Every Boat Ramp on Fontana Lake

About Fontana Lake

Fontana Lake is the deepest lake in North Carolina at 440 feet, a dramatic TVA reservoir stretching 29 miles through the Great Smoky Mountains in the far western corner of the state. With 238 miles of almost entirely undeveloped shoreline bordered by Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Nantahala National Forest, Fontana offers a wilderness boating and fishing experience unmatched anywhere in the Southeast.

The lake's deep, clear water supports an outstanding coldwater and warmwater fishery. Smallmouth bass are the primary draw, thriving along the rocky points, bluffs, and submerged boulders throughout the lake. Walleye and musky provide trophy fishing opportunities in the deeper channels, while brown trout are found near the colder tributary inflows. Largemouth bass inhabit the warmer upper reaches and creek arms, and crappie fishing is productive in spring around submerged timber and brush.

Fontana Dam, at 480 feet tall, is the tallest dam in the eastern United States and a tourist attraction in its own right. The lake is accessible from Bryson City and Fontana Village Resort, with several public boat ramps and marinas serving anglers and recreational boaters. The remote mountain setting, combined with the absence of shoreline development, makes Fontana Lake a bucket-list destination for anglers seeking solitude and stunning scenery alongside world-class fishing.

Nearest towns: Bryson City, Fontana Dam, Robbinsville