Homewood Live Cam

Location - Lake Tahoe, nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, is 40 minutes southwest of Reno. Bisected by the Nevada-California border, one-third of the lake is in Nevada.

Size - Approximately 22 miles long and 12 miles wide, Lake Tahoe boasts 72 miles of scenic coastline. It takes approximately three hours to drive around. One of the deepest lakes in the world, Lake Tahoe's average depth is placed at 1,000 feet, while its deepest point is 1,645 feet. If the Sears Tower, the world's tallest office building, was placed at the bottom of the lake, there would still be nearly 200 feet of water to spare.

History - Captain John C. Fremont, guided by Kit Carson, is credited with being the first white man to discover this spectacular region in 1844. It's name, Tahoe, was officially adopted by the California state legislature in 1945, and comes from the Washoe Indian dialect meaning "big water." Many of the forests surrounding the lake were leveled in the 1860s to provide valuable lumber for mine tunnel supports in the Comstock Lode at Virginia City.

Elevation - The average surface elevation is 6,225 feet above sea level, making it the highest lake of its size in the United States. The highest mountain peaks surrounding the lake are Mt. Rose at 10,776 feet and Mt. Tallac at 9,735 feet.

Water Features - With the average water visibility of 125 feet, Lake Tahoe is 99.7 percent pure, cleaner than drinking water in most U.S. cities. Water temperatures vary little in the deeper portions of the lake. However, water surface temperatures can cool to 40-50 degrees in the winter and warm to 65-70 in the summer. Lake Tahoe's only outlet is the Truckee River which flows east through the Truckee Meadows and drains into Pyramid Lake located 32 miles northeast of Reno.

Major Population Centers - The lake possesses four major population centers along wlth several smaller communities. On Tahoe's north shore, Nevada side, is Incline Village and Crystal Bay, a resort and residential area hosting a golf course and Diamond Peak Ski Resort. Nearby in California is Tahoe City, where the Truckee River is formed by the lake's only outlet. Stateline, located in Nevada on the south shore, is home to several four-star hotels and elegant casinos. Next door in California is South Lake Tahoe, the area's largest residential and business community.

Recreation - You name it and Lake Tahoe has it: water sports, mountain sports, gaming and entertainment. A myriad of first class hotels and casinos provide the finest in entertainment, accommodations and dining. Listed below are a few of the recreational opportunities this area affords.

Activity # of Locations - An angler's heaven, Lake Tahoe is home to many fish species: mountain trout, rainbow trout, German brown trout, speckled trout, mackinaw trout, mountain whitefish and the kokanee salmon.