Nantahala Lake is a crystal-clear, high-elevation reservoir tucked deep in the Nantahala National Forest of western North Carolina — one of the highest and quietest lakes on the East Coast. You can boat, swim, and paddle its calm water, fish for rare freshwater Kokanee salmon, and hike the surrounding trails. It’s a scenic drive from Historic Tapoco Lodge, an easy base for exploring the wider Nantahala.
Nantahala lake is one of the highest and quietest lakes on the East Coast. Built in 1942 for hydropower, it’s a remote, less-developed alternative to the region’s bigger, busier lakes.
It has roughly 40 miles of forested shoreline, cold clear water, and a ring of mountain peaks reflected on its surface. Mornings bring fog rolling off the water before it gives way to blue skies. The name is Cherokee for “Land of the Noon Day Sun,” and the lake sits high above the Nantahala River gorge, in the heart of the forest.
What are the best things to do at Nantahala Lake?
It’s a water-lover’s lake first — boating, swimming, paddling, and some of the most unusual fishing in the state. Here’s how to spend a day on and around the water.
Do this | What to know |
|---|---|
Rent a boat or pontoon | Marinas on the lake rent motorized and non-motorized watercraft for the day |
Swim in clear water | Cold, clean, and quiet — the high elevation keeps it refreshing all summer |
Kayak or paddleboard | Calm coves and glassy mornings make for easy, scenic paddling |
Fish for Kokanee salmon | One of the few NC lakes with landlocked salmon, plus trout, walleye, and bass |
Hike the Bartram Trail | Sections climb from the lakeshore toward Wayah Bald and its stone tower |
Drive the scenic Wayah Road | Switchbacks and S-curves climbing to 4,000 feet through the high country |
Chase a waterfall | The surrounding forest hides dozens, many at the end of a short hike |
Can you fish at Nantahala Lake, and what will you catch?
Yes — and it’s one of the few places in North Carolina where you can catch freshwater Kokanee salmon. Alongside them, the lake holds rainbow and brown trout, walleye, smallmouth and largemouth bass, and catfish.
The Kokanee — a landlocked cousin of the sockeye — are a rare Carolina catch, and the state record came out of this lake. The cold, high-elevation water suits salmon and trout beautifully. Pick up a fishing license at a local tackle shop, and if you’d rather chase moving water, the nearby Nantahala River is one of the top trout streams in the country — it once gave up a 24-pound state-record brown trout.
What else is there to do in the Nantahala area?
Plenty — the lake sits in one of the best outdoor playgrounds in the Southeast. Within a short drive you can raft whitewater, ride world-class mountain-bike trails, and cruise legendary roads.
- Raft or kayak the Nantahala Gorge — dam-released whitewater that’s famously family-friendly, just down the mountain from the lake.
- Ride the Tsali trails — some of the most celebrated mountain biking in the country, on the shores of Fontana Lake.
- Take the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad — a scenic or dinner train through the gorge from Bryson City.
- Fly on a zipline, or hike Joyce Kilmer — one of the last stands of old-growth forest in the East.
- Drive the Cherohala Skyway and the Tail of the Dragon — two of the most famous mountain drives anywhere.
When is the best time to visit Nantahala Lake?
Late spring through early fall is prime for the water — though at 3,000 feet, the lake stays cool and warms later than lowland lakes. Autumn brings spectacular foliage and the best of the scenic drives.
Summer is warmest for swimming and boating; the high elevation means cool air and chilly mornings, so pack a layer. Fall lights up the forest and the Wayah Road and Cherohala drives, and winter is quiet and cold. Whatever the season, an early morning on the lake — fog lifting off the water — is the best time of day to be there.
Where should you stay near Nantahala Lake?
The lake is deep in the forest, so plan to drive to it. Historic Tapoco Lodge, about 45 minutes north in Robbinsville, makes a comfortable base for a Nantahala trip — set on the Cheoah River, in the same national forest.
From the lodge, you can pair a day at the lake with the area’s other headliners — Joyce Kilmer, the Cherohala Skyway, the Tail of the Dragon, and the Cheoah River, all close at hand. The 1930 lodge has riverside cabins and rooms, the Tapoco Tavern, hot tubs, and riverbank fire pits to come back to. It’s a full-service base for exploring the wider forest — the lake included.
However you get to the water, Nantahala Lake rewards the drive — clear, high, and quiet, the way the mountains are meant to feel.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do at Nantahala Lake?
Boating and pontoon rentals, swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding, fishing (including rare Kokanee salmon), hiking the Bartram Trail toward Wayah Bald, driving the scenic Wayah Road, and chasing nearby waterfalls.
Can you fish at Nantahala Lake?
Yes. It’s one of the few North Carolina lakes with freshwater Kokanee salmon, and it also holds rainbow and brown trout, walleye, smallmouth and largemouth bass, and catfish. You’ll need a state fishing license.
Can you rent a boat at Nantahala Lake?
Yes. Marinas on the lake rent motorized and non-motorized watercraft by the day, from pontoons to kayaks and paddleboards.
How high is Nantahala Lake?
About 3,000 feet in elevation, which makes it one of the highest lakes on the East Coast — and keeps the water cool and clear through the summer.
When is the best time to visit Nantahala Lake?
Late spring through early fall for the water, with summer warmest for swimming and boating, and autumn best for foliage and the scenic mountain drives.
Where should you stay near Nantahala Lake?
There are cabins right on the lake, and for a full-service historic base in the wider forest, Historic Tapoco Lodge in Robbinsville is about a 45-minute drive north, on the Cheoah River.
High, clear, and quiet, deep in the forest. That’s Nantahala Lake.
~ The Tapoco Lodge Team
