Part of Show Low, our guide to the city’s lakes, trails, parks and downtown.
Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area is the Arizona State Parks park on Show Low’s northern edge: a 150-acre lake in ponderosa pines at about 6,300 ft, with camping, a 1.5-mile lakeside trail and fishing for trout, bass, walleye and pike. Entry is $10 a vehicle for one person or $20 for two to four. Right now low water means hand-launched boats only.
Current notice
Arizona State Parks says that because of low lake levels, only boats that can be hand-launched are allowed, and the Forest Service is removing hazard trees in the park, which may continue for several months (checked October 22, 2026). Check the park page before you go.
Fees and hours
On the water
Only boats with gasoline engines of 10 horsepower or less are allowed, from single-lane ramps on the east and west sides (when water allows). Swimming is allowed, with no designated swim area or lifeguard. A concession rents canoes, kayaks and paddleboards in summer.
The park lists largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, trout and panfish; Arizona Game and Fish stocks rainbow trout through the summer. The park and Game and Fish ask anglers to keep every pike they catch. A fishing licence is required from age 10.
How it got its name
The park says the name comes from Thomas Jefferson Adair, who moved here to farm in 1879: only a fool, people said, would try to farm the place. Arizona Game and Fish built the dam where Show Low Creek meets Fool Hollow Wash in 1957, and the old town of Adair now lies under the lake. The state park opened on Memorial Day 1994.
Trails and wildlife
A 1.5-mile walking trail runs along the south and west sides of the lake, and the park hosts free ecology hikes on Thursdays at 9 a.m. Look for elk, especially in May-June and during the September-October rut, plus Abert’s squirrels, mule deer and beaver.
What we could not verify
- When boat launching will reopen.
- Current bag limits (the Game and Fish guide we read is from 2021).
- The City of Show Low’s page describes the park as 850 acres with 92 hookups; Arizona State Parks, which runs it, gives 654 acres and 62 electric sites. We use the State Parks figures.
More in Show Low
Questions people ask
How much does Fool Hollow Lake cost?
$10 per vehicle for one person, $20 for two to four people, $5 per walk-in or bicycle; camping $25 to $75 a night.
Can you swim at Fool Hollow Lake?
Yes, but there is no designated swim area and no lifeguard, and no swimming near ramps, docks or the dam.
What fish are in Fool Hollow Lake?
Bass, walleye, northern pike, trout and panfish; rainbow trout are stocked in summer. The park asks anglers to keep all pike.
Why is it called Fool Hollow?
After Thomas Jefferson Adair, who came to farm here in 1879: people said only a fool would try to farm it.
Sources
- Arizona State Parks: Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area
- Arizona State Parks: Fishing at Fool Hollow
- Arizona State Parks: Boating at Fool Hollow
- Arizona State Parks: Camping at Fool Hollow Lake
- Arizona State Parks: Fool Hollow park history
- Arizona State Parks: Fool Hollow trails
- Arizona State Parks: Fee schedule
- Arizona Game and Fish: Fishing guide for Pinetop and Show Low lakes and streams (2021 edition)
- City of Show Low: Lakes
Checked October 22, 2026 by It’s Show Low. Cite this page: It’s Show Low (itsshowlow.com), checked October 22, 2026. Free to quote with a link; tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.