Hi - I’m headed to South Lake Tahoe, CA this weekend for the Tahoe Century. I’d like to fit in an open water swim. The lake appears to be the obvious choice, but I hear it’s cold. How cold is it? Also, does anyone have recommendations for a particular beachfront location where the open water is easier to do (i.e. no lifeguards who yell at swimmers beyond the ropes) or even set up with buoys?
Are there other open water locations nearby that aren’t actually Lake Tahoe itself that are recommended?
And if all else fails, what about a pool in the area?
Thanks for any information you can provide!
All the lakes around here were, until recently, snow. Very cold. I’d guess the lake is in the low 50’s right now. We’ve had a lot of sun lately so the top 1/8 inch may be warm. Fallen leaf lake may be a touch warmer, but not much. In Lake Tahoe, any area off of the public beaches is open for swimming. I might recommend going a little outside of town to Camp Richardson - nice long beach area, fairly shallow close in, and lots of other swimmers.
You could brave it - I have friends who are wake boarding now - and it’s tolerable. Just make sure to keep you swims very short and not too far from shore.
I live in North Tahoe area, so I don’t have a pool recommendation. I’d check www.sgol.com.