<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2009-05-28</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001050112</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ANTHRACITE CAPITAL INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>AHR</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001432152</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Rifkin Andrew P.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O ANTHRACITE CAPITAL, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>40 EAST 52ND STREET</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10022</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2009-05-28</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>18125</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>77844</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2009-05-13</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>78844</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Quarterly payment in shares of Anthracite Capital, Inc. (the &quot;Company&quot;) Common Stock of $75,000 annual retainer for reporting person as an Unaffiliated Director. The quarterly payment is made on the eleventh day of the applicable Window Period (as defined below) or as promptly as practicable thereafter so long as the reporting person is still serving as an Unaffiliated Director on the date of such payment. All director compensation for Mr. Rifkin is delivered to DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners IV, L.P.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The number of shares of Common Stock payable under the retainer for a quarter is calculated by dividing the quarterly retainer amount by the average of the opening and closing prices of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange during the first 10 trading days of the Window Period (as defined in the Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement, dated as of March 31, 2008, between the Company and BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.) in the subsequent quarter.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Annual grant of 1,000 shares of restricted Common Stock to each independent director made on the date of the 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company. Such shares will vest and be issued on December 20, 2009.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Richard M. Shea as Attorney-in-Fact for Andrew P. Rifkin</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2009-06-01</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
