Things to Do
Boating Lake Tillery
Eighteen miles of navigable water, protected coves at both ends, and a causeway crossing in the middle that everyone uses as a landmark.
Where to go
Reading the lake
The middle lake around the NC 24/27 causeway is the widest, busiest water and the natural place for skiing and wakeboarding early in the day. North of there the lake narrows into river-like water with less traffic and more wildlife. South toward the dam it opens again with long views.
Coves throughout hold flat water even on busy afternoons, which is why families with young children tend to anchor rather than run.
- Mid-lake causeway area for open water
- Upper lake for quiet cruising
- Southern basin for long views
- Coves for anchoring and swimming
Safety
Rules, wakes, and courtesy
North Carolina requires vessel registration and life jackets for children under 13 while underway. Observe no-wake zones near ramps, marinas, and residential docks — on a lake this size, a careless wake reaches somebody's boathouse.
Watch for floating debris after heavy upstream rain; it is the most common cause of damage here.
- Registration through NC Wildlife Resources Commission
- No-wake near docks, ramps, and marinas
- Life jackets for children under 13
- Debris after upstream rain
- Navigation lights after sunset
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