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● Largest Alpine Lake in North America
● Current Altitude: 6228' (September 2011)
● Altitude History: Maximum: 6231' (1907), New Max Legal: 6229', Ave: 6225'
● Visibility: 40 to 80 feet
● Year round temperature: 38° F (winter) to 68° F (summer)
● Temperature depends on depth and location but is appx 50° to 68° F (September 2011)
● Deepest Depth: 1645'
● Distance around Tahoe: 72 miles
● Width: 22 miles
● Length: 12 miles
● Surface Area: 192 square miles
● Located in both Nevada and California
● Second Deepest Lake in the US (Crater Lake is the deepest)
● Tahoe's Deepest Open Circuit Scuba Dive: 400 feet (actual depth)
WARNING: Scuba
diving at Lake Tahoe requires special knowledge of HIGH ALTITUDE
DIVING PROCEDURES. Serious injury or death can result (and has
resulted) at Tahoe if a diver is not familiar with the vastly
significant differences between ocean diving and scuba diving at
altitude, including much shorter no-stop time limits. High altitude
scuba diving at Lake Tahoe involves more than just reducing time
limits, looking at a conversion table or following a dive computer.
So if you are not certified as a high altitude scuba diver or are
not extremely familiar with high altitude diving procedures, please
contact your dive store for assistance, or take a
high altitude diving scuba certification class.
Important Note: Nevada has a DIVE FLAG LAW that has a misdemeanor criminal penalty if it is not followed. Park Rangers and other officers have written citations to divers not following the law even when the diver has been inside a designated swim area. The law requires divers to display the red and white diver's flag that is at least 1 foot by 1 foot in size within 100 feet of where they are diving. The flag must be attached to either a float, buoy or boat in a manner that is visible to approaching vessels. The flag is required whenever scuba divers (and possibly skin divers as the law is vague) are diving or swimming below the water. When diving between sunset and sunrise, a light is also required to be attached to the light. When not diving, the dive flag is not to be displayed. (Nevada Revised Statute § 488.310)
● Current Altitude: 6228' (September 2011)
● Altitude History: Maximum: 6231' (1907), New Max Legal: 6229', Ave: 6225'
● Visibility: 40 to 80 feet
● Year round temperature: 38° F (winter) to 68° F (summer)
● Temperature depends on depth and location but is appx 50° to 68° F (September 2011)
● Deepest Depth: 1645'
● Distance around Tahoe: 72 miles
● Width: 22 miles
● Length: 12 miles
● Surface Area: 192 square miles
● Located in both Nevada and California
● Second Deepest Lake in the US (Crater Lake is the deepest)
● Tahoe's Deepest Open Circuit Scuba Dive: 400 feet (actual depth)
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Weather and Forecast: NOAA weather forecast for Lake Tahoe Hourly conditions (and forecast) for Tahoe City |
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Important Note: Nevada has a DIVE FLAG LAW that has a misdemeanor criminal penalty if it is not followed. Park Rangers and other officers have written citations to divers not following the law even when the diver has been inside a designated swim area. The law requires divers to display the red and white diver's flag that is at least 1 foot by 1 foot in size within 100 feet of where they are diving. The flag must be attached to either a float, buoy or boat in a manner that is visible to approaching vessels. The flag is required whenever scuba divers (and possibly skin divers as the law is vague) are diving or swimming below the water. When diving between sunset and sunrise, a light is also required to be attached to the light. When not diving, the dive flag is not to be displayed. (Nevada Revised Statute § 488.310)
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Altitude Information for Dive Planning |
| Lake Tahoe: 6,229' |
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Pre-Dive Altitudes: Sacramento: 25' Reno: 4,412' Carson City: 4,677' |
Post-Dive Altitudes: Donner Pass (Hwy 80): 7,085' Spooner Pass: 7,156' Brockway Pass: 7,179' Mt. Rose (SR 431): 8,911' |
Dive Locations:
Rubicon Point (California):
The granite wall of Rubicon is one of the most popular dives at Tahoe. It is a wall dive that with large rock and boulder formations. Due to the bottom depth of the wall being beyond sport diving limits at many hundreds of feet, this beautiful dive should be considered for advanced divers only. Rubicon is most easily dived from a boat, but it is also accessible from the beach at California's D.L. Bliss State Park - which is located just north of Emerald Bay on Highway 89 on the southwest side of Tahoe.
SunnySide (California):
SunnySide is on the west side of Lake Tahoe on Highway 89 and is located approximately 1.2 miles from Tahoe City right next to the SunnySide restaurant across from the William Kent campground. The parking is very limited, but there are seasonal restrooms at this small California Park. SunnySide is a deep dive with a silt bottom. Many divers will do their advanced class deep dives at this location. But beware, it can be a heavy boat traffic area although there is a small swim beach at this location.
Hurricane Bay (California):
Hurricane Bay is located approximately 3.6 miles from Tahoe City and 1.4 miles from the SunnySide Restaurant on the east side of Tahoe. The walk from the roadside parking is very short. While shallow diving is possible very close to the shore, the depth drops very quickly (and almost immediately) and should be considered a deep dive for experienced advanced divers as it is very easy to accidentally go deep if not well planned. The bottom composition varies and is silt on the bottom. There are very large logs that can be found as well as a sail boat that lies in about 60 feet of water (actual depth). There are no amenities at this location and there can also be boat traffic at this location.
Sand Harbor (Nevada):
Sand Harbor is a Nevada State Park with many amenities. Sand Harbor is located on the east shore of Lake Tahoe approximately 5 few miles south of Incline Village on Highway 28. Scuba diving is done in the cove between the boat launch cove and the long beach. Divers have claimed the name to this location as Diver's Cove. The bottom composition is sand and has a variety of depths. The depth gradually increases until it starts dramatically getting deeper at approximately 60 feet (the depth varies depending on the divers location). Please note there is an entrance fee and you must have a dive flag or risk being issued a citation by the park rangers - even if you are in the swim area where boats are prohibited.
Patton Beach (Carnelian Bay, California):
Patton Beach is located in Carnelian Bay right across the street from the miniature golf course. This site has restroom that are supposed to be open year round - but often they are not. This is a relatively shallow dive and is a popular location for night diving. Because it is shallow, it is easy to swim a long distance from shore without realizing it. So be mindful of the swim back as well as possible boat traffic as there is a marina right next to the beach.
Cave Rock (Nevada):
This is an easy location to find since it is right next to ... yes, the highway going through a brief rock tunnel. This is a Nevada State Park so there is an entrance fee to get in. This is a popular boat launch location, but there is a swim beach at the south end of the parking lot. The amenities at this location are limited to restrooms.
Rubicon Point (California):
The granite wall of Rubicon is one of the most popular dives at Tahoe. It is a wall dive that with large rock and boulder formations. Due to the bottom depth of the wall being beyond sport diving limits at many hundreds of feet, this beautiful dive should be considered for advanced divers only. Rubicon is most easily dived from a boat, but it is also accessible from the beach at California's D.L. Bliss State Park - which is located just north of Emerald Bay on Highway 89 on the southwest side of Tahoe.
SunnySide (California):
SunnySide is on the west side of Lake Tahoe on Highway 89 and is located approximately 1.2 miles from Tahoe City right next to the SunnySide restaurant across from the William Kent campground. The parking is very limited, but there are seasonal restrooms at this small California Park. SunnySide is a deep dive with a silt bottom. Many divers will do their advanced class deep dives at this location. But beware, it can be a heavy boat traffic area although there is a small swim beach at this location.
Hurricane Bay (California):
Hurricane Bay is located approximately 3.6 miles from Tahoe City and 1.4 miles from the SunnySide Restaurant on the east side of Tahoe. The walk from the roadside parking is very short. While shallow diving is possible very close to the shore, the depth drops very quickly (and almost immediately) and should be considered a deep dive for experienced advanced divers as it is very easy to accidentally go deep if not well planned. The bottom composition varies and is silt on the bottom. There are very large logs that can be found as well as a sail boat that lies in about 60 feet of water (actual depth). There are no amenities at this location and there can also be boat traffic at this location.
Sand Harbor (Nevada):
Sand Harbor is a Nevada State Park with many amenities. Sand Harbor is located on the east shore of Lake Tahoe approximately 5 few miles south of Incline Village on Highway 28. Scuba diving is done in the cove between the boat launch cove and the long beach. Divers have claimed the name to this location as Diver's Cove. The bottom composition is sand and has a variety of depths. The depth gradually increases until it starts dramatically getting deeper at approximately 60 feet (the depth varies depending on the divers location). Please note there is an entrance fee and you must have a dive flag or risk being issued a citation by the park rangers - even if you are in the swim area where boats are prohibited.
Patton Beach (Carnelian Bay, California):
Patton Beach is located in Carnelian Bay right across the street from the miniature golf course. This site has restroom that are supposed to be open year round - but often they are not. This is a relatively shallow dive and is a popular location for night diving. Because it is shallow, it is easy to swim a long distance from shore without realizing it. So be mindful of the swim back as well as possible boat traffic as there is a marina right next to the beach.
Cave Rock (Nevada):
This is an easy location to find since it is right next to ... yes, the highway going through a brief rock tunnel. This is a Nevada State Park so there is an entrance fee to get in. This is a popular boat launch location, but there is a swim beach at the south end of the parking lot. The amenities at this location are limited to restrooms.
