This narrow, winding body of water looks more like a canyon-bound river than a lake. Nestled between forested canyon walls it provides picturesque water recreation in a secluded, wooded setting.
If fishing is your cup of tea, you can catch rainbow, brown or brook trout here, stocked by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. If your taste runs to other types of recreation, the sightseeing, wildlife watching, hiking, and mountain biking here in the canyon-carved uplands of the Mogollon Plateau will make you glad you chose to visit this out of the way lake.
In 2018, C.C. Cragin Reservoir will become an important water source for the town of Payson, Arizona. Forest thinning and prescribed burning in the area under the Cragin Watershed Protection Project will help protect this valuable water source and improve forest health in the area. C.C. Cragin Dam was built in 1965 by Phelps Dodge, and later transferred to the Salt River Project (SRP). Learn more about the reservoir’s history on SRP’s history of C.C. Cragin dam and reservoir.
Directions
Location: 63 miles south of Flagstaff on a graveled forest road.
GPS (Map): 34°33’16.6″N 111°11’47.4″W
Access: Drive 55 miles south of Flagstaff to Clints Well on Forest Highway 3 (Lake Mary Road). Turn northeast (left) about 4 miles on AZ 87 to FR 751 then southeast about 6 more miles to the reservoir. All roads are paved except FR 751 which is graveled and suitable for passenger cars in most weather. In wintertime, FR 751 is closed and the reservoir is not accessible.
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GPS Coordinates
Latitude 34° 33′ 16.6320″ N
Longitude 111° 11′ 47.4072″ W