Destinations for other trips. Visit the Outdoor Adventures shop before your next outing.
Map reference for central Phoenix
The map points to Encanto Park, one of the central Phoenix stops and the lake shown in the photo. Use the individual guides above for directions and parking at the other waters.
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