Pena Blanca Lake

Great little lake that is quiet and peaceful with plenty of coves for fishing and relaxing. Small boats are ideal for this lake. No major boating or water play activities are permitted. It's not regularly monitored or maintained so don't expect anything fancy. There are picnic tables, benches, a Ramada, and a vault toilet. There are a few docks you can fish off of but the lake is small enough to walk mostly around if you are adventurous.

Woah, after reading the other two reviews, let me state that I did NOT camp, so take this more as a review for visiting the lake for a picnicking day trip. The lake is in a truly beautiful location with unique views back at the Santa Ritas. High enough that you won't find saguaros, but certainly still desert. Plenty of shade trees and areas to set up for a picnic, even right off the beach. As mentioned there's boat rentals, and getting onto the water would certainly be the way to go for a little back-to-nature time. Not sure, but I have even heard rumor of some campsites that are only accessible by boat (maybe these would be more peaceful?).Wonderful place to visit for the day. Go and enjoy! Maybe afterwards decide whether or not you want to try to stay for a night or two.

All the other reviews here are of Patagonia Lake, not Peña Blanca Lake. Pena blanca is not a great place to camp, but a magnificent, remote lake, excellent for paddling and fishing. They drained the lake maybe ten years ago and removed pollution sources--probably mining waste, so that now the state stocks it with trout in the winter and they are very good eating. Lots of birds, too. Well worth a visit. Very accessible off of paved roads, too.

I took the day-visit advice and drove from Tucson with my grandson to do a little fishing. There are a couple of ways to get there. Drive south of Green Valley and go through Arivaca or stay on I-19 past Tubac and Tumacacori to 298 just above the border of Mexico.. Either way, the scenery is pleasant with old oaks and curious rock formations dotting the rolling hills and some free range livestock milling about. At the lake, there are convenient metal docks with rails making deep water accessible from shore. We only caught a couple of errant tree branches but the excursion to this peaceful spot was well worth it.

Pretty place - we only stopped by in transit to walk around the lake and take a break. It was a beautiful spot. The park ranger was exceptionally friendly as well.

I had Molly's review in mind when the man and I bought a bit of bait and hauled the dogs down to Patagonia Lake Campground for a night of "relaxation." Yes, I was at Bonnaroo last year, and dare I say that our Nashville 12 X 12 farm patch trumped the treeless rocky dirt corner we were assigned to call home for one night. In all fairness, some campsites boast lush trees and pretty views of the lake, but if you fail to reserve several weeks in advance, you won't score these. Still, we did secure a nice fishing/BBQ spot where the dogs could swim and we could fish and escape the furiously competing AC/DC-Selena-Shania Twain Boss Box-off that exceeded the decibel limit at most urban airports. Some campsites were apparently accommodating 12-20 peeps, which is a close fit even if they weren't laying out buffets the likes of which would have impressed Romans at the height of their excess. The site rents boats for $120 a day, and being on the water is the way to go here. All sorts of water transport are welcome. The hiking is better up the road at Adobe Canyon, and unless you are into excessive verbosity at boisterous noise levels with no regard for privacy or proximity, avoid the camping area. Go to the Lake for fishing and boating only.

Great clean lake. Definitely recommend. Take food or snacks as hiking will get you hungry. My doggo hippie loves it as he always finds new routes to explore. Take a leach to avoid losing your dog as it is big to explore!

It's a place filled with natures beauty. Perfect for a little escape from reality. Or just to enjoy Natures beauty!!

I don't get where all these negative reviews come from but Pena Blanca lake is man made lake its small but you can still caught fishes, BBQ and camping here with family. This lake is where we go fish at do activities with our family such as grilled and flying take some cool pictures. Some time the water could be dirty I don't know why. But we still caught a lot of fishes. Today we went to the lake tried out our new products I bought from eBay "umbrella fish net trap" to see if it really work. We caught a lot of small fish and we released them because they are too small.

It's a fishing and boating spot but, especially on weekdays, a lovely, natural spot. Just hike a little to get away from the folks near the parking lot or boat ramp. Vast numbers of birds, including some rare common black, gray, and zone-tailed hawks. There's a prominent volcanic rock just down the trail from the parking lot. It's not very exciting, but if you sit there, wildlife will come to you.Look out for snakes when it warms up. A bit too much littering for my liking.