C.C. Cragin (Blue Ridge) Reservoir
Coconino National Forest Recreation, Near Happy Jack, Arizona
C.C. Cragin (Blue Ridge) Reservoir does not offer reservations through Recreation.gov. Please take a look at the area details below for more information about visiting this location. Enjoy your visit!
Overview
NOTE!! The boat ramp at the reservoir is currently closed to trailers, as low water levels have exposed boulders and large rocks that make it unsafe and impossible for a trailer to be backed down the boat ramp. People may still access the water and carry kayaks and canoes to the water edge, but trailers with boats are not yet able to be backed down the boat ramp.
This narrow, winding body of water looks more like a canyon-bound river than a lake. Be aware that this is a canyon lake--meaning there is very little shore access around the entire reservoir. The sides of the canyon that create this reservoir are steep and there are not any sandy shores like you might expect at a traditional lake with shoreline, which makes this reservoir a destination mainly for people kayaking, canoeing, and fishing.
Fishers can catch rainbow, brown or brook trout here, stocked by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Other types of recreation include sightseeing, wildlife watching, hiking, and mountain biking, but don't expect any wide open shores for sunbathing and swimming.
C.C. Cragin Reservoir is an important water source for the town of Payson, Arizona. Forest thinning and prescribed burning in the area under the Cragin Watershed Protection Project is helping to 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.
