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Lake Havasu, Arizona & California, USA

Lake Havasu’s 20,400 acres, formed behind Parker Dam on the Colorado River, is a boating paradise. Around Lake Havasu City, the most recognizable sight is the London Bridge, completely moved from Great Britain to this unlikely location. Robert McCulloch (of McCulloch chainsaw fame) bought the bridge and is the founder of Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Lake Havasu is quite well known for its recreational fishing and boating….
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    • All About Lake Havasu, AZ/CA

    Lake Locations: USA - US Southwest Region - Arizona - West Coast Region, AZ - US West Region - California - Desert Region, CA -

    Lake Havasu’s 20,400 acres, formed behind Parker Dam on the Colorado River, is a boating paradise. Around Lake Havasu City, the most recognizable sight is the London Bridge, completely moved from Great Britain to this unlikely location. Robert McCulloch (of McCulloch chainsaw fame) bought the bridge and is the founder of Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Lake Havasu is quite well known for its recreational fishing and boating. Boat races are common here and many ‘Spring Break’ type of social activities are available for the younger set. Visitors seek Havasu’s cool, clear waters well-known for various water sports including water skiing, speed boating, jet skiing, sailing, canoeing and kayaking. Lake Havasu City, with its multitude of hotels, motels and businesses, is located on Lake Havasu and provides all the amenities one could hope for.

    Lake Havasu, a jewel in the otherwise arid desert, lies on the Arizona/California border. Parker Dam, the genesis of Lake Havasu, was built between 1934 and 1938 and was created by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Parker Dam is 12 miles NE of Parker, Arizona. The waters of Lake Havasu behind the Dam are about 45 miles long. Lake Havasu can store nearly 211 billion gallons to satisfy the drinking water, power, and irrigation demands of the Lower Colorado River Basin. Parker Dam’s primary purpose is to provide reservoir storage for water to be pumped into the Colorado River Aqueduct and Central Arizona Project Aqueducts. Funds advanced by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California enabled construction of Parker Dam, and water from Lake Havasu has been delivered to the Los Angeles metropolitan area since 1941 through the Colorado River Aqueduct. The Colorado River Aqueduct is also tapped by the San Diego Aqueduct, taking water to that city.

    Lake Havasu visitors, looking for a temporary escape, will love the available camping. There are two public campgrounds located on the Parker Strip on the Colorado River; Cattail Cove and Windsor Beach State Park are both excellent camping locations with boat launching and rentals. There are 125 lake shore campsites available along the Arizona side of Lake Havasu, from Lake Havasu City to Parker Dam. Most sites have a picnic table, shade, BBQ grill, pit toilet and trash can, and are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Also, there are more than 100 geocaches situated in the area for new ‘finds’. Nearly 50 of these are in Lake Havasu City. Many are relatively easy to find, log and add to your total.

    Lake Havasu is very popular with anglers for its striped bass, channel catfish, and carp. Bluegill, sunfish, and largemouth bass are found in the Lake, providing excellent sport fishing. With mild winters, fishing is good year round.

    Certainly, Lake Havasu is a premiere destination for either those who like to get away from it all while enjoying the outdoors, or those who want Lake Havasu’s boating as well as the night life and city amenities of Lake Havasu City. It offers a little bit of relaxation for everyone.

    Things to Do at Lake Havasu

    These are some activities in the Lake Havasu, AZ/CA area visitors can enjoy:

    • Vacation Rentals
    • Fishing
    • Boating
    • Sailing
    • Swimming
    • Beach
    • Canoeing
    • Kayaking
    • Jet Skiing
    • Water Skiing
    • Camping
    • Campground
    • Picnicking
    • State Park

    What Kind of Fish Are in Lake Havasu?

    Lake Havasu has been known to have the following fish species:

    • Bass
    • Black Bass
    • Bluegill
    • Carp
    • Catfish
    • Channel Catfish
    • Largemouth Bass
    • Striped Bass
    • Sunfish
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    Find Places to Stay at Lake Havasu

    If you’re considering a Lake Havasu lake house rental or hotel, we’ve made it super easy to find the best rates and compare vacation accommodations at a glance. Save time using this interactive map below.

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    More Sites to Book a Lake Havasu Vacation

    Our interactive Lake Havasu lodging map above is an easy tool for comparing VRBO rental homes and nearby hotels with Booking.com, but there could be times when you need to expand your search for different types of accommodations. Here are some other lake lodging partners we recommend:

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    Lake Havasu Statistics & Helpful Links

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    Lake Type: Not Known

    Water Level Control: US Bureau of Reclamation

    Surface Area: 20,400 acres

    Shoreline Length: 450 miles

    Normal Elevation (Full Pond): 445 feet

    Minimum Elevation (Min Pond): 0 feet

    Maximum Elevation (Max Pond): 455 feet

    Average Depth: 30 feet

    Maximum Depth: 75 feet

    Water Volume: 648,000 acre-feet

    Completion Year: 1938

    Lake Area-Population: 42,000

    Drainage Area: 178,392 sq. miles

    Lake Havasu Map
    Lake Water Level
    Local Weather Forecast

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