Fontana Lake water level today 1678.35 ft, falling

Questions people ask about Fontana Lake

Answered from the same readings as the rest of this page. Where we have no basis for an answer, there is no entry — spot-by-spot local knowledge is not something we can claim for Fontana Lake.

Is it worth fishing Fontana Lake today?

6 out of 10 — biting. Worth a cast. The strongest stretch is 10:03 AM–12:03 PM. That number is worked out fresh each morning from the solunar windows, the pressure trend, the water level.

What time should you fish Fontana Lake?

Today's major windows run 10:03 AM–12:03 PM and 10:26 PM–12:26 AM, with minor windows at 3:52 AM–4:52 AM and 5:04 PM–6:04 PM. Sunrise is 7:34 AM and sunset 7:10 PM. A major landing on first or last light is the stretch worth setting an alarm for.

What is the water temperature at Fontana Lake?

No gauge on Fontana Lake measures it, so this is an estimate: roughly 64.7°F, worked out from the 7-day mean of air temperature at NOAA weather station K24A (Jackson County Airport). Checked against the lakes that do have a thermometer, that method lands within about 4.5°F of the real reading and was off by 8.3°F at worst. Treat it as a ballpark, not a measurement — and note the bite index above ignores it entirely, because an error that size would move the verdict as often as it would fix it.

What is the water level at Fontana Lake right now?

1678.35 ft, read at 10:00 AM from NOAA NWPS station FONN7. Over 24 hours it is down 0.64 ft.

Are water levels rising or falling at Fontana Lake?

Falling. The lake is down 0.64 ft in 24 hours and down 5.01 ft over the week. Over the last 8 days it has held between 1678.35 and 1684.31 ft. Every figure here is a difference between two gauge readings, not a forecast — what the level does next depends on rain and on what the dam releases.

Can you eat the fish you catch in Fontana Lake?

That is a health question, and it is answered officially rather than by us. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services publishes the fish consumption advisory covering these waters, where an interactive map covers statewide and per-water advisories, including PFOS on the middle and lower Cape Fear. Read it before you keep a meal — we give no eating advice.

NCDHHS fish consumption advisory

Do you need a licence to fish Fontana Lake?

Yes. A North Carolina fishing license covers this water, required from age 16. NCWRC sets the rules and is the one that counts.

What a North Carolina license costs, and who is exempt

What size fish can you keep in North Carolina?

It depends on the species, and several have slot limits rather than a simple minimum. Open to harvest today: red drum (channel bass, puppy drum), spotted seatrout (speckled trout), black drum, sheepshead. Seasons here change mid-year by agency order, so the status is re-checked every morning.

Red drum (channel bass, puppy drum) limits · Spotted seatrout (speckled trout) limits · Black drum limits · Sheepshead limits · Check a length against the rules