Sooner or later, you will see almost every color of the rainbow displayed by Lake Tahoe. Many factors are at work when you gaze upon this heavenly jewel. The purity of the water, it's immense depth, the clarity of the atmosphere at more than 6,200 feet above sea level, all combine with a reflective sky to give the lake its varied and intense colors.

On a clear summer afternoon, she displays the most brilliant blues and greens one may ever see. From just a few hundred feet above her surface you will see the colors change with the depth of the water.

From the surface of the lake on a boat, one might swear they were rowing around in a pool of ink were it not for the fact that one can clearly see well into the depths.

In the shallower areas of the lake, she reflects the sun's rays with her bed of white sand with an emerald color accented by the clarity of crystal. One can easily see to depths of over 100 feet.

One of the most determining factors that influence the colors Tahoe displays, is the sky above. On a clear autumn evening the lake shows off pastel blues and pinks. Fill the sky with clouds, and the lake shows off a shade of gray or silver rarely found elsewhere. Scarlets and deep oranges are the colors of a summer sunset.

Sunrise is no spectacle to be missed: With brilliant pinks and oranges, the sun's rays slowly reveal the many beauties of the lake.

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