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Anglers have their fishing lines in the water, patiently awaiting a bite. Picnickers sample sandwiches and sip soft drinks. Kids walk along a pine-shaded path beside the water. The sky is blue and the air is cool at the lake’s altitude of 7,000 feet.

Little wonder it’s a popular destination for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ans seeking relaxation, recreation and an escape from the heat and bustle of the city.

Rose Canyon offers “a wonderful opportunity to access a cool lake in a piney forest within a relatively short drive from the urban center of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and the desert heat of the city and surrounding areas. It soothes the spirit,â€� said Heidi Schewel, spokeswoman for the Coronado National Forest.

The National Forest is in charge of the site, but a private concessionaire operates it on a day-to-day basis — charging a $10-per-vehicle day-use fee. The entrance to the lake is at mile marker 17 on the Catalina Highway northeast of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.

“Rose Canyon Lake provides a variety of recreational opportunities, including hiking, camping, picnicking, bird-watching, botanizing and fishing in a lovely forest setting,� Schewel said.

Fishing and picnicking appeared to be popular options — along with just lazing in the shade — one day this week.

ORIGIN OF THE LAKE

A sign near the lake offers this description of the dam project that created the lake: “In 1954, the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Game and Fish Department, USDA Forest Service and Pima County Parks and Recreation Department provided a budget of $79,000 for construction of Rose Canyon Lake Dam. Prison crews completed construction of the dam in 1960.

“The lake is filled up by rain and snowmelt,� the sign says. “During drought, the lake level may be low. When water is plentiful, water spills out of the lake and travels downstream.�