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Santeetlah Lake

Lake Santeetlah · Robbinsville, North Carolina — Graham County.

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2,638Surface acres
5Public access sites
1.4 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 112272833).

Location & fast facts

Where Santeetlah Lake is in North Carolina

The red circle marks Santeetlah Lake.

Fast facts

About Santeetlah Lake

  • County: Graham
  • Cities & towns on the shore: Lake Santeetlah, Robbinsville
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 340 mi from Tallahassee and 369 mi from Jacksonville, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline (North Carolina: incorporated places touching the lake, otherwise the nearest one).

Fishing in North Carolina

Official NCWRC pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Boating. 5 public trailer launches listed (see access)
  • Walking. 1.4 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 39 campgrounds within 15 mi, 1 on the shore (list)

Watch for

  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Lake map

Santeetlah Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Cheoah Point Campground (campground)Avey Creek Boating Access Area (Boat launch)1Boat ramp (Boat launch)2Boat ramp (Boat launch)3Cheoah Point Boating Access Area (Boat launch)4Ranger Station Boating Access Area (Boat launch)51 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Avey Creek Boating Access Area
    Boat launch · Lake Santeetlah
  2. 2Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  3. 3Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  4. 4Cheoah Point Boating Access Area
    Boat launch · Lake Santeetlah
  5. 5Ranger Station Boating Access Area
    Boat launch · Lake Santeetlah

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 112272833), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: NCWRC Boating Access Areas and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

1.4 miTrail within 100 m of shore
Under 5%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
South shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 1.4 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Santeetlah Lake shoreline, mostly along the south shore.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Avey Creek Boating Access Area, right on a shoreline trail (NC Wildlife Resources Commission boating access data).

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Santeetlah Lake

We found 39 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Santeetlah Lake, 4 of them within 5 miles. 1 is right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

14 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in North Carolina

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: Recreation.gov (RIDB) · OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (35.3464, -83.8530). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Santeetlah Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Santeetlah Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in ET (America/New_York), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    5 public access sites listed, 5 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Avey Creek Boating Access AreaLake SanteetlahNC Wildlife Resources CommissionBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating35.3721, -83.9059
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating35.3655, -83.8577
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating35.3653, -83.8404
    Cheoah Point Boating Access AreaLake SanteetlahNC Wildlife Resources CommissionBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating35.3741, -83.8695
    Ranger Station Boating Access AreaLake SanteetlahNC Wildlife Resources CommissionBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating35.3351, -83.8282

    NCWRC Boating Access Areas and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Santeetlah Lake

    How big is Santeetlah Lake?

    Santeetlah Lake covers about 2,638 acres in Lake Santeetlah and Robbinsville, North Carolina (Graham County).

    Is there a public boat launch on Santeetlah Lake?

    Yes. 5 public trailer launches are listed: Avey Creek Boating Access Area, Ranger Station Boating Access Area and Cheoah Point Boating Access Area. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Santeetlah Lake?

    Yes. We list 39 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 4 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Santeetlah Lake?

    Santeetlah Lake touches Lake Santeetlah and Robbinsville in Graham County, North Carolina.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Santeetlah Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All North Carolina lakes & ponds · All waters in Lake Santeetlah