1.How far is Saguaro Lake from Queen Creek, and how do you get there?
Saguaro Lake is 23.4 miles from the Census Bureau’s reference point for Queen Creek in a straight line. That is our calculation from the Census gazetteer and the USGS place-name record, not a road distance, and no agency publishes a drive time from Queen Creek.
The Forest Service directions start in Mesa: travel 27 miles north on State Hwy. 87 to Bush Highway/Forest Road (FR) 204, turn right, and follow FR 204 for 4 miles to the lake. It lists the Saguaro Del Norte site at 31 miles northeast of Mesa. Check a live map before you leave; our commuting from Queen Creek guide covers the regional road network around town.
| Site | Forest Service directions from Mesa |
|---|---|
| Saguaro Lake (general) | 27 miles north on State Hwy. 87, right on Bush Highway/FR 204, then 4 miles to the lake |
| Butcher Jones Day Use Area | 27 miles on State Hwy. 87, right (south) on Bush Highway/FR 204 for 2 miles, then left on FR 166 for 2 miles |
| Saguaro Del Norte | 27 miles north on State Hwy. 87, right on Bush Highway/FR 204 for 4 miles, then left on FR 206 to the site |
| Bagley Flat | Boat access only; the paved launch is at Saguaro Del Norte |
The Forest Service notes that the Saguaro Del Norte route is on a busy paved road. The lake sits on Tonto National Forest land on the Mesa Ranger District, well outside Queen Creek’s town limits.
2.Saguaro Lake fees: Tonto Pass, watercraft sticker and Discovery Pass
Two Forest Service pages set the price. The Tonto passes page, dated July 6, 2026, lists the Daily Pass at $8 and the Watercraft Use Sticker at $4; the older Saguaro Lake page, last updated April 8, 2025, lists the same totals by activity. Daily passes expire 24 hours from validation and can be bought at a Tonto National Forest office or from retail vendors across the Valley.
| What you are doing | Pass needed | Cost per day |
|---|---|---|
| Picnic or shoreline, pass bought in advance | Tonto Daily Pass | $8 |
| Picnic, pass bought from the fee machine | Tonto Fee Machine Pass | $12 |
| Launching one motorized boat | Daily Pass plus one Watercraft Use Sticker | $12 |
| Launching one boat, fee machine | Fee Machine Pass plus watercraft | $16 |
| Two motorized boats from one vehicle | Daily Pass plus two stickers | $16 (our arithmetic) |
| Bagley Flat boat-in camping | No fee at Bagley Flat; launch fees apply at Saguaro Del Norte | Launch fee only |
Our break-even math on the $80 Tonto Discovery Pass, which includes watercraft access with no sticker needed: it equals 10 picnic days at $8, and a boater who launches seven days a year at $12 spends $84 on daily passes. The Senior and Access Discovery Passes are $60, the cost of exactly five boat days at $12.
- America the Beautiful interagency passes are only accepted at the picnicking sites at Saguaro Lake.
- Tonto passes do not cover campgrounds, highly developed boat launches and swimming areas, cabin or lookout rentals, or concessionaire fees.
- Campground fees around the lake might be separate from the Tonto Daily and Discovery passes.
- Group events, including fishing tournaments, require a permit.
- The Forest Service waives day-use fees at most recreation sites on certain days of the year; check its list before you buy.
3.Butcher Jones, Saguaro Del Norte or Bagley Flat: which Saguaro Lake site?
| Site | Used for | Facilities | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butcher Jones Day Use Area | Beach, picnics and the Butcher Jones Trail | Vault toilets; no potable water | No overnight camping, no trailers, no motorized boats in the swimming area, no glass, pets on a leash |
| Saguaro Del Norte | Motorized boat launch and picnics | 38 picnic units with tables and grills, ramadas, a sheriff’s aid station and vault toilets; ramps 1 and 2 are wheelchair accessible | No overnight camping; boat trailers under 28 feet only |
| Bagley Flat | Boat-in camping | 10 designated sites with grills and tables (SRP); the only toilet on the upper portion of the lake | Boat access only; 14-day stay limit |
Butcher Jones is one of the most-visited sites on the Tonto National Forest, and the Forest Service says its parking can reach capacity on weekends and holidays throughout the summer months. Day use there is $8 per vehicle per day when bought at a Tonto National Forest office or retail vendor.
The Forest Service lists Butcher Jones Trail at approximately 5 miles out and back. For the heat that comes with a summer hike, see Queen Creek weather by month and our summer in Queen Creek guide.
4.Saguaro Lake boating rules and the weekend capacity problem
Three agencies enforce lake regulations, so boaters answer to all of them: the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the Forest Service.
- Capacity: on most weekends and holidays from April to October, the lake reaches maximum boating capacity early in the day and additional boats are not allowed in; once boat parking is full, vehicles towing boats are turned away at the entrance.
- No-motor bay: the bay in front of Butcher Jones and Saguaro del Norte is closed to motorized watercraft.
- No wake: the eastern end of the lake is closed to any wake from watercraft; observe the buoys.
- Noise: motors generating more than 82 decibels are prohibited.
- Traffic: the direction of travel on the lake is counter clockwise.
- Hazards: lake levels fluctuate daily with irrigation demand and power generation, and rocks and other obstacles are often near the surface.
Our decision rule for a Queen Creek boat owner: from April to October, a weekend launch works only if you reach the entrance early, because the Forest Service says capacity is reached early in the day. If you cannot, pick a weekday, or leave the boat at home and use the picnic sites, where the America the Beautiful pass is accepted.
State rules travel with the boat. Arizona Game and Fish says the owner of each motorized watercraft requiring Arizona numbering must apply for a registration number (call 602 942-3000 before registering in person or by mail). A boat that has been in infested water for six or more consecutive days, or will not meet the required dry time, must be inspected and decontaminated before transport, and boaters must completely drain the bilge, live wells and ballast tanks before transport.
Arizona Game and Fish also requires a written report within five days for a collision with property damage over $500, and within 48 hours for accidents involving death or serious injury.
5.Stewart Mountain Dam: how Saguaro Lake was made
SRP says Stewart Mountain Dam is a concrete thin-arch dam built between 1928 and 1930. It stands 212 feet high and 583 feet long and is home to a 13,000-kilowatt hydroelectric generating unit. The dam formed Saguaro Lake, which SRP calls the last of the reservoirs to be built on the Salt River.
SRP suggests the Stewart Dam Petroglyphs Trail for a combination of ancient art and the dam’s modern architecture, and advises checking water levels because they affect water quality. Neither the Forest Service nor SRP pages we saved state a current lake level or a depth, so check SRP’s water data before you go.
6.Saguaro Lake Marina, Lakeshore Landing and the Desert Belle
Concession details change, so treat these as dated. As of November 5, 2026, the Saguaro Lake Marina site lists covered slips, dry storage and a full-service fuel dock, carries a banner saying Lakeshore Landing Restaurant is now open, and gives the phone number 480-986-5546. The page we saved publishes no hours or rental prices.
The Forest Service lists tour-boat trips on the Desert Belle at (480) 984-2425, and SRP describes it as a double decker boat with air conditioning, snacks and a bar, offering narrated sightseeing tours of the lake. We could not retrieve Desert Belle fares or a schedule, so call before you go.
7.When is the best fishing at Saguaro Lake?
The Forest Service cites Bass Master Magazine: the best time for trophy bass is October to December and February to mid April. By our reading of the Forest Service’s own capacity note, most of that window falls outside the April to October weekend boating crunch, which makes it the easier season for a Queen Creek angler to get on the water.
Fishing tournaments count as group events and need a permit, and the same pass rules apply: a Daily Pass plus a Watercraft Sticker, or a Discovery Pass, for any boat you launch.
8.Saguaro Lake ranger station, hours and status
- Mesa Ranger District office: 5140 E. Ingram St., Mesa, Arizona 85205; phone (480) 610-3300.
- Ranger station hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed noon to 12:30 p.m.; no passes, permits or products sold after 4 p.m.; closed Saturday and Sunday (lake page, updated April 8, 2025).
- Status: the Forest Service lake page shows the site open, with a year-round open season.
- Trash: there is no trash service, so pack it in and pack it out.
9.Saguaro Lake, Canyon Lake or another day trip?
On a straight-line basis, Saguaro Lake (23.4 miles) and Canyon Lake (23.3 miles) are almost equally far from Queen Creek, and both sit on the Tonto National Forest’s Mesa Ranger District. Compare our Canyon Lake and Tortilla Flat guide, and check ADOT’s 511 for road conditions before you go. For a dry-land day, see Boyce Thompson Arboretum or our Usery Mountain Regional Park guide, and our day trips from Queen Creek comparison lists the options side by side.