ABOUT
Deep Creek Lake, Maryland's largest freshwater lake, was built in 1925 as a hydro-electric plant. With 65 miles of shoreline nestled in the mountains of Garrett County, the lake has become the mid-Atlantic's premiere four-season resort area. Located in western Maryland, the lake is only a short 2-3 hour drive from the Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Pittsburgh areas. With Deep Creek's incredible scenery and peaceful setting, many people have nicknamed it the "Lake Tahoe of the East" - due to its numerous climatic similarities to the popular resort out west.

       Wisp Resort - Information about the Wisp Resort

       Deep Creek Times - Online source of Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County

Frequently Ask Questions 

1.  How big is Deep Creek Lake and what is the lake really like?
The lake is approximately 12 miles long with 65 miles of shoreline. The deepest point is approximately 75 feet, with an average depth of 25 feet. Surface temperatures generally top out in the low 70's in the summer.

2.  Who actually owns and manages Deep Creek Lake?
The state of Maryland actually owns the lake bed, the water, and the Buffer Strip of land around the entire lake. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages and patrols the lake. Brookfield Power owns the dam and hydro-electric facility. The Maryland Department of Environment regulates how much water Brookfield Power can release from the lake -ensuring proper lake levels throughout the boating season.

3.  What are the boating restrictions on Deep Creek Lake?
Boating restrictions are numerous but the main ones are as follows:

• No boats longer than 26 feet are permitted (excluding pontoons)
• No speed restrictions except in designated areas
• No Personal Water Craft (PVC's) or Jet Skis are permitted on the lake between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays between the 4th of July and Labor Day weekend.
• Anyone born after 1972 must complete a ½ day Boater Safety Course to be eligible to operate any type of watercraft.

4.  How many houses are around Deep Creek Lake? While the number of houses fluctuates, there are approximately 1,800 homes around the 65 miles of shoreline and another 700 homes with access to the lake and in the general watershed vicinity.  In all, there are currently 6,574 properties in tax district 18, also known as the Deep Creek Lake District..

5.  What are the temperatures and climate really like there?
Since Garrett County and Deep Creek Lake are at an elevation between 2,400-3,000 feet above sea level, the outside air temperature is usually 5-10 degrees cooler than the surrounding metropolitan areas. If it's 90 in Baltimore - it usually is in the low 80's here. This allows people to escape the heat and humidity of the city in the summer. In the winter this results in more snow with an annual average of approximately 90 inches, since they started keeping records. Some winters result in more snow than others.  In fact, two of the past three winters have produced more than 200 inches of snow!

6.  What activities are available?
The easier question to answer would be "what isn't there to do?" The activities available in Garrett County and Deep Creek are numerous - much more than other resort areas in the east. Activities include, but are not limited to, the following - Alpine (Downhill) Skiing, ATV (Four Wheeler) Riding, Backpacking, Biking, Bird Watching, Boating, Camping, Canoeing, Cross County Skiing, Dogsledding, Fishing/Ice Fishing, Fly Fishing, Kayaking, Golf, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Hunting, Ice Climbing, Mountain Biking, Orienteering, Rappelling, Rock Climbing, Rollerblading, Sailing, Scuba Diving, Sledding & Tubing, Snowboarding, Snowmobiling, Snowshoeing, Skateboarding, Swimming, Tennis, Wakeboarding, Water-skiing, Whitewater Rafting, and Windsurfing.

7.  What are the restaurants and night life like? There are nearly 50 restaurants in the Deep Creek Lake area, ranging from franchises to fine cuisine to good old fashioned family restaurants. The nightlife revolves around the various bars, taverns, and night clubs around the lake. If you are looking for more family-friendly things to do, the area boasts a state-of-the-art eight-screen movie theatre in addition to a few family arcades with go-karts, mini golf, and laser tag.

8.  Are there any arts and cultural activities?
There's plenty of that stuff, too. Not only does the Garrett Lakes Arts Festival run throughout the summer, but the town of Oakland has the weekly Little Yough Summer Music Festival that's held every Friday. And Our Town Theatre puts on various plays and productions throughout the year as well.

9.  I really like the creature comforts of my primary residence: what services are available to me?
Don't worry, your cell phone will work up here in the mountains. Other than a few dead spots in the county, you should be able to get good signals wherever you are. Also, while not available everywhere yet, many communities and homes now have access to high speed internet - whether it's a DSL line or a cable modem.

10.  What plans are in the works for improvements to the Wisp Ski Resort and additional public sewer service around the lake?
Most of the improvements are planned to take place at Wisp Ski Resort on the northern end of Deep Creek Lake. The Wisp Ski Resort continues to add new trails, ski-able terrain, and higher capacity chair lifts. This has resulted in less wait time and overall better skiing conditions. In addition, atop Marsh Mountain and adjacent to the Wisp Ski Resort you will be able to enjoy the new Adventure Sports Center. This facility will better organize and allow more people to participate in various adventure sports - like mountain bike riding and cross county skiing. As for public sewer, the officials of Garrett County have set a goal to have the entire Deep Creek Lake watershed on public sewer by the year 2030. While the current system is currently at full capacity, the expansion is in the early planning stages.

11.  Is Deep Creek Lake turning into Ocean City? No.  Even though Deep Creek Lake has grown over the years, it is still a peaceful mountain getaway. With the current zoning regulations and a scarcity of available commercial property, it's hard to ever imagine Deep Creek Lake turning into a highly commercialized resort.