Fontana Lake is west of Bryson City , east of Robbinsville ,NC . It borders the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Nantahala National Forest and is made by the Little Tennessee River dammed by Fontana Dam . Fontana Dam is the tallest dam in the east at 480 feet tall. I have pinged the bottom upstream of the dam at like 450 feet deep.
I recommend when trolling for dolphin or mountain tuna you use blue and white or pink and white feathers and stick between 200-400 feet deep. Weedlines are scarce buy if you find structure fish it . I am thinking about catching a few orcas and bull sharks and releasing them in the lake.
It's also the part time summer home to the only Grady White this side of Asheville! You can access it of off NC28 near Almond at the Almond Boat Park, at Lower Panther Creek road where my boat is right now at Prince Boat Dock, at Yellow Branch, at Cable Cove and Fontana Village Marina. There is a ramp near Bryson City on Lower Alaraka Creek and on the Tuckaseegee River just a mile or so from downtown. Gas is at Prince Boat Dock and Fontana Village. If you want a mountain experience, wide open water,few houses and lots of coves and Creeks to explore then Fontana is your body of water.