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Fun Facts About Lake James
In its June 2012 issue, Charlotte Magazine touted Lake James as one of the best the South has to offer. “When locals talk about Lake James, they first mention the water, usually using the same two words: crystal clear. Located at the base of the Linville Gorge, North Carolina’s ‘Grand Canyon,’ Lake James is filled with the kind of pure mountain H2O you though you could only find in the bottled-beverage section of your grocery store. After you marvel at the water, drink in the scenery – Linville Falls, Wiseman’s View, Pisgah Nation Forest – in short, some of the most spectacular landscape in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.”
- Located between Charlotte and Asheville, North Carolina
- Created in 1916 and regulated by Duke Power
- Hosts the 31.5 megawatt Bridgewater Hydro Station
- Uppermost lake on the Catawba River system
- Exceptionally clean, mountain-fed water with Lake James recently recognized as one of the cleanest lakes in North Carolina
- Fully recreational lake with boating, water skiing, jet skiing, swimming, kayaking and other fun activities
- Lake level is managed to a targeted 4-foot range
- 6,812 acres in size and over 150 miles of shoreline
- Nearly half the shoreline, 72 miles, are state and public lands and remain undeveloped
- 1200 feet in elevation
- 150 feet deep at the Catawba Dam
- Lake James State Park, with over 3,500 acres on the southern shore, is North Carolina’s largest waterfront state park
- Four public boat launches and below the hydroelectric dam, a tailrace fishing and canoe access area
- Filming location for scenes in Hunt for Red October and Last of the Mohicans
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