FAST FACTS
FAST FACTS
About Lake Tahoe
The average surface of Lake Tahoe is 6226.95 feet above sea level. The highest peak rising directly from the shoreline is Mount Tallac at 9735 feet. The lake is 200 miles northeast of San Francisco, 98 miles northeast of Sacramento and 58 miles southwest of Reno.Lake Tahoe is the largest Alpine lake in North America, measuring 22 miles long and 12 miles wide.The average depth is 989 feet. The deepest point is 1,645 feet. During the summer, the upper 12 feet of the lake can warm to 68 degrees. Below depth of 700 feet and in winter, the temperature remains at 39 degrees. It does not freeze over.Lake Tahoe contains an estimated 39.75 trillion gallons of water. That's enough water to cover the entire state of California to a depth of 14 inches. The water that evaporates daily is 1.4 million tons, enough to supply the needs of 3.5 million people on a daily basis.The water in Lake Tahoe is 99.97 pure, about the same as distilled water. It is so clear that a dinner plate can be visible 75 feet below the surface.The sun shines at Lake Tahoe during 75 percent of the year. Weather in the Sierras can be unpredictable, and snowfall has been recorded in every month of the year.
Source: Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority