Cast the Water

Fontana Lake

North Carolina · Swain

The pin marks the middle of the water, for directions. The shoreline on the map comes from USGS NHD.

Explore on map Find waters near you

Overview

Fontana Lake is a deep mountain reservoir of about 10,230 acres where the Little Tennessee, Tuckasegee and Nantahala rivers meet in Swain and Graham counties. The Tennessee Valley Authority built Fontana Dam from 1942 to 1944. At 480 feet it is the tallest dam east of the Rockies, and the Appalachian Trail crosses it. The lake has about 238 miles of shoreline made up of narrow, deep channels and long coves. Great Smoky Mountains National Park borders the north shore, and most of the south shore is TVA or national forest land. The water level falls by about 56 feet from summer to winter, which leaves the upper end of the lake dry and limits some access to the warmer months. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission creel work found that walleye and black bass get most of the fishing effort, and most fish are caught from March through August. Largemouth and smallmouth bass, sunfish, black and white crappie, and channel and flathead catfish live here, along with spotted bass, white bass, Alabama bass and yellow perch that arrived through angler introductions. Spotted bass have been increasing while smallmouth have declined, and the odd muskellunge turns up too.

Regulations

Some special nongame fishing devices that are allowed elsewhere in Graham County are not permitted on Fontana Lake under local law. Statewide North Carolina rules cover black bass, walleye and other game fish. See the current North Carolina inland fishing regulations: https://www.ncwildlife.gov/fishing/regulations

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission; Tennessee Valley Authority