On one of their day-trips, Terry and Ed stopped by Fontana Lake
(picture by Terry). Fontana Lake has been called the best-kept
secret in the mountains. The 29-mile long, 11,700-acre Tennessee
Valley Authority (TVA) lake has more than 240 miles of shoreline.
And its deep, cold waters provide the ideal habitat for a variety of
fish. In fact, record size muskie and walleye have been pulled from its
depths. And many believe it’s one of the best smallmouth bass fishing
lakes in the country, including the Fisherman’s Bass Tournament
Circuit, which held its annual Hall of Fame Classic at Fontana in Fall
2001. Fontana Lake is unique in many ways. Unlike most lakes in
the area, shoreline development has been kept to a minimum. More than
90 percent of the land around the Lake is owned by either the National
Park Service or the US Forest Service. Fontana Lake provides
a number of recreational diversions including fishing, boating and
water skiing. And the scenery from the lake is unmatched. Those
fortunate enough to go boating on Fontana Lake have a unique
perspective of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At places the
view is unobstructed from the lake level to the top of towering
Clingmans Dome, the Park's highest peak.
