Emerald Bay - Lake Tahoe, NV -
Directly above Fannette Island
Geography Location Lake TahoeCoordinates
38.9540745°N 120.1004631°WCoordinates:
38.9540745°N 120.1004631°W
Fannette Island is the only island in
Lake Tahoe,
California/
Nevada,
United States. It lies within
Emerald Bay, on the California side of the lake. Over a long period of time, it was called many different names, including Coquette, Fanette, Baranoff, Dead Man's, Hermit's, and Emerald Isle. Fannette Island is a part of
Emerald Bay State Park. It is accessible by boat, canoe, or kayak. Swimming to the island is not allowed, due to hazards including extremely cold waters and boat traffic in the area.
The ruins of a small stone building stand on the island. This ruin is the "Tea House", constructed by Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight, the owner of
Vikingsholm.
Fannette Island was the home of Captain **** "Them's my toes" Barter from 1863 to 1873. The eccentric captain had moved from England and built his own tomb and chapel on the island. He enjoyed sailing but almost died when caught in a sudden storm rowing back to the island. He survived by tying himself to his dinghy and riding out the storm. Unfortunately he got frostbite in two toes and earned his nickname from his penchant of showing his
self-amputated toes to guests. Ironically, he was never interred in the chapel he built, as he was lost in a storm off
Rubicon Point in 1873.