Seeing Lake Tahoe from a plane
About 1,645 ft deep, the second-deepest lake in the US, sitting at 6,225 ft in the Sierra Nevada. The water is so clear you can see down 60 ft or more. Look for the deep blue against granite peaks, and Emerald Bay's turquoise notch on the southwest shore.
12 of our routes pass it. California · rated 8 of 10
The easy pick
Sacramento to Phoenix: sit on the left, 12 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles to Seattle | Right | 46 min after takeoff |
| Minneapolis to San Francisco | Right | 174 min after takeoff |
| Portland to Los Angeles | Left | 52 min after takeoff |
| Portland to Las Vegas | Right | 56 min after takeoff |
| Sacramento to Las Vegas | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 12 min after takeoff |
| Sacramento to Phoenix | Left | 12 min after takeoff |
| Sacramento to Dallas-Fort Worth | Left | 13 min after takeoff |
| Sacramento to Denver | Left | 14 min after takeoff |
| San Diego to Seattle | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 52 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to New York | Left | 22 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Chicago | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 23 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Los Angeles | Left | 68 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Lake Tahoe from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (8 of 12). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Lake Tahoe from a plane?
Mid-flight: see the table for when on each route.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Sacramento California State Capitol Tower Bridge (Sacramento) Mono Lake Yosemite Valley / Half Dome Los Angeles (LAX) Seattle (SEA) Minneapolis (MSP) San Francisco (SFO) All routes