Tehri Lake: India's Water Sports Capital
Formed by one of the world's tallest dams, Tehri Lake has grown from an engineering project into Uttarakhand's biggest water-sports destination.
Tehri Lake exists because of the Tehri Dam — at 260.5 metres, one of the tallest dams in the world — but the reservoir it created has since become an attraction entirely in its own right, drawing visitors less for the engineering and more for what's now a full water-sports economy built around its unusually deep, clear water.
Water Sports on Tehri Lake
Jet skiing, kayaking, banana boat rides, and speed boating are all commercially operated on the lake, largely concentrated around the New Tehri and Koti Colony areas where operators have set up dedicated launch points. The Tehri Lake Festival, typically held in winter, has become the region's flagship promotional event for these activities, drawing operators, competitions, and a noticeably bigger crowd than the lake sees on an average weekend outside festival dates.
Floating Huts and Overnight Stays
One of the more distinctive recent additions to the lake is a set of floating cottages/huts moored on the water, offering an overnight stay directly on the reservoir rather than at a conventional lakeside hotel — a genuinely novel experience for Uttarakhand, though capacity is limited and advance booking is essential given how few units exist relative to demand.
New Tehri Town
New Tehri, built on higher ground after the original Tehri town was submerged by the reservoir, sits above the lake and offers panoramic views down over the water — worth a stop for the view alone, and a useful base for arranging lake activities if floating-hut accommodation isn't available or preferred.
Best Time to Visit
October to March offers the most comfortable weather for water sports, with clear skies and manageable temperatures for time spent on or near the water. Summer (April-June) is also active for water sports despite the heat, since the lake itself offers a cooling escape from plains temperatures. Monsoon months see reduced water-sports operations and are generally the least recommended window given both weather risk and lower water clarity from runoff.