Robert Pennington fishes with his grandson Ty Pennington at Rose Canyon Lake in the Catalinas northeast of Tucson.

Doug Kreutz / Arizona Daily Star

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ROSE CANYON LAKE — Ty Pennington thinks he might have a trout on the line — a big, wonderful, tasty trout.

Ah, but not this time. Twelve-year-old Ty, fishing with his grandpa, Robert Pennington, discovers that the resistance on his line comes not from a monster trout but an unseen snag.

He'll cast again and perhaps catch something. But even if not, a day at this lake is a day well-spent.

Nestled in a pine-shaded canyon at 7,000 feet in the Catalina Mountains northeast of Tucson, the 7-acre lake is a high-country haven — a cool escape from the heat of late spring and summer.

"It's gorgeous up here," says Tucsonan Jerry Gatenby as he and his wife, Rowan, while away an afternoon beside the water. "We like to sit here, watch the birds and the ducks, and maybe catch a fish."

Others come to stroll around the lake or hike the surrounding hills. Nearby picnic sites and a campground make the lake area a popular destination for family outings.

Boats and swimming are prohibited. Dogs must be leashed.

Visitors to the Catalinas pay a $5 fee on the highway, and there's an additional $8-per-vehicle day-use fee at the lake.

From Tucson, take Tanque Verde Road to the Catalina Highway and follow the highway about 4.5 miles to the base of the mountains. Mile markers begin there. A signed turnoff for the lake is near Milepost 17.

For more hiking stories, go to: go.azstarnet.com/trails.