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Fontana Lake is a reservoir in North Carolina. Fish documented in the area include Bluegill, Brook Trout, Green Sunfish, and Rock Bass. At around 10,230 acres (about 16 square miles), it is a large waterbody. The deepest point reaches about 440 feet, and the surface sits near 1,703 feet above sea level. LakeRadar pulls readings from a mapped water gauge, so current water data is shown when the station reports. Below you will find an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Other waters in the region include Lake Santeetlah and Lake Nantahala. Check the hourly forecast and activity outlook below before heading out to Fontana Lake.
Updated
Alerts are published by official agencies and shown verbatim. View the official alert source.
High Wind Warning issued October 9 at 11:23AM EDT until October 11 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC
Overall Poor (48/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Fishing (81/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 91/100 across these hours. Wind 2 mph from the east. Dusk hours (19:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 76° | 78° | 80° | 79° | 78° | 76° | 71° | 66° | 64° | 63° | 62° | 61° | 61° | 60° | 58° | 58° | 57° | 56° | 55° | 55° | 54° | 56° | 59° | 62° |
| Wind (kts) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
| Direction | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | SE | SE | SE |
| Gusts (kts) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 8% | 29% | 35% | 42% | 40% | 64% | 81% | 83% | 85% | 87% | 89% | 90% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 1 PM EDT | 76°F | 1 mph E (90°) | 7 mph | 0% | 89% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 2 PM EDT | 78°F | 1 mph E (90°) | 7 mph | 0% | 85% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 3 PM EDT | 80°F | 1 mph E (90°) | 7 mph | 0% | 81% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 4 PM EDT | 79°F | 1 mph E (90°) | 7 mph | 0% | 82% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 5 PM EDT | 78°F | 1 mph E (90°) | 7 mph | 0% | 85% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 PM EDT | 76°F | 1 mph E (90°) | 8 mph | 0% | 84% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 PM EDT | 71°F | 2 mph E (90°) | 8 mph | 0% | 85% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM EDT | 66°F | 3 mph E (90°) | 10 mph | 0% | 91% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM EDT | 64°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 12 mph | 1% | 90% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM EDT | 63°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 14 mph | 1% | 97% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM EDT | 62°F | 5 mph E (90°) | 15 mph | 1% | 97% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM EDT | 61°F | 6 mph E (90°) | 17 mph | 2% | 96% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM EDT | 61°F | 7 mph E (90°) | 17 mph | 8% | 97% | Cloudy |
| Sat, 2 AM EDT | 60°F | 7 mph E (90°) | 18 mph | 29% | 98% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 3 AM EDT | 58°F | 8 mph E (90°) | 18 mph | 35% | 97% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 4 AM EDT | 58°F | 9 mph E (90°) | 21 mph | 42% | 95% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 5 AM EDT | 57°F | 9 mph E (90°) | 21 mph | 40% | 96% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 6 AM EDT | 56°F | 9 mph E (90°) | 23 mph | 64% | 96% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Sat, 7 AM EDT | 55°F | 10 mph E (90°) | 24 mph | 81% | 88% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 8 AM EDT | 55°F | 12 mph E (90°) | 24 mph | 83% | 90% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 9 AM EDT | 54°F | 12 mph E (90°) | 27 mph | 85% | 90% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 10 AM EDT | 56°F | 13 mph ESE (113°) | 27 mph | 87% | 92% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 11 AM EDT | 59°F | 13 mph ESE (113°) | 28 mph | 89% | 93% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 12 PM EDT | 62°F | 14 mph ESE (113°) | 28 mph | 90% | 94% | Rain Showers |
| Sat, 1 PM EDT | 65°F | 14 mph ESE (113°) | 29 mph | 90% | 94% | Rain Showers |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Today October 9, 2026 | Tonight October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 80° | 54° | 72° | 60° | 73° | 58° | 77° | 54° | 84° | 57° | 84° | 57° | 84° | 55° |
| Wind | E 3 mph | E 1 to 9 mph | ESE 9 to 14 mph | SE 12 mph | S 5 to 9 mph | W 2 to 6 mph | NW 3 to 7 mph | NE 2 mph | WSW 2 mph | S 1 mph | N 2 mph | NNE 2 mph | SSE 3 mph | SSE 3 mph |
| Gusts | 7 mph | 21 mph | 30 mph | 31 mph | 21 mph | 16 mph | 15 mph | 10 mph | 9 mph | 7 mph | 6 mph | 7 mph | 7 mph | 7 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 42% | 90% | 83% | 83% | 63% | 35% | 1% | 0% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 7% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Fontana Lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Nearby river temperature: 62.8°F at LITTLE RIVER ABOVE TOWNSEND, TN (15.7 mi away) · Oct 9, 5:00 PM UTC
Good for fishing (81/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 1 mph from the east. 0% chance of precipitation. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Very Poor / Avoid for boating (30/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 1 mph from the east. Gusts to 7 mph. Working against it: Active severe alert: High Wind Warning. High Wind Warning, Wind Advisory are in effect for this lake. Boating scores are capped at 30. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Very Poor / Avoid for sailing (30/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Gusts exceed sustained wind by 6 mph, making the breeze puffy. 0% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Wind 1 mph is light; expect limited sailing. Active severe alert: High Wind Warning. High Wind Warning, Wind Advisory are in effect for this lake. Sailing scores are capped at 30. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Very Poor / Avoid for kayaking (30/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 1 mph from the east. Gusts to 7 mph. Working against it: Active severe alert: High Wind Warning. High Wind Warning, Wind Advisory are in effect for this lake. Kayaking scores are capped at 30. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of NC Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
A staple of freshwater recreation in NC & TN, Fontana Lake draws paddlers, powerboaters, and anglers seeking time on the water. The surrounding geography creates dynamic wind patterns and diverse aquatic structure suitable for sport fishing. Watercraft access and shoreline recreation areas are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Bluegill, Brook Trout, Green Sunfish, Rock Bass. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Mild year-round outdoor climate. Uncrowded waters, active winter bass and crappie fishing, and open year-round boat launch access.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Fontana Lake is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 1:19 PM EDT