Loading Page...

Can you drink water out of Lake Tahoe?

The water in Lake Tahoe is of excellent quality, and our community treatment plants are designed to remove or inactivate microorganisms, meeting exacting standards .



People Also Ask

The water is 99.994% pure, making it one of the purest large lakes in the world. For comparison, commercially distilled water is 99.998% pure. Tahoe contains roughly 60 parts per million of dissolved matter.

MORE DETAILS

First of all, Lake Tahoe's only natural outlet, the Truckee River, carries water into Nevada, not California, where it terminates at Pyramid Lake. This means there are no legal water rights to use Tahoe water in California, aside from a few local uses along the river's path to Nevada.

MORE DETAILS

Here's an oft-asked question: Can you swim in Lake Tahoe? The answer is yes, especially if cool/cold water is your thing! And, if you look at all the water sports outfitters and popular beaches in the area, it's clear that it's absolutely a preferred thing to do in Tahoe for a lot of people.

MORE DETAILS

Since 1950, development of homes, hotels, casinos, ski resorts and urban infrastructure has increased the amounts of sediment entering the lake, causing algae growth and reducing the lake's clarity.

MORE DETAILS

The high elevation of the lake makes physical exertion more difficult also. Swimming in the morning hours with a wet suit is recommended if you plan on that long of a swim away from shore.

MORE DETAILS

Compared to other lakes, Tahoe's cast of aquatic characters is fairly small. Among those you can see with the naked eye, there are several species of trout (rainbow, brook, brown and lake), the Kokanee salmon, crayfish, mysis shrimp, and a few other near-shore and bottom-dwelling fish.

MORE DETAILS

Why is the Lake so blue? Tahoe's clean air and water are the keys to the Lake's dazzling blue color. The surface of Lake Tahoe is blue in part because it's reflecting the sky, but there is more to this phenomenon. Water as crystal clear as Tahoe's absorbs red light, leaving the rich blue color that we all see.

MORE DETAILS

Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada The water of this long-existent lake is the cleanest in North America, making it one of the cleanest lakes in the United States.

MORE DETAILS

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Experts say it won't freeze this year and likely never has in human memory. That's because Lake Tahoe is deep — very deep. At 1,645 feet, it is the second-deepest lake in the United States. Before a lake can freeze, the water from top to bottom has to lose heat built up in the warmer months.

MORE DETAILS

Cold Water – Defined as water that is 70 degrees and below. Tahoe water temps range from 40 degrees in winter to 70 degrees in summer. Lake Tahoe water is always cold!

MORE DETAILS

Portions of the lake have interesting gyres, coupled with upwelling that can toss a swimmer around. Lake Tahoe is not a simple lake. Do not dismiss her as such. You can expect to swim in the dark and hopefully in sunny weather as well!

MORE DETAILS

The native trout eventually disappeared from Lake Tahoe due to overfishing, damage to spawning tributaries caused by pollution, logging, water diversions, and the introduction of nonnative species.

MORE DETAILS

Musicians young and not so young call Tahoe home, finding the clear melted snow cradled in mountains inspiring enough to put down their own roots. Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Cher, Liza Minelli, Alanis Morissette, Mike Love and James Hetfield are just a few of those musicians.

MORE DETAILS

Lake Tahoe is a popular summer destination thanks to its beaches and a popular winter vacation spot thanks to its slopes. Lake Tahoe is a popular summer destination thanks to its beaches and a popular winter vacation spot thanks to its slopes.

MORE DETAILS

The largest alpine lake in North America is the clearest it has been in more than 40 years — and the credit goes to microscopic animals. Lake Tahoe, a popular tourist destination that sits on the border of California and Nevada, receives more than 15 million visitors a year, according to the Lake Tahoe Tourism Board.

MORE DETAILS