Winter Paddling Solitude (John Nichols) September 16, 2014 1000 × 800 6th Annual Finalists Kayaker amazed by the grandeur of the exposed rock walls on Fontana Lake. The lake is lowered by as much as 80 feet in the winter making for unique scenery. Photo taken in March 2008 near the point where Noland Creek flows into Fontana Lake.