On the Colorado River just south of Lake Havasu lies the 20-mile-long Parker Strip, also known as Lake Moovalaya. There are numerous public ramps on the Arizona side, and campgrounds and hotels on both sides of the river, California to the west, Arizona to the east.

The Parker Strip is more laid back, but it gets busy on the weekends, so be ready for that. On weekdays, it's much more peaceful.

One longtime Parker Strip practice is "floating," which amounts to shutting off your boat and floating with the gentle current. You will occasionally have to start the boat to reposition, but the practice is entirely acceptable, even to boaters who are motoring on by.

This section has a healthy population of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, just target the Tulies.