Fun Facts
Get to know Lake Tahoe.
Age, size, location, depth, volume... North America's famous mountain lake is full of surprises. No wonder 2 million unique visitors generate 15 million visitor days each year. The more you learn, the more you'll want to discover. You can start by placing your cursor on each question square below to reveal the answer.
Question:
How old is Lake Tahoe?
Answer:
Pretty old. Try two million years old - give or take a few thousand. In fact, it's one of the world's top 20 oldest!
Question:
How big is Lake Tahoe?
Answer:
At 22 miles long, 12 miles wide, and a surface area of 193 sq. miles, it's the largest alpine lake on the North American continent.
Question:
Where is Lake Tahoe?
Answer:
Lake Tahoe covers the Nevada/California border. It is 198 miles northeast of San Francisco, 100 miles northeast of Sacramento and 58 miles southwest of Reno.
Question:
How deep is Lake Tahoe?
Answer:
Put it this way - the Empire State Building wouldn't even break the surface of the water at its deepest point (Crystal Bay at 1,645 feet). Its average depth, however, comes in just shy of 1,000 at 989 feet, making it the third deepest lake in North America.
Question:
What's Lake Tahoe's elevation?
Answer:
On average, the lake's surface is 6,222 feet above sea level. Its highest point on the North Shore is Mt Rose, which is the second highest point around the Tahoe Basin at 10,785 feet.
Question:
What's the water temperature?
Answer:
The upper 12 feet of the lake can warm up to 68°F in the summer. In the winter, the water can drop to an icy 39°F below 600 feet - but won't freeze over.
Question:
How much water is in the lake?
Answer:
An estimated 39.75 trillion gallons. That's enough water to drench California 14.5 inches deep. 1.4 million tons of water evaporates from the lake every day.
Question:
Has Lake Tahoe been on screen?
Answer:
The Godfather II, The Bodyguard and City of Angels have all selected Lake Tahoe as a picturesque backdrop for the big screen, in addition to long-running Western TV series Bonanza.
Question:
How many ski/snowboard resorts are there in the Tahoe area?
Answer:
With 11 ski/snowboard resorts, 167 lifts, and more than 800 trails, there's a unique option for every skill set and traveler.
Question:
Is it sunny at Lake Tahoe?
Answer:
Yes - for an impressive 75% of the year, or 274 days.
Question:
What's Tahoe water famous for?
Answer:
In short, the best and clearest tap water you'll find in the US. Lake Tahoe water is 99.7% pure, about the same as distilled.
Question:
Who lives in Lake Tahoe?
Answer:
15 species of fish, four of them trout, grace Tahoe's waters - potentially alongside a prehistoric monster reminiscent of Scotland's Loch Ness Nessie, lovingly deemed “Tahoe Tessie” by locals.
