| Fontana Reservoir |
 click photo to enlarge |
| Map of Fontana Reservoir Area (162kb) |
| Fontana Reservoir |
click photo to enlarge |
| Map of Fontana Reservoir Area (162kb) |
Fontana Reservoir is located in Swain and Graham Counties.
The Northern side of the lake is completely surrounded by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the rest of the shoreline is primarily
National Forest. Fontana reservoir provides some of the best walleye fishing
in the state. There are also
several other game fish including: Black
bass species, sunfish, crappie, catfish, and white bass.
Access: From
Waynesville, follow highway 19 23 west past Bryson City.
Stay on Hwy 19 23 until coming to the junction of 19 23 and Hwy 28 North.
Follow signs to boating access areas.
Boating Access areas are located off of Hwy 28 North at
Tsali and Cable Cove. Both of these
are free access areas for boats and other marine vehicles.
Camping: The
Tsali area offers overnight camping for trailers and tents.
This area has restrooms, showers, drinking water, and 38 miles of horse,
bike and hiking trails. Camping sites are available on a first come first serve basis
and there is a fee required to camp.
The Cable cove area also offers overnight camping for
trailers and tents. This area has
restrooms, water, and hiking trails. These
camping sites also require a fee and are available on a first come first serve
basis.
Comments: This
area is popular among Western North Carolina anglers due to the diversity of
fishing opportunities available. It
is also extremely popular due to the Tsali Mountain Bike trails that have been
featured in several mountain biking magazines.
For more information: Contact the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission at http://www.ncwildlife.org/fs_index_03_fishing.htm for more information on local fishing regulations and license requirements. Trail and local topographic maps are available from:
Cheoah Ranger
District
Route 1, Box 16A
Robbinsville, NC
28771
