Fontana Lake

Swain & Graham Counties, North Carolina

An NCWRC report describes Fontana Lake on the Little Tennessee River in Swain and Graham counties as a 4,318-hectare (about 10,670-acre) reservoir, about 146 m (479 ft) deep at the dam, with a stocked walleye fishery.

Air temp Loading current temperature…

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Current air temperature at Fontana Lake (National Weather Service) ↗

Surface area10,670 acres

Max depth479 ft

Shoreline—

Boat motorsCheck local rules

Species

Fishery rating out of 5.

Walleye●●●○○

Stocked by NCWRC

Largemouth Bass●●○○○

Weeds, docks and wood in the shallows.

Smallmouth Bass●●○○○

Rock, gravel and points. Tubes, jerkbaits and drop-shots.

Spotted Bass●●○○○

Rocky banks and bluff ends. Jigs and finesse plastics.

White Bass●○○○○

Schools chasing shad in open water, and spring river runs.

Crappie●●○○○

Black crappie

Channel Catfish●○○○○

Cut bait and nightcrawlers on flats and creek mouths in the evening.

Boat launches

6 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.

Sawmill Creek Access AreaRamp
Needmore Game Land; NCWRC walleye stocking siteDirections ↗
Lemmons BranchPublic
Bryson City, Swain Co.; 3 lanes; 52 parking spaces; ADA accessible; concrete rampDirections ↗
Cable CovePublic
Robbinsville, Graham Co.; 1 lane; 24 parking spaces; concrete rampDirections ↗
Flat BranchPublic
Bryson City, Swain Co.; 1 lane; 25 parking spaces; concrete rampDirections ↗
TsaliPublic
Bryson City, Swain Co.; 1 lane; 45 parking spaces; concrete rampDirections ↗
More public accessPublic
See the state agency or lake website for all ramps and feesDirections ↗

Size & creel limits

Minimum size and daily limit for each species in Fontana Lake are published by the state. Look up the current size and creel limits for this lake directly: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission ↗

Rules change, so confirm current limits with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission before you fish.

Bait & tackle nearby

Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.

Simonds Bait & Tackle ShopNearby
1085 Main Street, Bryson City, NC(828) 488-6854 Directions ↗

Search more bait shops near Fontana Lake ↗

Local tips

Walleye are stocked here; the NCWRC report names Sawmill Creek Access Area as the stocking site.
Depth reaches about 479 feet at the dam, so fish structure and pockets.
Acreage converted from the report's 4,318 ha.

View on interactive map

Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches.

More North Carolina lakes

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Always wear a life jacket and check your state's current regulations before you fish.