Fontana Lake
Graham County, North Carolina10,290 acresView mapDirections
NC DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Fontana Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 111 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Fontana Lake in Graham County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.1 µg/L. Surface area: 10290 acres.
Fontana Lake is a 10,290-acre mesotrophic lake in Graham County, North Carolina with an estimated average depth of about 111 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Graham County, Fontana Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2024-11-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 10,000 acres, Fontana Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Fontana Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Fontana Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.1 ft of visibility
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water10,290 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Fontana Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Fontana Lake
These are the measurements NC DEQ publishes for Fontana Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14.1 ft. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.1 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 30µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 4.1µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Fontana Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~111 ft est.
Surface area
10,290 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by NC DEQ
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. North Carolina has not published bathymetry for Fontana Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
1,562 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
104.5 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,657 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Cable CovePublic
- Lewellyn BranchPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Fontana Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Fontana Lake in Graham County, North Carolina — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Fontana Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Fontana Lake → · more North Carolina lake trips
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Fishing Fontana Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Fontana Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Fontana Dam (completed 1944), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Little Tennessee River; concrete-type dam, 480 ft tall and 2,365 ft long.
- Surface area
- 10,290 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,370,253 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,552,689 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1,571 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- TVA
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Navigation;Recreation;Hydroelectric;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NC00298 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Graham County
Frequently asked questions about Fontana Lake
Where is Fontana Lake?
- Fontana Lake is a lake in Graham County, North Carolina. Its water-quality measurements are published by NC DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Fontana Lake?
- Fontana Lake in Graham County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.1 µg/L. Surface area: 10290 acres.
Is Fontana Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Fontana Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Fontana Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 111 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 10290 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Fontana Lake?
- Fontana Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cable Cove, Lewellyn Branch. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Fontana Lake?
- Fontana Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by North Carolina's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Fontana Lake across LakeQuality
2 documented falls within 19.2 mi, nearest Abrams Falls
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at North Carolina's top lakes, each with its readings
North Carolina's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
Planning a trip around Great Smoky Mountains?
Fontana Lake is about 19 miles from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Great Smoky Mountains →More lakes in North Carolina
Other Lakes in North Carolina
Mesotrophic Lakes in North Carolina
Where this data comes from
40 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Carolina Dept of Environmental Quality NCDEQ-DWR WQX
21NC03WQ40 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- WSSSOP
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory