Why am I out of breath in Tahoe?

Lake Tahoe sits at 6,200 feet in elevation, where there is about 20 percent less oxygen per breath than there is at sea level. For those coming to Lake Tahoe from sea level, it will take three weeks for the body to fully acclimate, as every 1,000 feet requires 3.28 days for acclimation.



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Prevention is the best way to avoid altitude or mountain sickness, so here are a few tips to help you adjust to higher altitudes in Lake Tahoe.
  1. Drink plenty of water. ...
  2. Reduce physical activity. ...
  3. Monitor alcohol consumption. ...
  4. Eat foods that are high in carbohydrates. ...
  5. Eat iron-rich foods before traveling.


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The higher up you go, the thinner the atmosphere gets. That means breathing in the same amount of air gets you less oxygen than at a lower altitude. Altitude sickness happens when your body has trouble adjusting to the difference in how much oxygen you're getting with each breath.

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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.

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Nestled in the Sierra Nevada and straddling the California/Nevada border, Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the United States after Crater Lake, Oregon. Lake Tahoe is the fourth deepest lake in North America and the sixteenth deepest lake in the world. The maximum depth of Lake Tahoe is 1,644.1 feet.

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The surface water ranges from 40 degrees in winter to about 70 in summer. With that being said, July on average has the warmest waters. This is followed by August and September where they fluctuate between 65-70 degrees.

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Tahoe peaks at around 70 degrees in the summer, hardly a tropical affair. “It's a little colder, too cold for a lot of people unless you're wearing a wetsuit,” says Amy Hagen, co-owner of Reno's Adventure Scuba, where snorkelers often shop for gear. “You really need a wetsuit.”

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Now, researchers report that Tahoe is the clearest it's been in 40 years—and it's thanks to tiny zooplankton that gobble up the particles that make the water cloudy.

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