Big Lake is a reservoir in Arizona's White Mountains', with attractive size, recreational activities, and visitor amenities. As with most trout waters in Arizona, catch rates are best in spring, during late April and May after the winter ice thaws. Fishing gets even better later in the summer and into fall until the lake freezes over again in late November. Big Lake is in Apache County and is managed by the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.
Big Lake is 575 acres (233ha),[1] an average depth of 16ft (4.9 m). The lake has 5 campgrounds, a general store, a marina, and 3 boat ramps. Gas motors are restricted to 10hp or less. There are also boat rentals. The cold waters are home to many trout species including rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and brook trout. Each year, the Department stocks an average of 480,000 fingerling (three inch) and 50,000 sub catchable (six inch) trout. Most of these are rainbows.
Big Lake is about 40 minutes or 26 miles (42km) south of Springerville and Eagar, accessed by paved road via Highways 260 and 261. From Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside, Big Lake is 47 miles (60km) or approximately a one hour drive east using Highways 260 and 273. Access to Big Lake is restricted in the winter when roads are closed due to the large amounts of snow, generally December to early April.
Arizona highest elevated town of Greer is just 20 minutes north of big lake. The small town sits in the valley of the Little Colorado River and has a year round population of just 58 people. Greer is home to Sunrise Ski Resort, the largest ski park in the state. The resort has 7 lifts that span over 3 mountains, Apache peak (11,100 ft), Cyclone Peak (10,700 ft), and Sunrise peak (10,700 ft).
Near the West Fork Black River and Thompson trail #629 is the remnants of the Apache Railway. The railway spanned from Holbrook near Interstate 40 and traveled south traveling through Snowflake, Pinetop-Lakeside and McNary before reaching the logging camp at Maverick, Arizona, just south of Big Lake. Logging operations started in 1918 and in 1964 the White Mountain Scenic Railroad operated on the line. The scenic railroad ceased operations in 1976 and in 1982 the line from Maverick to McNary was removed. Part of the railway is now the Railroad Grade Trail.
Just a few miles west of the lake is Fort Apache Indian Reservation and to the east, the round summit of Escudilla Mountain (10,916ft) located within the Escudilla Wilderness along the New Mexico border. It is the 3rd highest mountain in the state and sits just north of Alpine.Escudilla was severely burned in the Wallow Fire and is left barren.
Surrounding the lake, the scars of the Wallow Fire can be seen. The massive wildfire started in the White Mountains near Alpine, Arizona on May 29, 2011 due to the mismanagement of a campfire. The communities of Alpine, Blue River, Greer, Nutrioso, Sunrise, Springerville, Eagar in Arizona, and Luna in New Mexico were evacuated. The fire jumped state lines and continued to grow till July 8 at 6 p.m., when it declared 100% contained. The fire destroyed 72 building and injured 16 wildland firefighters. It burned 522,642 acres (2,115km2) in Arizona and 15,407 acres (62km2) in New Mexico, becoming the largest wildfire in Arizona history surpassing the Rodeo-Chediski Fire which burned 468,638 acres along the Mogollon Rim in 2002.
Climate
Big Lake has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Csa), due to its high elevation at 9,000 feet (2,700 m). Summer temperatures range from the mid 60s to high 70s but the area will occasionally reach temperatures around 80°F (27°C) or higher. During the summer months, monsoon storms develop daily in the late morning and early afternoon hours, bringing heavy rain, strong wind, thunder, lightning, and even hail. These thunderstorms help lower temperatures of the surrounding areas. In July, the average high temperature is 72.7°F (22.6°C) with an average low temperature of 43.6°F (6.4°C) and in January, the average high temperature is 38.1°F (3.4°C) with an average low temperature of 6.8°F (−14.0°C).
Apache boat ramp, Big Lake during winter
Winters are harsh with nighttime lows in the negatives and daytime temps in the 30s. Snowstorms and flurries are common during the winter months. Big Lake gets 174.5 inches (443.6cm) of snowfall annually and accumulating snow can reach up to 8 feet. Ice forms on the lake in late November and doesn't thaw till early April. The White Mountains is one of the coldest and wettest places in the state. The official all-time record low in Arizona history was recorded at −40°F/°C near Hawley lake on January 7, 1971. White Mountains also holds the record for most precipitation in a calendar year at 58.92 inches (1496.6mm)
Big Lake is a very important area for wildlife and the White Mountains is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the state. It is home to the Mexican Grey wolf and if you are lucky enough, you might catch a glimpse. As of early 2023, the population of Mexican gray wolves was 241, with 136 wolves (40 packs) in New Mexico and 105 wolves (19 packs) in Arizona.
The White Mountains of Arizona are a mountain range and mountainous region in the eastern part of the state, near the border with New Mexico; they are a continuation from the west of the Arizona transition zone–Mogollon Rim, with the Rim ending in western New Mexico. The White Mountains are a part of the Colorado Plateau high country of Northeast Arizona, the Navajo Nation, with the rest of the Plateau in eastern Utah, northwest New Mexico, and southwestern Colorado. Nearby communities include Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, Greer, St. Johns, Springerville, Eagar, and McNary. Much of the range is within the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.
Greer is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Apache County, Arizona, United States. Located within the White Mountains of Arizona and surrounded by the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, Greer is the highest town in the state at an elevation of approximately 8,400 feet. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 58. Greer was founded circa 1879 by Mormon settlers from Utah. The Greer post office has the ZIP code of 85927.
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