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Lake Research

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One of my friends is trying to do some writing research, so I am asking on her behalf.

She is looking for a lake in US, preferably somewhere warm, so it can be a summer home. The lake must be swimmable and have clear to semi-clear water for story reasons, so it can’t be completely opaque or filled with algae, and it must allow private ownership, because the property has to have a dock. She was asking about our local Canyon Lake originally, but Canyon Lake is managed by the US Corps of Engineers and you can’t have a private dock, you can only use public access.

The property also needs to be at least somewhat reasonable price-wise, because her family is middle class, so a $3,000,000 lake “cabin” is right out. They don’t own the entire lake, just a property on the shore.

Any thoughts?

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  1. Pretty much any lake in the Adirondacks (upstate NY) would work. I’d suggest Lake George or Saranac Lake.

      • Lake George is so clear you can see artifacts ???? was to be my first suggestion!! We summered there every year when I was a kid until my dad eventually moved there…

      • Star Lake in Adks. It’s West of the High Peaks and less pricey. Also, I find the water there to be clearer than the big lakes. But yay for all places Adirondack! Other favorite is Lake Ninevah in Vermont.

    • +1 For Lake George, although it’s only warm in the summer. July 4th fireworks over the lake are amazing. Bolton Landing’s another good option.

    • Lake Tahoe is known for exceptionally clear water

      No idea what the real estate costs there

      • “is Lake Tahoe warm enough to swim? Swimming in Lake Tahoe is an exhilarating experience. Note: Lake Tahoe is so deep, it never really gets hot. … Lake Tahoe’s average surface temperature in the summer is 63 degrees Fahrenheit, and can drop to 53 degrees Fahrenheit just 18 inches below the surface.”

        🙂 That’s wetsuit temperature. She is looking for a warm summer swimming hole.

            • I’m just loving the fact you know so much about our lake!

              And not disagreeing with any of it!

            • Us Northern Californians swim in our oceans and our big blue lake with glee. We are tougher than people realize.
              Ok, the guy who invented wetsuits was from here, too, and my kids had shortie suits for playing in the ocean now, the wimps.

            • It’s warmer along the shallower lake edges especially South Shore but too pricey for your friend’s needs.

              Lake George in upstate NY is fantastic in Summer.

              What about the NY Finger lakes? I can’t recall how clear the water is, but I saw many homes with private docks during a visit. At one Lake, residents would boat over to a restaurant on the other side of the lake. So charming!

        • No it is absolutely not warm enough to swim! It’s snow melt. I grew up round there and swam as a kid all the time. As an adult no way it’s freezing!

        • Lake Tahoe can swim in the summer. We do. But real estate on the lake is not affordable.

    • I love that the Adirondacks were mentioned first, but go deeper into them. Raquette Lake is the best! We used to own a boat-access only property there and it was wonderful.

    • +1 for the Adirondacks. Lake George can be very touristy i.e a lot of boat rentals and weekend vacationers at hotels, cabins, camp grounds, etc and leans more towards that than actual lake front home owners. There are a ton of other smaller lakes in the area that are a bit quieter, so it depends on what kind of setting is required. I have family that has a cabin on the Great Sacandaga Lake which is a bit smaller and less developed. The water can be clear at times up to about 6-8 ft depth, but beyond that gets murky. And while most home owners don’t actually own the property right on the lake, there are deeded permits that allow docks and temporary structures. You’ll find more affordable lake front properties at other lakes in the area than Lake George.

    • Lake George. It is in the Adirondacks and though some homes are super valuable, people that have held the property for a long time are not super wealthy, just comfortable.

      • It’s true. we used to rent cosy cottages with a simple boathouse and dock, in the secluded bays like up around Bolton area, we canoed, took it easy, off the “beaten path” so to speak from where it’s faster-paced. I saw two UFO’s one summer that scared the bejeezus out of me. You can definitely get away from the touristy areas near the village. Anyway, I guess I miss it, also got married there at Canoe Island Lodge. It would be fun to read a story set on the Lake I guess. Lots of happy memories, swimming, laughing at my little brother mooning the ferry boats… lol. If the writer is in a paranormal genre… I can definitely speak to the UFO activity HAHA.

    • I agree. To have really clear water it needs to get cold in the winter to kill algae and bacteria. Consider the Finger Lakes area in NY, Lake Coeur d’Alene in Idaho, or Deep Creek Lake in WV. These areas become hot in the summer and the water temp is 70+. Not bathtub warm, but lovely temp for swimming on hot days.

    • Lake Anna in Virginia. It’s got private ownership of a mix of middle to upper middle class summer houses. It’s plenty warm to swim and pretty clean.

      • Ohhh! I’ve never been to Lake Anna, but have heard it’s beautiful. My family was going to rent a lake house and do a big family reunion there this summer, but we’ve decided to put it off one more year bc of COVID. Part of it is in VA and part is in NC. Right?

    • I agree that the Adirondacks is a great location. Blue Mountain Lake is exceptionally clear.

  2. Arkansas comes to mind, Lake Catherine or Lake DeGray. You can also look around Hot springs, Heber Springs, possibly Eureka Springs, and Buffalo River area.

      • Beaver Lake is another one in Arkansas.

        If looking at Oklahoma area, you have Grand Lake O’ the Cherokee, Lake Tenkiller, Broken Bow Lake and Lake Eufaula.

        • There’s also Lake Texoma.

          If you’re looking at Texas, a friend of mine lives at Cedar Creek Lake. Loves it there. Some of the lakes around the DFW area can be murky, so I’m not mentioning them.

          Good luck! ????️

    • +1 to these. Exactly what I was thinking. Also Lake Hamilton. I spent vacation each summer in Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine. So I can speak for those.

      • Funny to see so many recommended lakes in Arkansas. I wouldn’t say they’re super clear though.

    • Yes! Minnesota. I live in Ely MN, gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The list of lakes up here that wouldn’t fit the description you have is shorter by far than those that would work. We have plenty of snowbirds who live here in the summer months (usually Memorial Day-ish through September or so) and elsewhere the rest of the year.

      • Yes, if your friend is looking for a lakeside summer home, MN is a good bet. Leech Lake and Lake Vermillion are further north but have crystal clear water for fishing/swimming/water sports. But there are hundreds of smaller lakes with lots of private home/living options and most have enough human activity to keep the algae growth at bay.

        Lake Mille Lacs is huge but not deep so it gets warm enough for swimming and water sports in the summer – although you’re not swimming across the entire 18mi – and the water is always clear. Definitely lots of cabins/summer homes of all sizes and costs around the lake. Also there are people who own small islands dotted within the lake and have built their own homes there with their own docks, etc.

    • +1 for Minnesota! Take your pick of just about any lake outside of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and national parks. Growing up in Central MN, my best friend’s family owned a cabin on Sand Lake, and my family would often rent a cabin on White Earth Lake.

  4. Michigan or Minnesota would probably be your best bets for owning your own small lake. My hometown had one lake completely in its city boundaries and another lake about 100 yards away (they built a canal to connect the two) that was mostly outside of town limits. That second lake is where most people had the larger homes with more lakefront available, but no one owned the entire lake.

    It’s warm in the summer, of course. Only thing is that — and I think this is a northern lake thing — is that every year they had to spray the lake for “swimmer’s itch”. I have a feeling it’s a northern thing because every time I mention that to poeple in Maryland, they give me a weird look. So my uneducated-never-Googled-guess is that if it’s a northern lake that freezes (or mostly freezes) in the winter, that it allows for some bacterial growth that has to be sprayed to kill in the summer.

    Now that I think of it, though, it might also be because that lake entirely within the city boundaries didn’t have any feeder creeks or anything. Don’t know about the other lake. So it only got fresh water from rainfall or what might come over from the other lake. So your friend should probably include some creek or river that dumps into or drains out of the lake to keep the water fresh.

    • Swimmer’s itch is actually a parasite that’s spread through goose & duck droppings. I try not to think about it.

      Lake Bemidji is relatively accessible price-wise. It’s murky but divable (a friend of a friend teaches under-ice scuba diving there in the winter).

      Most lakes in Minnesota have similar descriptions. There are also a fair number of family cabins or lake lots where the family has owned a property for 70+ years that they couldn’t afford to buy now. There are be 20×20 cabins on great lots next to multi-million dollar homes.

    • Would you be talking about Crystal Lake in MI? Might be a good choice.
      My hubby grew up there and we have spent many a summer living on the lake. Many summer homes there for “down-staters” and yes swimmers itch, sometimes. The lake is as beautiful as the name promises and home prices were reasonable.

  5. Consider Cane River Lake in Louisiana. The Christmas Festival in Steel Magnolias is on it (and people go out on boats to watch the fireworks, etc.). Lots of history and affordable. My parents neighbors use their lake front house as a weekend house – they live in Dallas. Depending on where you are on the lake, can be right in town, or out in the middle of farmland. Water is semi-clear, not crystal clear. Many of the houses have private docks, but public dock also available for use.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_River_Lake
    https://www.nps.gov/places/cane-river-national-heritage-area.htm

  6. Sorry, that was supposed to be a reply to my previous post to correct a missing word. {sigh} Just can’t win some days.

  7. I would suggest either Lake Palestine or Lake Texoma. Both are pretty clear, and have private residences on the lake.

  8. Torch Lake in Michigan is known for it’s clear water and summer homes. Not necessarily warm climate year round but very popular summer destination.

  10. Lake Keowe in Oconee County SC is crystal clear and although owned by Duke power permits private docks. Prices currently $650,000 up to multi million. But 3 or 4 years ago smaller or older homes were available for $350,000.

  11. My sister’s family have a summer house (not insulated for winter) at Lake Brainerd Minnesota. I have been there the water is clear and people do a lot of small boats and fishing. Here is a site that has cabins, scroll down to see those with docks in a reasonable range.

    https://lakeplace.com/forsale/mn/brainerd

  12. O’Rourke Lake in Gaylord, Michigan. I have a friend whose family has property there. Only 8 houses on the lake, spring-fed waters, very clear, great for swimming. Part of the lake was a summer camp, which then sold lots to middle class folks in the late 90’s. A third of the lakefront is my friend’s family, owned since the 1940’s, so property values were different then.

    • my family has a cabin on ostego lake just outside of gaylord, mi! The water can be very clear depending on what side of the lake you are on. We are on the east side which has the sandy bottom and is pretty clear on a calm day. I have never heard of summers itch that everyone else is referring too and I go there every summer. So maybe I’m lucky? Ostego Lake is about 5 miles long and much skinnier than that. It could be good for a lake that requires hidden areas because you definitely cannot see the whole lake from one spot. If the summer is warm the lake is warm.

      If your friend requires a really warm lake in the midwest, we sometimes go boating on clinton lake in IL because the water is heated by the nuclear reactor on the lake and we water ski.

    • It is a nice lake, but not very clear. I had property on it until I moved out of state.

  14. Clearwater Lake in Farmington, ME. It’s plenty warm in the summer….for the first five feet or so. Under that, bring your wetsuit. But it lives up to its name- I thought the bottom was only ten feet down or so, but it was actually forty! It also definitely has private docks and the local ‘camps’- lake cabins, mostly- are not outrageous. Tens of thousands for dilapidated tiny ones to hundreds of thousands for new/renovated large ones. Some of them are all-season homes, too.

  15. Lake of the Ozarks — Lots of private docks, HUGE Lake with tons of “arms” as branches. Weather can get up to 90s and kiss 100 in the summer. There are foothills around it (“Ozark Mountains”)

    Its cheap enough that lots of people in the counties of St Louis and KC have summer homes there. It has wild and crazy areas but I’ve also done quite a few retreats there too.

    • Yeah but for locals its awful. Too crowded and every year fatalities all over the place. Drunk boating, carbon monoxide poisoning because drunken pontoon partners don’t maintain their boats, etc. Party coves full of, yes, drunken idiots. We stay far away

    • I was going to suggest Lake of the Ozarks too. If you want a big lake, it’s a good bet. Depending on where and when you go, you can either have a giant party or a more secluded area. Plus there’s lots of tributaries, which I think would be good for dead bodies, if that’s part of the story line. ????

    • I agree with Lake Of the Ozarks. I laugh when I see the exit sign on I-44 for Pomme de Terre Lake and Lake of the Ozarks. It translates to Potato Lake. ????????????????

      To all the BDH who are fluent in French: I apologize if my translation isn’t correct.

      • If I may add a mite, you’re quite right that pomme de terre means potato, and also, literally, apple of the earth.
        I’ve always thought that’s in the same basket as our eggplant, pineapple, and grapefruit: kinda oddly named if you look too closely!

        • I agree it’s oddly named.

          When I first translated the name, my mom was in the car with me, and I said “Oh, it’s apple of the earth lake.”
          My mom looked at me and said “What’s another name for apple of the earth?”
          I looked at her really funny, and she said “Potato”.
          I said “Why would anyone name a lake Potato Lake?” She said “I don’t know. Possibly it looks like a potato.”
          We got a good laugh out of it. 😀

    • I was thinking somewhere in Missouri might be perfect. Was not sure about water clarity or cost of real estate. I think Missourians frequently go to the lake house, isn’t that right?

  17. Lake Lure, NC is a possibility. It is a vacation spot in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC.

    • +1 This was the first lake that came to my mind as well. It’s a beautiful area and there are many lakes around WNC, TN, and SC that could be a good fit.

    • Unfortunately, the lake isn’t really clear here. Otoh, until the last few months there were affordable places on or around the lake. Not so much anymore, like many other places.

      • Though I just read the tourism websites & they say crystal clear water. It never looks that way when I walk on the boardwalk. There is a swimming beach where it’s clearer.

  19. Norris Lake in TN. It’s huge and the water is beautiful. Wide range of home types, from mansions to cabins.

      • +1!

        Also, Tim’s Ford Lake is gorgeous. Spring fed in places and is near Lynchburg, TN…home of Jack Daniels ????

  22. Washington State has loooooots of lakes, of varying sizes and clarity, and many of them are privately owned (by one or more owners). One of the lakes we played in most as a kid, Brown’s Lake, was a privately owned lake that rented out a section of access to the community. So, a poke around those options might be beneficial!

    • My dad lived on Mason Lake when I was a kid. Tons of private docks, accessible to middle class families. People swam, fished, had jet skies, etc. For things nearby, you’ve got the Sound, Seattle, mountains, San Juan Islands, a variety of military bases… Western WA climate, though, so I don’t know if that would be warm enough.

  23. Long Lake in MI. During calm weather summer days you can see all the way down to the bottom on the shallower areas. It allows swimming, fishing, pontoon boats, small speed boats, jet skis, canoeing, wakeboarding, and water skiing. It’s a small private lake, but during really nice summer days it’s really busy. Almost everyone on the lake has a dock, and a boat. The houses range from 800k to 350k.

  25. I would suggest Lake Arrowhead in California. It warm enough to swim in and there are homes just of the shore with private docks. In that area there is also Big Bear lake and Lake Gregory.

    • I suggest Lake Arrowhead as well because there are sub $1M house options, the water is in the high 60s in temperature, and the water is clear.

  26. There are 2 lakes in the Southern California mountains that might work. In the winter they get snow, but the summers are quite pleasant. One is Lake Arrowhead and the other, at a higher altitude, is Big Bear Lake. Part of Big Bear Lake is national forest, but much of it allows private ownership.

  27. Maine has numerous beautiful and clear lakes, and is a huge summer home destination. Warm summers. Docks and water sports are huge. Prices vary but tend to drop the further north and more isolated you go.

    • No, no, no! There are enough people from away in Maine. We don’t need the hordes moving here and driving up the price of real estate! Shhh, you’re supposed to keep it quiet, just for those who already know. Those from away can visit, but we want them to GO HOME.
      Just kidding. Really. I mean it. Fingers are not crossed. At all.

  28. I kind of think Lake Almanor near Chester up in Northern California might fit the bill. There’s some upper middle class houses there but it’s still got some reasonable priced places. I used to go there in the summer very lovely.

  29. Caddo Lake, East Tx, clear, good swimming, warm, because u know it’s Hellfire Texas, and best bass fishing anywhere.

    • I cannot actually find any lakeside properties for sale. Every time I get a result it’s nowhere near the lake. I’ve tried every combination of lakeside, waterside, waterfront etc. Do you know if it’s possible to have a private lakehouse with a dock on it?

      • Caddo Lake is wholly encompassed by a state park on the La/Tx border. It probably started with a log jam in the 18th century, and it is stabilized by the park service.

  30. Missouri or Minnesota. Missouri lakes can be owned privately, but they tend to be very muddy/algae filled. A Missouri property that borders a stream or spring will see super clear water outside of storm runoffs. Minnesota has tons of lakes, and friends recently moved to a cabin on a lake, super reasonably priced and fairly clear water.

  31. I would suggest Southern Illinois. It is full of lakes and can be pretty reasonably priced. Lake of Egypt, Cedar Lake, Kincaid Lake, lots of lakes to choose from.

    • Lake of Egypt is mud bottom and NOT clear. My grandparents used to live there…had to shower after I went swimming to get the silt out of my hair!

  32. Any lakes in the Adirondacks in NY. A few of the finger lakes would work as well. Prices can be reasonable. Only issue is they freeze in the winter not sure if needed all year round open water.

  33. Deep Creek Lake in MD has a bunch of waterfront properties with private docks and dependent on the size of house the price varies. $800k on the lake: https://www.railey.com/listing/MDGA134738/2539-mayhew-inn-rd-oakland-md-21550/

    Lake is swimmable but partly clear, not crystal clear. There are clearer areas and lower areas based on this study and good swimming temps, with not much algae.
    https://dnr.maryland.gov/ccs/Documents/DCL-WMP/DCLMonitoring_WQSC_Dec2013.pdf

  35. Lake Hamilton near Hot Springs Arkansas is one of many lakes here with reasonably priced vacation property.
    Arkansas is full of them, clear water good for snorkeling, fishing, both private access and CoE amenities etc. Lake Ouachita, Lake Hamilton, Greers Ferry Lake, Beaver Lake, Table Rock Lake, Norfolk Lake to name a few.
    Boating, fishing and outdoor activities can be year-round, swimming depending on having wet suits, etc.
    there are also a number of retirement communities built around their own spring-fed lakes, that kind of private community development was started here in Central Arkansas https://walton.uark.edu/abhf/john-a-cooper-sr.php by a guy named John Cooper in the early 60s.

  36. Smith Mountain Lake in western Maryland used to be relatively clear. Not sure what it’s like now; I was last there in the 70s. The visibility then was quite good; you could see fish 8-10′ down. It was definitely swimmable. It’s got private land all around it and a few small islands if memory serves.

    • I don’t know current prices, but it was very middle class back in the day. If the family has owned it for a while, it’s fine; probably even if they bought recently. There are year-round activities in the area.

    • Ohh!! There is a Smith Mountain Lake in South Central Virginia that’s fantastic too!

      • Yikes; that’s how long it’s been since I was there. It’s VA, not MD. Sorry for the confusion!

  37. Chickamauga Lake, Chattanooga Tennessee. It’s a reservoir lake on the Tennessee river with homes with docks all up and down. Some $$$some more reasonable.

  38. Spirit Lake or West Okoboji Lake in Iowa. West Okoboji is one of the few (allegedly there are only three) “Blue Water” lakes in the world.

    • Yes – this – West Okoboji! Beautiful lake in the midwest – so deep the water is blue.

      Also, if you need a more remote setting, Lake Curlew in Ferry County, in northeastern Washington. It’s near the Canadian border in a very rural area – has mostly lowbank shoreline edged with forest and rolling cattle country, there are a few rustic resort cabin areas and private residences with docks along the shore.

  39. You could consider Lake Wallenpaupack in Northeastern PA. The lake is owned by a power company and homeowners of lakeside houses have access rights but not privacy rights to the shoreline. Houses can have private docks, but the docks have to removed by December 1 each year and can’t be placed back into the lake until the ice is gone. It’s not a warm climate (NE PA), but it’s a relatively large lake with lots of recreational uses and tons of summer homes. The water is decently clear for a US freshwater lake. My friends have a house (with a dock and boat) there, and I’ve been many times over the past 20 years.

  40. Either Swan Lake or Flathead Lake in Montana might fit the bill assuming it’s a summer home. June through September daytime temps average in the 70’s through 80’s with lows in the 60’s.

    • Flathead Lake is gorgeous, but cold, cold, even on a hot day in summer. I swam there as a kid and a few years ago. Never could stay in the water very long.

  42. You specified warm, so my suggestion may put it out of consideration if you meant warm year round.

    However, Lake Winnepesaukee in NH is huge, semi clear, warm water along the beachfronts and has both private and public owned properties along it.

    It’s a popular destination in the summer (say May- mid Oct) for many income brackets.

    The summer houses up there span the range from generational fishing shack to the mega- wealthy country cottage mansion.

  43. Maggie Lake, Washington would fit most of those criteria. The summers are beautiful, it is possible to buy lots right on the lake. My retired blue-collar aunt and uncle bought a lot and built a cabin just big enough for them to live in during the summer, and squeeze in the kids and grandkids on holiday weekends (in sleeping bags on the floor if eeeeeveryone showed up). I remember using a pedal boat around the lake – caveat: it’s probably been 20+ years since I was there – and I recall the water being clean enough to swim, but I wouldn’t say I could see the bottom from the middle of the lake. There were some fancy houses but it was mostly people like my aunt and uncle in smaller cabins, a few living there year round. There was a small town nearby called Tahuya.

  44. My in-laws own a small cottage on a lake in Maine called Balch Pond. The water is mostly clear, and the housing prices are around $300,000 for lake front. Summers there are beautiful, but it is not a year-round destination.

  45. Take a look at 58053 Winners Cir in Bend OR 97707 I am family that’s lived in Bend for years it’s a beautiful place.

  46. Check out western Montana!
    The Seeley-Swan valley is swimming with smaller lakes that would fit this description, while the more sizable Flathead Lake would also work.

    It’s warm in the summer, dry, and has very minimal bugs. Also, it’s always crystal clear.

    • Lol…that’s the same area I suggested. We spend a couple weeks every year up in the Swan National Forest. We love it there.

    • Another Montana peep! Hi there! Whitefish lake would also fit the description, although as a Whitefish resident it’s getting pretty spendy here. But the lake is warm enough to swim in the summer…. and you can’t beat the views!

    • +1 this. Eastern NC would definitely be a more affordable place to have a lake house

    • Also +1, and if you’re looking for even more southern, Florida has a lot of spring-fed lakes and ponds that are crystal clear, and while most people go down there in the winter, not the summer, the spring water is almost always right around 68F year round.

      • And I forgot to mention Smith Mountain Lake in Va. The water is clear most of the time (can get muddy after hard rains). Also the site of the filming of “What About Bob” if you want to do more research on it.

  49. Priest Lake, Lake Pend Oreille or Lake Coeur d’Alene in Northern Idaho if she likes the North West.

    • My parents have a cabin on Pend Oreille and while I love it there it’s definitely not warm! We only visit in August and even then I put my 8 year old in a wetsuit ????

    • been working and visiting the northern idaho panhandle for nearly thirty years.

      lake pend o’rielle is 40 degrees F year round once you get below 4 feet! you would not believe how murky the pollen makes the water in spring!

      and lake CdA is not particularly clear, but it’s a lovely place to swim.

  50. Canada has lakes like this. Lakes in Northern Ontario have hot summers and usually you can buy a cottage. Muskoka lakes are a dark blue, parry sound lakes are usually tea coloured. You can see clearly through them. Shale bottom. Some are crown property but parts are sold to summer cottage owners between 1
    250K CAD – 500K CAD depending on the development level. I personally have vacationed at Lake Wawashkesh which meets most of her criteria except country.

  51. Lake Jordan NC? Probably meets everything, but depends on your definition of semi-clear.

    • Except that you can’t build on Jordan Lake…it’s US Corps of Engineers and huge water source with parks and public ramps only. Beautiful lake with eagles but all real estate that suggests one can build on a waterfront lot is misleading. I’ve been here 38 years and am looking for a lakefront spot over in the NC mins despite living 10 minutes from Jordan Lake because I want that view and dock

  52. Is buying the home today a plot line?
    It opens up a lot if it is an old family place bought in the 1950s. You can be grandfather’d in on things like docks that would not be allowed today. That is how my aunt has her really nice dock along the Saint Maries River. Also allows for being in a place like Lake Tahoe that would be otherwise unaffordable.

  53. Silver Lake in Highland IL if you want a small town with great pie and very close knit community. Lake of the Ozarks for partying and lots of excitement. Cedar Bluff reservoir near Hays Kansas for peace and quiet. Depends what you need for background. You can always try Lake Pontchartrain if you want New Orleans…and it’s warmer than the alternatives above.

  54. Growing up in NC, White Lake was considered one of the clearest lakes in the continental U.S. Not living near it anymore I’m not sure if any of the other criteria are meetable, but I hope this at least helps out in some small fashion.

  55. I live near Mares Pond in Falmouth, MA, which is a small lake with clear water. There are some homes (maybe 6-10?)that own frontage on the lake and can get permits for docks.

    Mares Pond is around 60 feet deep in the middle, so I don’t think most of the country would call it a pond, but we’ve got lots of deep kettle holes left here by the glaciers.

    Falmouth (and Cape Cod in general) does not have a warm climate in winter, but it’s a popular place for summer homes. Some of the summer homes are ridiculously expensive, for sure, but lots aren’t bad, especially if you’re not looking for anything fancy. It is, however, hard to find affordable/reasonable entry-level housing, which makes it hard for a lot of the people who work on Cape to live here. I certainly couldn’t afford to stay here if I weren’t living with my parents.

    • Try Long Pond also, about an hour south of Boston. Lovely, not expensive (but haven’t looked at prices recently), spent many summers there with my husband’s family. The water is warm and clear, tea colored, don’t wear white swimsuits cuz they’ll stain from the iron (?) in the water. Loved sitting on the dock and watching the lily pads, turtles and ducks.

  57. Bear lake in Utah is nicknamed the “Caribbean of the Rockies” because it is a beautiful blue color and really clear. You can own your own property on it with a private dock. It is warm in the summer months.

    • +1
      The public beaches can get crowded, but I know a family with private property along the south end.

  58. Lake Erie. It’s not south but a lot of people have summer home and private docks. Water isn’t super duper clear but people do scuba in there.

  59. If you want warm from Easter to Halloween (practically), check out Lake Martin in Alabama. 41K+ acres of man made lake, clear water with bothe state parks and private homes, and reasonably priced due to low coast of living in the state. I know they allow private docks as my great-aunt lived there.

    • Gonna reply to myself here as I just remembered… depending on the story’s plot, at the bottom of Lake Martin lies a town they evacuated to create the lake. Divers still explore the old church/cemetery (because of course they didn’t move anty of it).

    • +1 on Lake Martin in Alabama. I live there. The people are friendly, the lake is not overly crowded, and the real estate and property taxes are extremely reasonable.

  60. Maybe off a spring in FL instead of a lake? Weenie Wachee has homes on the river. Although there will always be gators in FL waters.

  61. I won’t be much help. The only slightly clear lake I know of was in Pennsylvania. It was only clear due to the chemical run off from a mine up mountain. It was out in the boonies so price would be in the right area. It was up near DuBois.

  62. Caribou Lake, MN. It is crystal clear.

    Of course it is warm in the summer. We frequently hit the upper 90s with high humidity in the summer. The evening cools down a bit, but not chilly normally.

    MN is the land of 10,000 lakes, so I would say that it would be a good place to look into.

      • At the bottom of Smith Lake in a lot of areas, there are still houses, trees, you name it. When TVA built the dam to create the lake, it filled up so quickly they couldn’t clear the land. My mother remembered how quick it was and the thought of houses and trees beneath where you were swimming gave her the willies!

  65. Echo lake in California. The cabins are on forest service land, but they’re all accessed by boat so each one has a dock. Many families of modest means own these cabins because nobody ever sells them.

  68. Flathead Lake, Montana. It checks all the boxes (even if it’s only “warm” June – September ????)

  69. There are a lot of clear lakes in the Tyler, TX area. Some old rock quarries that are now lakes. Some are more expensive than others but there are a couple that are reasonable. At least it is warm 🙂 if not blistering hot!

  70. Clear Lake is a natural freshwater lake in California, north of Napa County and San Francisco. It is the largest natural freshwater lake wholly within the state, with 68 square miles (180 km2) of surface area. At an age of 2.5 million years, it is the oldest lake in North America. The expansive, warm water of Clear Lake makes it popular for watersports, such as swimming, water skiing, wakeboarding, sailing, boat races, and jet skiing.

    Excerpt from Wikipedia.

    Personally, I think its beautiful!

    • And, which I forgot to add, they allow private ownership of lake front property and private docks and there are a decent range of house prices (for CA anyway).

  71. Fort Peck, Mt might be something to check. I know a few years ago the army corp was selling lake front property. I never checked into it and so do not know what happened there. I used to swim in Ft Peck in the summer, but the water gets pretty deep.

  72. One of the lakes in northern Wisconsin would be a good candidate for a summer retreat – air temperatures in June/July/August in the 80s-90s (with spikes up to 100 in August). Water temperature reaches 70 by early June, sandy bottom, spring fed, plenty of lake frontage in the ~150k range. For instance, Butternut Lake in Price County. See this very in depth survey with details of water conditions at different times of the year, access to the lake, fishing, etc from the WI DNR: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/documents/north/PriceButternutLake2014FNSN1SE2.pdf. I spent many childhood summers diving off swimming platforms out in a similar lake, and I can attest to clear water, comfortable temperature, catching panfish with a bamboo pole and a worm from the yard, and all the other classic Americana things.

  73. most places that are “warm” have lakes that are not particularly swimmable, and the few that seem to exist are either inside national/state parks or have excessive price tags.

    there may be a few north/south carolina, but that is mountain snow runoff and too cold for my florida blood. Also, I would never go swimming in a lake in florida. because alligators. and amoeba. and yuck. This is a problem in most “warm” lakes, so author may need to alter their concept or their definition of warm lake.

  75. Winona Lake, Indiana, or nearly any of the thousands of lakes in Northern Indiana. Private property can range from $250,000 to $$$$$, depending on the size of the house. A decent family home usually under $500,000. For Winona Lake, been going every summer since 1992, water is clear, clean, warm during the summer, by the beach area for sure, and surface level. Lake effect weather, so low humidity, barely ever over 90 degrees, usually between 75 to 85. Best childhood memories there and love taking my boys now.

  76. Lake Talquin or Lake Toho in Florida are good spots and usually fairly priced homes.

  77. I am feeling a bit of lake envy reading all these comments. While the UK has got the Lake District and lovely Scottish lochs, I’m not sure most of our bodies of water would quite be suited for clarity and warmth, and waterside living tends to be premium price wise over here. Don’t get me wrong, I love our chilly murky waters, especially after you get past the first freezing gasp of shock, but the idea of a warm clear lake with a sandy shore does sound pretty good too ???? Shame there’s not much chance of seeing one any time soon (thank you covid!) Guess I’m stuck with a pebbly seaside (or stinky mud), drying off in a disgusting public toilet and freezing half to death while the undertow pulls me out to sea and water weeds tangle my toes.

  78. Check out Lake Hamilton in Hot springs Arkansas. Plenty warm to swim.in and relatively clear

  79. I live on Lake Keowee in South Carolina, about 15 miles from Clemson University. I think it hits all the points mentioned.

  80. Lake Champlain (the Vermont side) is where we had a summer home for 45 years. You can get a place on the lake, or if you are lucky as we were, have a place on an island in the lake.
    The water was clear and totally lovely when we were there.
    We made it out to the island from early May till October (though some years that was pushing it a little and we were the first boat in and the last boat out at the marina we docked at).

  84. Good measure of water clarity is secchi depth, which is the depth at which a disk quartered in black and white is no longer visible

  86. If in Texas.. Lake Athens, Cedar Creek Lake, Lake Palestine, Lake Ray Hubbard, Possum Kingdom Lake allow for boat docks, have decent visibility (for swimming or lake diving), and have some lower-cost options for homes…

  88. Not a suggestion for a specific lake but about 15+ years ago some friends bought a decent sized lot with a”shell” of a cabin on it. Basically the footings walls and a roof. Then with the help of friends and family finished it over the next couple of years. Had some things like plumbing and pouring the basement floor done by pro’s, others like wiring the electrical and laying floors by themselves. They have a private dock and enough space to host retreats for their church youth groups. Initial cost for the land and the shell was around 100k.

  89. Any of the finger lakes would work. I suggest keuka lake. Also green lake might work, i just dont know about private ownership. I have friends who own property on keuka lake with a dock and its much less than 3 millions

  90. Lake Anna in Virginia has a public cool side and a private warm side of the lake. Water from the cool side is used to cool the power plant and the heated water is then discharged into the warm side. There are multimillion dollar homes with docks as well as affordable homes depending on which side you choose. The public side has public access points while the private side doesn’t. The water is clear and the nuclear power plant could add a nice touch depending on the type of book it is.

  92. Try Medina Lake, it’s not as big as Canyon Lake, but i remember I had friends who had their own docks. Also, you could try Lake Amistad by Del Rio. Swimming starts in April and lasts until it gets too cold for you….

  93. Lake Catherine or Lake Hamilton in Arkansas. Known as Crystal lakes for the clear waters. And The Lord knows it gets hot in summer in Arkansas. Located near Hot Springs (about an hour from Little Rock).

    • Use to go to lake Catherine when I was young, my Uncle had a small home on it. Fun memories boating, fishing,and swimming in the deep water.

  94. New Found Lake in New Hampshire is beautiful. The town does not let in chains. So it is all local businesses. The lake is clear. It is simply gorgeous.

  96. Many of the sand-bottom, spring fed lakes in Northern Wisconsin would work. Just about all of them are warm in the summer. My personal favorite is Europe Lake, on the tip of Wisconsin’s “thumb” – clear, warm water, not too overdeveloped, state park on one shore and private homes on the other. The immediate area is wooded and rural, but the touristy towns of Fish Creek, Egg Harbor, and Sister Bay are nearby. Lakefront houses are $300k+, but some are still owned by “normal” families who bought property before prices went sky-high. Newer properties tend to be second or retirement homes for Chicago and Milwaukee residents.

    In the Rhinelander/Minocqua/Three Lakes region of north-central Wisconsin, you can still buy a tiny lakefront cabin for under $150,000, though many will be situated on smaller lakes or difficult to reach by road. More accessible properties run $300k+, though, again, middle-income families still own lake property purchased many years ago. Water quality varies, but the big lakes in Three Lakes and many of the lakes between Hazelhurst and Minoqua are crystal-clear, including Blue Lake, Lee Lake, and much of Tomahawk Lake. This area tends to be populated by sportspeople, middle-income retirees, and other practical types, and is rich in churches, bars, and bowling alleys.

    Now, for the crazy millionaire lakefront “cabins,” head up to the Bayfield area’s Lake Superior shore:
    https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/35780-35820-Blue-Wing-Bay-Rd-Bayfield-WI-54814/2071952597_zpid/
    https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/82830-State-Highway-13-Washburn-WI-54891/104932199_zpid/

    Research any Wisconsin lake here: https://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/lakepages/Results.aspx?location=ANY&page=ANY&letter=ANY

  98. Lake Chelan in Washington State. Beautiful clear lake and on east side of state so warm in summer. Not sure about cost though

    • Yes. However, the lakes around Fort Worth (Benbrook, Lake Grandview, Lake Worth, Eagle Mountain Lake, etc.) can get pretty murky. Right now with no rain in the area, the lakes are shrinking, so you can see the trees and another debris in the lake(s).

  101. Lake Jocassee or Keowee in South Carolina. Jocassee is clearer and they strictly restrict building, but there are houses on it. Lake Keowee is les pristine.

  102. The lakes in and around the Kendalville/Rome City Indiana area might work. There are any number of them and I can even give you some help with the dam end of Sylvan Lake and Cree Lake. This is because my sister lives across the street from the dam on Sylvan Lake in Rome City, and her mother in law has a house on Cree Lake in Kendalville.

  104. Also, one friend of mine inherited/bought his home from the estate of a family member before lakefront property values went crazy. Don’t know if that would fit with the story, but it is a consideration.

  106. Many of the mountain valleys near Franklin NC, especially near any of the dams, resevoirs , have lovely lakes, warm not hot in Summer, cheapish if further from larger towns and cities.Hope that helps! I reread blood heir for comfort, ok a bloody sort of comfort, today and any way I could possible return the comfort your books have given me this year would be a privilege. 🙂

  107. We have lots of lakes in East Tennessee. My mom had a lake house in Ten Mile on Melton Hill lake. Mostly vacation homes there. Their 2 bedroom house on 2 acres was appraised at $350,000 four years ago. Was right on the water in a bay. Main channel properties are more expensive even with very small houses. Telling Lake is also nice . chilhower is very clear but I don’t know if there are houses on the water there. Th lake borders the Great Smokies National Park on one side. You can only ski and ride fast boats near the dam. No wake past a certain point. Great for fishing. Beautiful. I have caught lots of trout there. Norris and Douglas lakes are nice too. Lots of lake houses.

  108. Check the lakes in New Hampshire. I’ve met several people whose (very middle class) families own lake shore properties there. They keep it affordable by renting it out (weekly or monthly) when they’re not in residence. I was even gifted a long weekend once when I was visiting family nearby. It’s an incredibly beautiful place. The house is a small two story with four tiny bedrooms upstairs and a mostly open plan downstairs for the cooking, dining and lounging. Probably less than sixteen hundred square feet all together inside. Outside,however, is fantastic. A screened-in porch runs the width of the back of the house for when there are bugs or the weather is damp. The yard runs down to the water where there is indeed a privately owned dock complete with a small motor boat for fishing or sight-seeing. The only problem is that I cannot remember the name of that particular lake. I’m sure it was close to Lake Winnipesaukee though. Up close, New Hampshire seems to be all lakes and ponds, so you can pick and choose.

  110. Kalispell, MT. Little Bitterroot Lake. So clear and clean the homes there pull water directly from the lake. Modest community.

  112. A story with a lake house that’s less than 3 million with private rights would have to be inherited at this point….
    Good luck

  113. Great Sacandaga Lake in the Adirondacks of Upstate New York. It’s a large, semi-clear lake in the middle of the largest protected land area in the lower 48 – the New York State Adirondack Park. About half the land in the Adirondack Park is privately owned & there’s controls on what you can build, but docks are allowed and the lake is ringed with a combination of fancy retiree and summer homes as well as middle class campgrounds and homes. Growing up, I spent summers visiting family & friends who either lived on or had campsites on the lake, none of them millionaires.

    While many lakes in the Adirondacks would meet the requirements for clear water, affordability, and warmth enough for a summer home, the Great Sacandaga Lake is also a reservoir that flooded out several local communities when it was built. I’ve seen divers there and heard (though never dived it myself) that you can see remains of some of the towns underwater, so it also offers some narrative potential in terms of what they might find underwater or why that other lakes do not.

  115. If it doesn’t need to be a big lake, then I would suggest Atagahi and Ticoa lakes in Brevard, NC. My grandparents owned a home there until my grandfather passed away in 2010, but the prices are still reasonable– 200k to 1 m if based on the property size. The lake is warm enough to swim in, and clear enough that you can see into it on the edges–although not in the deeps.

  116. Michigan has thousands of lakes that fit the bill. My sis has a place on Crystal lake in Montcalm co. There are more than one Crystal lake and since the zebra mussel infestation many lakes are clearer. On her lake right now there’s a cottage on an island for sale around $650k.
    Most cottages are much less between $100k to $200k. How big a lake does it need to be?

  117. Lake Gaston in North Carolina fits all those criteria. Gorgeous, affordable, hot in the summer.

  119. Minnosta or Michigan would be a good bet. Everybody has some type of cabin “Up North” and some of them are lake access. Best bet for warmest lakes would be Michigan and Huron. Superior is cold!

  120. Lake Sebago in Maine – gets to about 70 in the summer

    Great pond in Maine – in 70s during June and July but can get into the mid 80s in August, has a cool feature of a huge rock sticking out of the water on part of the lake.

  121. Possum kingdom lake has private docks, and is described as clear blue. It also has wonderful swirly canyon walls.

  123. Tim’s Ford Lake in TN
    Clean …swimming and kayaking ,and relaxing.
    Beautiful!

  124. There ih a small lake in a small town New Hampstead? Nere Peterborough in New Hampshire. It is beautiful, clear and one side has old houses that have been converted into summer homes.

  126. Lake Winnipesaukee NH and the surrounding lakes if she wants smaller lakes are all clear, my son scuba dives in them. And they have homes of all prices around them.

  128. So I would recommend Table Rock Lake in Missouri near Branson. It was a favorite vacation spot and the water always seemed much clearer than lake of the Ozarks. The area is nice and it always felt a bit quieter. It has private docks but it is limited to keep traffic lighter.

  129. We live a couple miles down from Tim’s Ford lake in Tennessee. It’s a man made like and allows private docks we have famous people like Dave Ramsay’s who have lake houses but other houses are on the lake too

  130. Lake Sam Rayburn in Texas. The USCOE restrictions can be bypassed by making a “temporary” dock that floats on the water and is tied or pinned to the shore. There are specific floatation devices approved by the USCOE for this task. The dock can be fairly robust, just must be “detachable”. A robust frame that the dock attaches to can give stability.

    Sam Rayburn (especially around Powell Park Marina) is surrounded by National Forest that allows hunting, is at least 2-2 1/2 hours by car from the closest Major metropolitan areas (Dallas, Houston, etc.) 45 mins to Lufkin with a Hardware store and Hospital. Someone claimed it had the fewest alligators than all other Texas lakes, though I can’t remember where that was from. Much less muddy that Canyon Lake (Canyon is hard to SCUBA dive in), very low visibility), and a very calm lake overall, not choppy like lake Conroe. we had a hurricane/”zombie apocalypse” home there for many years, ready supply of fresh water, Hunting, and far enough away that it was too much trouble for large city people to get to in case of societal collapse

  131. Lake Ouachita (pronounced Wah-sha-tah) in Arkansas. There is everything from multi-million dollar homes to small cabins along its shores. Hot Springs, Arkansas near by and has an interesting, if a bit checkered, history.

  132. There are two large popular lakes in Virginia – Smith Mountain Lake and Lake Anna. Smith Mountain Lake water temperature by month.

    At Smith Mountain Lake The highest water temperature will be reached in July with around 78.6° F / 25.9° C. The lowest in February with an average water temperature of 35.1° F / 1.7° C.

    Lake Anna water temperature by month July is the month with the warmest water temperature at 79.7° F / 26.5° C. The month with the coldest is February with an average water temperature of 34.7° F / 1.5° C.

    I don’t know but I suspect prices would be better at Smith Mountain Lake as it is near Roanoke VA. Lake Anna is a lot closer to northern VA and DC so prices are probably higher.

    • I just came here to suggest Smith Mountain Lake. Private docks galore, relatively clear water and comfortable for swimming in the summer through the fall

  133. I am familiar with NY lakes. Lovely, but a bit chilly. You can swim in the Finger Lakes in the summer, but the larger ones are still a bit chilly. Keuka was nice. There are a number of lakes from dammed rivers in the southern states. Kentucky lakes, Lake Hartwell in Georgia, several in Alabama. Not as warm as Gulf water, but warmer than the nice northern lakes. I am not as personally familiar with them, but many people like them.

    • I thought of Keuka Lake also. Clear, swimably warm in the summer, lots of interesting history in the area, and WINERIES 🙂

  134. Just went to Lake Huron in Michigan and pretty sure it hits all the things listed. It was beautiful!

    • Down side of the Great Lakes is the price for a home on the lake can be pretty steep. But any of them would be a good choice if price wasn’t an option.

  136. Check out Door County Wisconsin. It’s on a peninsula between the waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Lots of lovely shoreline properties there! I’ve stayed at a small lakeshore cottage in Sturgeon Bay that has a shipwreck just off the shore! It’s lovely swimming in the summer and there are many lakefront properties of varying price ranges there.

  137. Bull Shoals lake is a very nice clear lake. It straddles the border of Missouri and Arkansas. Big Pine Lake is a natural form lake in Minnesota. I know for sure that Big Pine Lake let’s you own lake front property. I not sure on Bull Shoals. I know you can own a dock cause my grandfather does. All in all both are great lakes with clear waters and it’s warm in the summer.

  140. Bear Lake in Utah is nice.

    All the clear lakes I know are in the northern area.

    Torch Lake, MI / Newfound Lake, NH

  141. Well, Florida is out. As every lake, pond and swimming pool has a gator in it.
    We don’t pay attention to Phil the Groundhog, we have Skippy the retention pond gator. But oh well maybe something in Louisiana or Arizona?

  142. There’s Lake Anna in Virginia…. not warm year round, but pretty lake, full water access (boating/waterskiing/etc)… private waterfront properties, not totally unreasonable.

  143. Greers Ferry Lake in Arkansas is also managed by the Corps of Engineers but you can get a permit for a private dock. There are many private docks as well as several public docks located all around the area. Any other structures must be built above the white line (flood line). It’s a beautiful area with clear water and covers thousands of acres. Additionally locations might be Lake Norfork or Bull Shoals which are also managed by the Corps with simular permit allowances but that area tends to have higher home prices. Greers Ferry with the general exception of the Eden Isle area (celebrity homes and mansions) is more reasonably priced especially if you are in some of the more rural areas.

    You might check into the permit situation on the lake you originally chose. I know sometimes different offices have different rules and that sometimes the likelihood of getting a permit sometimes depends on the viewpoint of that lake’s administrator.

    Please feel free to contact me if you have questions. I worked for my way through college as an interpreter for the Visitor Center for the Greers Ferry Lake Dam and power plant and the Corps of Engineers parks located on the lake. I live in the area near all three lakes and still have friends within the Corps employees that I can get information from if needed.

  144. Lake Cobbosseecontee, near West Gardiner, ME. Warm in the summer. Most years the water is clear through mid-summer, but can sometimes turn opaque near the end of the summer. I don’t know what the going prices for properties are right now, but a lot of families have had houses up there for generations, with a mix of summer homes and year-round residents.

  145. Higgins Lake in Michigan. It’s beautiful in the summer and super clear. It’s pretty deep and big so there is plenty of space.

  146. Check out north central Indiana. There are 100 lakes in my county (Kosciusko) alone. Houses on the lake I live on are around $250k. Price depends on size of lake, as there are 3 that are large and attract the wealthy. Three season houses are available as well, down to seasonal cabins. Private docks allowed.

  147. Lake of the Ozarks? In fact, any of the lakes/reservoirs in Missouri. My daughter has done a lot of scuba diving in them. They’re not crystal clear but, they’re clear enough to view the trees at the bottom when you’re diving.

  148. Rainy Lake in Minnesota is the main st beautiful lake in the country in my opinion. Also there is a great chance to see wildlife and the northern lights. It is partly in Voyageurs National Park!

  149. Some place Texas “warm” or can it be Michigan “warm”? We get lots of summer visitors because our summer warm is no where near Texas summer “warm”. And Lake Superior has private docks, cheap (comparitively) cabins for sale and very clear water. True we don’t get many summer visitors from Texas, but we do get many from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, Minneapolis, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and Ontario (also Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York and Vermont but I think they’re mostly related to me so may not count.)

  150. Whew, so many options…one more:
    Somebody up above mentioned lakes in northern WI. Southern WI has many nice, smallish to largish clear lakes too, especially in the southeast where the glaciers once were. I used to vacation up there as a kid. It has the advantage/disadvantage of being within a couple of hours (by car) of Milwaukee and Chicago, which may help for plot purposes. Haven’t been there in years…I live within driving distance of salt water beaches now!

  151. Lake Jocassee in South Carolina. Beautiful water, limited but some lakeside ownership. Gorgeous country, too.

  152. While Lake Guntersville is a state park here in Alabama, they do allow private docks – you just have to apply to the TVA for a permit. I think the water clarity would also meet your friend’s requirements. Hope that helps.

  153. Lake LBJ in Central Texas- it’s not the clearest but if you go out early in the morning before boats stir up silt you can see farther down (about the same as Canyon Lake I’d say).

  154. Summer houses are typically in colder climes. For instance, people from NYC would travel north to the Berkshire Mountains to get away from the heat of the city. So, I’m not sure why it has to be in a place that is warm.

  157. Lake St. George, Liberty Maine. Stream fed, super clear. Mostly private camps/cabins. Restrictions on types of craft allowed (i.e. no jet skis) so very quiet. Very small town.

  158. In Georgia there are many small lakes managed by Georgia Power so there will be one end of the lake that has Hydro -electric mechanisms but the rest of the lake is open for recreation. many of the properties along these lakes are very affordable. (I have some friends who have a small house on Sinclair Lake and its very much a middle class retreat type place)

  160. Lake Huron in Upper Michigan is beautiful, and not too pricey. My brother & I have a cabin there on a bay between Cedarville & Hessel that we inherited from my mom, who grew up there, and we love it. If your friends like warmth, it would have to be a summer home, as it gets very cold & snowy in winter. There are usually even some island homes for sale ther.

  162. Square Pond, Maine. Private ownership on the island and the shore. Used to go there in the summer with family friends. It has all the requirements, small summer cabins with private docks, clear water to swim!

  164. Lake Cypress Springs in East Texas is nice. Would be very warm, and real estate prices probably not sky high.

  165. Lewis Smith Lake in Alabama! It stays pretty warm and it one of the clearest lakes in the US!

  166. Try Claytor Lake or Smith Mountain Lake. Both in the Southwestern part of Virginia. (Closest “big” city is Roanoke)
    Not warm year round, but definitely warm enough to swim Summer to early Fall. House prices vary, but it’s worth a look. And most definitely private homes and docks.

  168. Lake Norman in North Carolina. The most expensive houses are upwards of 1M but you can get houses for 500-600 still and if you bought them 10 years ago they were really affordable! The lake is owned by Duke energy but the houses on the lake own their private docks – there’s actually not many public access beaches for the size of the lake. It’s not crystal clear – normal lake water you can see a few inches down like maybe to your knees if you’re floating in the water.

    • I grew up on Lake Norman! I was going to suggest it, too, but held off because the water is pretty murky. It used to be a great sailing lake, but now it’s pretty busy with motor boats, jet skis, etc. It’s a long lake with a lot of little coves, so tons of private docks. My parents had a house right on the water with a dock where they moored their sailboat. House/lot prices can get kinda steep, but it really varies — some parts of the lakeshore are far more expensive than others. (I’d say the south and east part of the lake is more expensive than the west part.) The lake is definitely warm enough to swim in during the summer. (For weather, we have a long summer — with hot temperatures from April/May to October; very short spring and fall; and fairly mild winters without much snow.)

  171. Look up Lake Chelan, Washington. It is in Eastern Washington where the weather is warm, or very warm in the summertime. They allow private ownership. It’s a great lake for swimming or water-skiing.

  173. My family has a lake house on Thompson Lake in Oxford/Otisfield Maine. Thompson has private ownership, some of the lakefront camps are definitely pricier but our camp has been in our family for almost 40 years and is definitely a camp more than a fancy lakehouse. Thompson is swimmable, semi-clear water and it beautiful!

  174. Check out Grand Lake in Oklahoma. Also called “Tulsa’s Playground,” so there are million dollars homes but you can find comfortable cabins for 200k as well as shabby chic trailer homes with their own private dock. Really fun lake dynamics.

  175. Coeur D’Alene, Idaho is lovely all summer and fits the other requirements. It’s pretty year round but of course it isn’t warm year round.

  178. Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas is beautiful. The real estate prices in Arkansas are very low compared to the rest of the country so they should be able to get something nice for a decent price. It is a gorgeous area.

  179. In my experience, a lot of family lake houses have been passed down, so the current market value is of less concern. Could it be inherited property for the story?

  181. Lake Cable in Stark County, northeastern Ohio, is an artificial spring-fed lake with about 8 convoluted miles of shoreline. It is a post-WWII housing tract of the upper middle persuasion. It had, when I lived there a million years ago, a sandy beach, fishing, a recreation association, and a small strip mall. No tourist trade. The Smuckers of peanut butter and jelly fame used to summer there and winter in Florida. I just saw a house listing for $259,000.

  182. Lake Jubilee near Tollgate, Oregon, fits your friend’s needs and is less well-known, if that matters. Also in a gorgeous setting, the Blue Mountains.

  183. Lake Powell outside Las Vegas? Lake Don Pedro in the sierra foothills? Folsom lake, also in the sierra foothills?

  184. Lake Nacimiento in CA
    all private homes , locals call them cabins and one shore has all private docks. Located in central CA in Paso Robles CA. 40 min from Morro Bay, Cayucos, and Cambia all popular beaches during the season.
    The lake is large, min 20 miles long, 7:8 miles wide w/ lots of hidden inlets where people Punic and swim. Teeming w/wildlife including bald eagles.

  188. Square Lake, MN. Known for how clear it is.
    West of Stillwater.
    Pretty much any lake in Washington County in MN or Northern MN
    Chicago Lakes area.

  189. I’ll vote for the lake I grew up around. Jewett Lake in Minnesota. Although things get cold in the winter, summer is nice.

  191. Lake Tahoe fits all of those requirements, only I’m not sure what the pricing on the property is. I know it’s high right now because bay area folks have been moving there, but perhaps it could be inherited propert?

  193. Truckee! I believe it’s warm enough in the summer, though it might be a little crisp.

    I’m not sure about clarity of water, but Wisconsin is gorgeous in the summer and has many lakes to chose from. Quick googles say there are plenty of clear lakes, but the tricky thing in Wisconsin is ownership. All water in Wisconsin is public access and there have been some changes recently to building NEW docks. But existing docks are usually okay.

    • Forgot to mention in regards to Truckee – at the beginning of Covid, homes with lake access were 300-400k but have most likely increased. Truckee is near Lake Tahoe but outside of it so the prices are much more affordable. Could also look at Lake Donner. Yes, THAT Donner. Second, third, fourth to everyone who has called out that bay folks moved to Lake Tahoe area during covid, so ymmv.

  195. Friends live in Kentucky on a lake – I don’t recall the name, but I remember their saying that there are many nice lakes with relatively reasonable lakefront properties. I know they have a private dock.

  196. My family used to have property on South Twin Lake in northern Wisconsin. It’s in the heart of the North Woods – about 15 miles from the Michigan UP border. It’s beautiful and clear and mostly privately owned vacation properties with private docks. As a kid, I spent 3 months out of the year there, fishing, skiing, tubing, and sailing.

  197. Lake Winnebago in WI is very large and allows private docks/ownership. Lovely in the summer, not so much in winter. Clean clear water last time I was there.

  198. Inks Lake on the Colorado River here in Texas is a great one. It’s a constant level lake, unlike others on the Colorado. Very swim able in spring, summer and fall. My family have been going here since the mid 1950s.

  199. There are blue sink holes in Wakulla County, Florida where you can swim most of the year. Someone sold a 720 acre property in 2017 that had 9 sink holes included.

    If she doesn’t want to tie her story to an actual lake, there is plenty of room to include a sink hole.

  201. Lake Chelan in Washington state. It’s in Eastern Washington, which is beautifully warm in the summer months. There are plenty of homes on the lakefront. Some are very expensive, but depending on when the home was purchased, many are still reasonably priced. Most have their own docks. The water is crystal clear, swimmable in the summer months (but not off months because it’s glacier melt.)

  202. Lake Gaston in Virginia. You can see at least 6-7 feet down. Great temp in the summer and a large variety of homes depending on the part of the lake, some middle class, some very fancy.

  203. High Falls Lake in Georgia. 600+ acres of gorgeous clean lake. Great fishing and unbelievable wildlife. The boat motors are limited to 9.9hp so it’s very quiet but no water skiing or jet skis. 60 miles from Atlanta, 30 miles from Macon, Ga. The most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen, night after night.

  204. Langlois Lake in Carnation, WA. No gas motors allowed. Super deep lake. Lots of trees in the bottom. Girl Scouts used to own a portion for their summer camps. Not sure if they still do. A few houses on the lake, not many. When my husband and I were first dating, he would take me there. Small boat. He would get the back 3rd for fishing. I would put down 2 sleeping bags, 2 pillows on the bottom of the boat and just float, lay and read. Those were the BEST dates.

  205. Have her look at Lake Gaston. There are homes with docks on the North Carolina and Virginia sides. She can take her pick!

  206. If you’re looking for a smaller, less known lake, there’s Lake Massapoag in Sharon, MA!
    In the summer it’s beautiful, clear and warm and there are private homes on the shore with their own docks, either for year residents or summer homes.

  207. I spent my childhood summers on Schroon Lake in the Adks. Just north of Lake George. It’s a smaller lake, 9 miles. Not as touristy or crowded as Lake George. My family had a private beach, in a cove that stretched to the point, with our boat dock in the cove area. Lake water was clean enough that it is what was pumped into our house for use. I can’t speak of the water now as I haven’t been in a few years.

  210. Lake LBJ. Small community of Granite Shoals has many private shoreline onwers of all classes. Beautiful views. Lots of different price levels.

  211. Bull Shoals Lake, on the border of AR & MO, is supposed to be crystal clear, popular for recreation, but not as crowded as some of the better known lakes. The Corps of Engineers allows private docks in limited development areas. I haven’t seen the lake myself but have heard good things.

    Beaver Lake, also in north AR, is beautiful. I think existing private docks are grandfathered in. I took a boat tour of the lake back in the 90s, and you could see down to the mountaintops/trees underneath in some places. It was crystal clear. It’s also near the popular tourist destination of Eureka Springs.

    Lake of the Ozarks in MO has private homes with docks (not sure if grandfathered only or still allowing new). It’s a very busy lake, but some of the coves off the main lake are calmer. One of my relatives had a lakeside cabin in a cove and loved to sit on their boat dock, fish, and watch the ducks. The water was very clear there – not sure about the main lake.

    Hope this is helpful!

  212. I think the north shore of Lake Travis has some reasonably priced cabins and I know that you can have a private dock on it.

  213. Not positive, but I beleive both Lake Tahoe and Lake Mead allow for private homes. Of the two, I prefer Tahoe. Of course, I haven’t been there for many years, but it was beautiful, and extremely clear. Lake Mead has clear areas, but they can get fouled with drifting plants at times.

  214. There is a wonderful lake in Apopka Florida called Bear Lake. It is spring fed so it will never see low water conditions during the dry season. the clarity of the water is strictly guarded by advising the surrounding residents when not to fertilize their lawn in an effort to retain the deep water clarity which can be anywhere from 6ft to 10ft and more. The homes surrounding the lake are anywhere from the 450k to 1.4 million dollar range.
    The lake is warm and beautiful all year and is small enough to be a wonderful retreat and large enough to ski on. Because it is a private access lake there are no weeds on the edges just pristine landscape leading to it’s edge.
    All of the residents surrounding the lake have a private dock some with boat houses attached.

  215. She could check out Smith Lake in Alabama. It’s still in fairly good shape and it has the added creepiness of being a man-made lake that required the flooding of a town. According to one source I read, there are actual cemeteries still at the bottom of the lake. But it’s used a lot for watersports and swimming because why not? The lake goes from shallow to dropoffs of hundreds of feet. So if this is a romance, you probably don’t want to go near Smith Lake, but if it’s a mystery or something dark, Smith Lake is your go-to.

  216. Lake Keowee in South Carolina , the water is clear and just beautiful.
    Lake Lanier in GA is a good option too and it’s near Atlanta .

  217. New Hampshire. There are multiple lakes at the bottom of the White Mountains.
    Winnesquam (On golden pond filmed there), Winnipesaukee, Merrymeeting Lake, Sunapee, Mirror lake, Ossipee Lake, etc. All pretty clear (ranked amount the clearest in the US), all with private ownership, and sandy bottoms. While it is not warm year round, they are certainly warm enough to swim in July-August. Lake water temp for Winnipesaukee in August is around 75.6°F / 24.2°C

  219. How about north Georgia? Lake Rabin, Lake Burton, Lake Lanier, Lake Oconee, Lake Hartwell

  220. Dale Hollow Lake (Reservoir) on the Tennessee/Kentucky border. One of the cleanest lakes in the country, and while there are expensive lakefront homes there are also more reasonable properties (lots of more remote stretches of shoreline). Many fond memories of swimming and house boating there, could see 30+ feet down.

  221. Somewhere warm year round or only summer? I would highly recommend Payette in Idaho, but gets snow in the winter (with fantastic skiing). Still can find some reasonable places. Maybe. Depends on when this place was to have been purchased by the family. Clear Lake or Lake Mendocino in Northern California are great options as well.

  222. West Virginia and Virginia have some beautiful lakes. Take a look at Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. It is gorgeous and gets warm enough to swim in.

  225. Lake Santa Fe / Little Lake Santa Fe has private homes around it and it does have swimming. The water has tannins in it but it has some springs so it is not as bad as others. It is warm although my Floridians would not swim in it in winter. Like any Florida lake it has alligators but people still swim in it.

    • Forgot to include. Homes are around $324,000 according to local real estate site. My co-worker owns a home with a private dock on Little Lake Santa Fe so they are allowed.

  226. How about Lake Jackson in Sebring, Florida? It allows private ownership, is warm, and the water is fairly clear.

  229. Lake Granbury in Hood County, Texas might fit her requirements. It is swimmable in places, one can have private docks, and it’s somewhat clear, depending on what the Brazos River had picked up from upstream. Additionally, a lot of properties are built on canals to increase the number of water front homes.

  231. Of course Lake Anna was built to cool a Nuclear Reactor… And sits on a fault line… come to think of it, is this a horror story? lol

  232. I’ve never been, but I have lots of friends and colleagues from Illinois and Michigan who talk about having summer cabins on a lake in Michigan – apparently there are a ton of lakes so its not an exclusively for-the-rich thing.

  234. Fingerlakes in upstate new York. Off topic but have been wanting to request: can you have your posts formatted for automatic wrap / size to window? It would be nice to have the text fit in my phone screen instead of having to scroll right and left for every line. Thanks.

    • Perhaps you have your phone set to desktop mode? I have to do that occasionally (for other sites, not this one) and when I do, I have to scroll side to side. ????

  235. What do they want to do with this lake? Are they trying to buy property, do they want to include it in a book, take pictures, what?
    I have family with a great place (an old hotel) on Lake Michigan over looking the water with beach access. But they don’t want to sell it. No dock though.

    • “One of my friends is trying to do some writing research”- it’s going to be in a book :).
      Hope this helps 🙂

    • Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (the “UP”), have more than 30,000 inland lakes, not even counting the Great Lakes. You’ll find crystal clear lakes, a few called Crystal Lake, with starting prices of $150K to several million. Small lots to several acre lots, even some private lakes, these states offer beautiful, remote lakes within state and national forests, or near towns and cities. Also, lake sizes vary from really small non motor lakes to some of the largest inland lakes in this country.

  237. Silver Lake in the June Lake/ Mammoth Lakes area in the Eastern Sierra area of California. There is a single road of lake-front properties. Small, gorgeous, warm in the summer, snowed in during winter.

  238. Wisconsin has a huge number of amazingly beautiful, warm enough to swim in, clear lakes! Green Lake is the deepest so good for speedboats, neighboring Puckaway Lake, is more of a pontoon boat/fishing lake, Lake Elizabeth in the South-East is small and wonderful, Lake Denton, next the The Wisconsin Dells, is more touristy. I won’t even try to name all the little, wonderful, affordable lakes north of Rhinelander but any of them would be a great choice.

  241. There are some really nice lakes in northern Idaho (Lake Pend Oreille, Lake Coeur d’Alene), Washington (Lake Chelan, Lake Sammamish), and Oregon (Wallowa Lake, Diamond Lake, Odell Lake). I think all of them have private cabins on certain parts that are pretty accessible to middle class families.

  242. What about Possum Kingdom Lake, up near Dallas? It’s a nice area, despite the podunk name.

  243. Lake George property can be expensive. A possible alternative in the Adirondacks is one of the numbered lakes. I stayed/swam/fished/boated from a property in Old Forge which had its own dock on the lake.
    See Wikipedia, Fulton Chain of Lakes.
    “The Fulton Chain of Lakes is a string of eight lakes located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, United States. The chain is the dammed-up Moose River, and the dam which creates the chain holds back nearly 6.8 billion US gallons (26,000,000 m3) of water. The lakes are located in Herkimer and Hamilton Counties. Inlet, Old Forge, and Eagle Bay are towns on them…suitable for pontoon boats (the most popular type in the area), kayaks, and motorboats.

    • My sister lived in a small condo building with 5 retired couples. Each condo had their own docking space. My sister lived in the ground floor unit and started and ended most days from April through October with a swim. It was a 30 foot walk into the lake. Crystal clear. She worked in the twin cities and lived there year round. Kept an eye on the place for the seniors who went south every winter.

  245. I have 4 suggestions: Torch Lake and Deer Lake in Michigan. Flathead Lake in Montana and Lake Tahoe (California/Nevada). These lakes would fit the requirements for water clarity. Temperatures for the lakes in Michigan were colder but were in the 70s for July.

    From the little checking I was able to do, there are rental properties in each location that may provide background for the author. I hope this is helpful.

  246. We have a lake house on Greers Ferry Lake in Arkansas. Although it is a Corps of Engineers lake, we do have a dock. We just have to abide by the regulations of size and what we can have on the dock. Arkansas is warm and near the shore you the water can be clear if the wind isn’t kicking up the waves too bad. And you can pretty much find something in any budget here. I’m actually from Wisconsin and it has some beautiful lakes, some fairly clear that allow private docks. My family is from Shawano, Wisconsin and I spent many a summer at my Grandparents home on the lake. Water is clear near shore. But Wisconsin is definitely not considered a warm state, LOL. Although the summers are lovely.

  248. Osoyoos Lake In Washington State is beautiful and not too expensive. It crosses the border into Canada, but it’s a semi-desert region and gets very hot in summers. Definitely lots of lake swimming! Potential downside, readers unfamiliar with the area may not believe in the weather ????

  250. The only clear lake I know is not warm but great for a summer home.
    Torch Lake in Michigan it’s up by Traverse City.

  252. I’ll skim through after, but Deep Creek Lake in Western Maryland has mountains and a lake big enough for (very) small tides. It’s also in the mountains and gorgeous. We used to go there when I was a kid, and we swam AND fished. Lots of people had boats, but there were large areas at the shore that were roped off.

    Of course, I haven’t been there in 30 years, as it was where we took our summer vacations as a kid, but I just can’t imagine it completely built up. It was small town but not middle of nowhere — except it kind of is middle of nowhere. Nothing to offer, really, but the lake.

    Nearest big city is Pittsburgh. There’s also an awesome artists’ commune called Penn Alps just over the PA border, and visiting there was one of my favorite parts of our vacations. That was still there 5 years ago, when I called them to get a nostalgia gift for my sister.

    • And now that I’ve skimmed through, I see other recommendations for Deep Creek Lake. It’s really a lovely spot.

  253. When I was a child (a very long time ago), every summer we visited friends who had a house on Lake Bomoseen in Vermont. We all loved the name — thought it was hilarious — and had a wonderful time swimming and boating. This website might give some insight on curent affordability.

    https://www.lakehomes.com/vermont/lake-bomoseen

  255. Flathead Lake in Montana. It has many many summer cabins, private dock ownership, and although it can be expensive now, 30 years ago it was pretty reasonable, and plenty of middle class families own there.

  257. Lake of the Woods, Southern Oregon. Nearest town is Medford, OR which has an airport. Private cabins with docks, gorgeous!

  258. Cumberland lake in Kentucky. I know someone with a rental there. She says it is a fantastic swimming lake.

  259. I used to visit Lake Hartwell with my Uncle’s family, and I believe it meets all the requirements. It’s in northern Georgia, although I believe parts of it are in South Carolina. It’s a gorgeous lake!

    • I wanted to add a +1 for Lake Chelan in eastern Washington. It’s extra cool because the top half off the lake has no access roads, and you have to boat up. There’s a whole town up there that’s only accessible by boat! The southern end is quite developed though.

      Also in Eastern Wa – Lake Wenatchee. It’s crystal clear with lots of private docks. Much smaller and slightly more remote than Lake Chelan.

  260. For ten years I lived across the road from Canandaigua Lake which one of the Finger Lakes in New York. Beautiful area. Great for swimming. The city set off fireworks from a barge in the lake during the summer holidays and sometimes just for the fun of it. My great uncle had a boat and he’d motor us around while describing different properties including one place that was owned at one time by Humphrey Bogart. Lots of nice memories from my time there.

    I just looked it up and home there can range from $140,000 to 2.5 million. Don’t know if that’s what you have in mind, but it’s an option for your fellow author to check out.

  261. Lake Murray (I consider it a funny name) here in the midlands of SC. There are parts of it (southern area) that are very affordable.Pretty warm in the midlands all year long! http://www.LakeMurraycountry.com She can come & stay with me while she does research, lol!

  262. Outside of Chicago, there is the “Chain of Lakes.” Yes, our winters are cold and blustery, but the summers are hot and humid. Jumping in one of the lakes on a summer day is BLISSFUL!!

  263. My cousins have a holiday home on Lake Canandigua, and their photos every summer make me very jealous.

  266. The Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. Very swimmable, able to own a private dock, boating, fishing, upscale dining if you desire, many nice grocery stores. We owned a house on the lake when my kids were growing up – the best years of their lives. It is warm in Summer, has beautiful fall weather as well.

  267. Possibly north Arkansas or southern Missouri. There are a chain of manmade lakes out there that are pretty clear as long as there hasn’t been a storm lately and property is pretty reasonable. Table Rock Lake is the one I’m familiar with – while it is corps property there are a number of grandfathered private docks

  268. There are many private lakes (no public access) in the Central and North Florida area. A spring-fed lake is what she’d need, it is consistently clear and a white sand bottom is a plus. There is a Florida springs interactive map online; reference The Florida Springs Institute. Locate a spring on the map and see if a lake was formed over it… and a cottage may also be available.

  269. There’s actually a fun show called Lake Front Bargain Hunt — I bet if she looked through the episodes, she could find a lake that suits her. Lots of lakes in the south and midwest.

  270. Northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s UP have some beautiful lakes which can have private docks on them, and are the perfect temperature for swimming over summer. True, summer doesn’t last that long, but it is beautiful, and also makes for an awesome winter get-away 🙂

    Technically there are riprarian rights along the all waterfrontage in WI, but if you, by yourself or with neighbors, privately own the land SURROUNDING the lake, the general public technically can’t use those public rights unless they are airlifted in and out.

    This one’s from a realtor, but it has some really good lake info on it:
    https://lakecountrylife.wordpress.com/waukesha-county-lake-information/

    Another website has water clarity info:
    http://www.lakesat.org/documents/wi_lake_clarity_poster.pdf

  272. Mullett Lake or Burt Lake in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula. Beautiful clear water, sandy beaches and lake bottoms, many summer cottages as well as year-round homes, most with private docks. Not fully developed even now, there are still many stretches of untouched wooded shoreline.

  273. I think all lakes in TX are managed by the Core of Engineers, however that doesn’t mean property can’t be owned and private docks are allowed, but you may want to look at Louisiana. There is a beautiful lake in Shreveport and a wide range of property prices. My Grandparents and now my uncle have a nice house there. Most clear lakes are mountain fed or spring fed….that’s why they are so clear….so maybe lake of the Ozarks? Arkansas

  274. Higgins Lake in Michigan fits. I’m going there in August for a day at a friend’s lively cabin right on the lake, with a dock.

  275. Thank you, Ilona Andrews for the post. I personally can not help with quest but I am sure my fellow BDH can.

    Yes I am owned by a water loving lunatic knucklehead lab mix. But my idea of good swimming temperatures and his vary greatly. But he might melt if sprinkled with water hose. ????

    My one suggestion is to rent for one whole year before buying in area of choice. That way fewer unwelcome surprises. Unless prefer surprises.

  276. Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota have wonderful lakes. Michigan would be my choice for clear water and sand beaches. Private docks ownership isn’t a problem.

  277. False River in Louisiana, an oxbow lake that was cut off from the Mississippi River about 300 years ago. Sparkling clean, hot lazy summers, good for swimming, boating and fishing. You can put a private dock on your property. Have friends that live on the lake, and the homes around are kind of big but not mansions ($300,000??). I have fond memories of that lake!

  278. We live on Lake Anna in Virginia and love. As for warm, the lake is actually heated as it’s used to cool a nuclear plant. There is a private and public side, either allows for a dock.

  280. Try Green Lake Wisconsin, yes we do have summer in Wisconsin. Beautiful lake, swimming, boating and deep. Several homes listed under $3,000,000. Small town setting with great golf courses near by.

  282. Northeast Kingdom of Vermont (Orleans, Essex, and Caledonia counties), on the border of Canada and New Hampshire. I have no idea how many lakes are around. Lake Memphremagog goes up into Quebec. Crystal Lake and Lake Willoughby may or may not be connected by a hidden (yet-to-be-discovered) underground passageway. Shadow Lake is more out-of-the-way. Daniel’s Pond is the most-remote and smallest. I don’t know how swimmable Daniel’s Pond is because of plant growth. Pretty sure it’s too small for waterskiing. Don’t know about year-round living. The others all have a mix of summer camps (which are actual houses) and full-time residences. Plethora of private and public docks.

  283. Cross the border in to Canada.
    I bought a two bedroom house on 3 1/2 acres with lake frontage for C $64,000. In USA dollars that’s a little less than $52,000. The house was a mess, hence the low price, so I’ve spent the past few years fixing it up and thus haven’t had time or money to build my own dock, and that will likely not happen till next year.
    In the USA, this would have been an impossible dream.

  285. A very long time ago I stumbled across Gun Barrel City, Texas and Cedar Creek Lake. I don’t know how clear it may be now, nor property costs. But it was a lovely, clear lake, completely usable.

  286. The Finger Lakes in NY. They are a wonderful gift of the glaciers. Some, the housing is pricey. But at city pier in Canandaigua, there are boathouses, colorful and charming that are rentable. My favorite is Skaneateles, clear,but deep, beautiful and surrounded by hills. The FL are filled with wineries, cider mills, farm markets, and amazing restaurants. And it is beautiful all seasons here. We even have a lake monster in Seneca Lake. Google it!

    Best wishes,
    Dawn

  287. There are lots of lakes in NW Montana and northern Idaho, many also have dams on them so reservoirs too. Real Estate can be pricey but there are many areas around the lakes that are reasonable. After winter run off they are fairly warm to areas like bath water. Flathead Lake is largest west of Mississippi fresh water lake, I live in Thompson Falls, Montana we have Thompson Falls Reservoir which allows docks, Nixon and Cabinet Gorge Reservoirs to the west have some dock restrictions but it’s possible or there is a community dock. Then in northern Idaho you have the 2 big one Lake Couer D’Alene by town of same name but it’s huge so several small towns along it and Lake Pend Orielle which is also huge with lots of small communities but Sandpoint Idaho is well known. There are also many smaller lakes all over the Idaho Panhandle people have houses on.

  288. Smith Lake in Alabama between Huntsville and Birmingham is one of the cleanest, clearest lakes in the country, top 3 I think. It’s gorgeous and sounds like a good fit for what you’re looking for.

  289. You could try White Lake, NC. Natural white sand bottom, spring fed, it does have public access, but I believe you can have a private dock as well.

  290. Believe it or not but Indio, CA has lake front property with private dock. Is she looking in Texas only? Cause there are lots of places in California that might work. Even a few in Arizon that I’ve heard of.

  291. I live in Upstate South Carolina, Oconee County. There are several lakes in my area. We have have gorgeous waterfalls. In fact there are 5 waterfalls that are rank among the top 10 in the USA.

  293. Throwing a wild card out there. I think if the home was in the family and then the area around it was later declared a state or national park, you are sometimes grandfathered in if you had the structure (house, dock) originally.

    You are most likely looking at a glacier made or spring fed lake for clear water though. Definitely nothing in Texas, since all our lakes are man-made except one which is a bayou.

    Maybe the land/house was inherited from grand aunt phoebe and it had an older house there. To get around the crazy costs of buying more popular Lake areas in the modern day.

    Maybe they supplement the cost of the place by renting it to others when they’re not using it. Even if it’s only a limited availability for what people want to do. Photographers (for nature, landscape, night photography like milkyway if you are in true dark skies), bird watchers, fishing get aways, hikers in spring or fall, are there winter sports opportunities nearby for that recreation, etc. Enough to make it pay for upkeep and taxes?

    What about Lake Tahoe? It’s clear, and I know there are houses with private docks, and people go there for recreation in the summer?

  294. Lake Sutherland WA might meet those criteria. It is very warm in the summer, the lake is gorgeous, and it has privately owned properties. It is remote enough that the homes don’t run in the millions, though over five hundred thousand is likely. Lake Crescent is nearby and also has homes, but they would be pricier. The water of both lakes is swimmable, but not balmy even on a hot summer day.

  296. Lake Pleasant in Steuben County Indiana is a beautiful, smaller lake. with some year-round residents and many summer residents. A spring fed lake, the water is clear with a few areas of weeds. There are quaint cottages, modest homes and more expensive new homes around the lake. Swimming, Tubing, Fishing, Boating, Skiing Steuben County is known for 101 lakes and there are many to choose from.

  298. Maine has 5,779 lakes and ponds, almost all clean, clear gorgeous blue water! And while I can’t afford waterfront property, all the summer homes are more reasonably priced than the rest of the nation… which is why out-of-state summer folks are buying them up like crazy…

  299. Lake Martin in Alabama. There are still trailer “cabins” left along the twisty shore. It’s not super clear, butt maybe enough for the storyline? There’s also Lake Jordan (pronounced jur-den), another Roosevelt era project.

  300. What about Lake James, NC? They have some reasonably priced properties, and docks and swimming are allowed. Depending on your definition, it might qualify as “Clear”, and it’s warmer than many of the northern lakes suggested here (though those are beautiful!).

  301. Price range?? I’m hunting a new place up, in, and around Missouri and there are more than a few lakes up with what I would consider reasonably priced lakefront or riverfront properties. Also more than a few totally insane priced ones as well. As I’m looking to move my mob [Arabians horses] as well, they don’t fit what I’m looking for but I can see what I can find for your friends while I’m doing it.

  302. You can never go wrong with the highland lakes in Texas. Lake Buchanan is one of the oldest lakes in Texas. And it follows a chain on the Colorado river. Llano River, Lake Marble Falls, Volente Beach, Lakeway, Lake Travis, Lake Austin(WAY TOO EXPENSIVE). There are many areas that are affordable still.

  304. Lake Tulloch, located in Copperopolis, California, is one of the few lakes in California that has private shoreline houses.

  305. There’s Lake Chelan in WA state. It’s swimmable in the summer. You can get waterfront property for 800k, so I’m not sure if that meets the threshold. If the book allows for a long time family home, purchased pre-Seattle tech boom, then it probably would have been more like 500k

  306. Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia is really nice, warm so it’s comfortable swimming in high summer, housing prices vary widely I believe, and it’s fairly clear. It’s also huge.

  307. Lake Winnepesaukee, Kanasatka, little Squam , Newfound in NH. It’s called the lakes region and definitely lots of houses and docks with clear water. There are definitely multimillion dollar homes but also lovely, normal homes for normal people. Two ish hours north of Boston.

  308. Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. It is warm, lots of coastline, tons of private reasonably priced homes with docks. It’s 3 hours from St Louis and Kansas City, so is a popular vacation and retirement destination.

  309. The Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri has a long shore line that is all privately owned so there is a wide range of property prices. It is swimmable in the summer and has some clear water areas. That depends on the weather to some extent.

  311. There are many lakes in central Maine that fit this. My family has a place on Nicatous Lake, but there’s also Duck Lake, Gassabias Lake, Upper and Lower Sabao Lake, etc. islands in the lakes are often privately-owned. Shore property is often leased long-term by lumber or paper companies to individuals. Happy to provide more info, if desired.

  312. Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia might hit most of her wish list: affordable, warm water for a good part of the year, private property available, you can build a dock if you have a certain amount of water front. I have no idea if the water will be clear enough for story purposes.

  313. Lake Jocassee in South Carolina is supposed to be the clearest mountain spring fed lake in the state.

    The shoreline is mostly owned by either the state or the main power company, but there are a few areas where homes can be built or bought. Most homes listed for sale currently are over a million bucks.

    However, the lots for sales are somewhat reasonable. I could certainly see someone buying a lot and building something smaller. If you google Best Swimming Spot in South Carolina a description will pop up.

  314. The deeper water sections of possum kingdom lake are pretty clear most of the year and you definitely will have hot weather since its texas. Lol. My cousin has a house with a dock on a smaller lake near tecumseh oklahoma. That water is clear but we did have to wade in a pull up a bunch of the reeds and grasses so the kids have a clean/clear area to jump and swim.

  315. My view of the lakes in northeastern US was from “Lottery Dream Home” Some of the prices for out of way remote areas did not seem beyond reach

  316. May I suggest a little known dream, Cathance Lake in Cooper,Maine. About a 6 hour drive north from Boston. Cathance is the deepest spring fed lake in Maine. Very rural and has a population of 152 people. It is about 90 miles to the East from Bangor Maine (the queen city) that has a population of 32,000 and Cooper is a 45 minute drive from Eastport Maine which is on Passamaquoddy Bay (Atlantic Ocean) and the Eastern most City in Maine.

  317. The lake of the ozarks in Missouri is absolutely beautiful and fits those requirements

  318. Have her check out properties in Tennessee. Prices are still reasonable and taxes are low. Recently there has been a big surge in real estate around here and prices are rising. I grew up in Up-State New York near the Finger Lakes. I love the area but the taxes are out of sight.

  320. Beaver Lake in Northwest Arkansas. Cold winters but great spring and fall and doable summer.

    The water off our dock is clear to the ground until we hit about 20 feet, and we swim in it all summer.

    If she is interested I can give her names of reliable, honest realtors.

    • Thank you so much Erin, but this is research for a novel, not for purchase ????.

      • Whoops. Then look up the pyramid at Beaver Lake and the name Harvey Coin from Monte Ne. Low water allows people to explore some of the building that is normally under water. It’s a man-made lake, so there used to be all kinds of houses to explore for scuba divers. Several underwater caves as well.

  321. I love Lake George, but it is too expensive. Houses on the lake go for millions. Not reasonable, middle class pricing, or I would have a house on Lake George. Maybe Sacandaga Lake?

  324. Lake Murray in SC (near Columbia) is nice and has reasonably priced homes. Lake Wylie south of Charlotte NC is also a nice but smaller lake with private ownership in a reasonable price range and has swimming/boating activities.

  325. They asked for southern lakes.

    Check some of the lakes in VA. Lake Anna comes to mind. My family has a lake cabin there. Sits on just under 2 acres and is valued at 350,000. But we are on the Spotsylvania side. It depends on which county you are in, because if the county is still largely rural its cheaper.

  326. to be a summer home, it doesn’t need to be somewhere warm — traditionally, summer homes are in cooler parts of the country!

    There are many, many lakes in Minnesota that would meet all of these criteria.

    The lake where my family cabin is, has exactly this level of clarity and we have two, count-em, two, private docks!

  329. Tennessee has several and also lower price range. Maybe check around the state.

  330. Mona Reservoir in Central Utah, Bear Lake in Northern Utah, High Rock Lake in North Carolina, Lake Nantahala, also in North Carolina. Also, there are loads of lakes in Georgia

  331. Lot of small lakes in NC, East Tennessee. Montlake, just outside of Soddy-Daisy, TN It is on the Cumberland plateau and spring fed and surrounded by sandstone. Not real big but for what you are asking it would do.

  332. Lake Coeur d’Alene in Coeur d’Alene Idaho is a great lake to swim in, during the summer. June through August average temps are between 65-75 degrees. However the winters are pretty cold in the inland northwest

  333. Wekiwa Springs or Spring Hill near Weezer Wachee FL. Crystal clear natural spring that stays a cool 74f all year round. There are a lot of homes built along the river and springs. Attached are photos of our last trip.

  334. Seeley Lake in Montana is an option. Its somewhat popular in the summer for families, boating, camping.

  335. In the Texas hill country there is a chain of lakes, Buchanan, Inks and Lyndon B Johnson. I’ve only been to Lake Inks. I was amazed how clear the water was especially for a TX lake. The granite in the area helps keep the water clear. I looked at the property for sale in the area and it ranged from about $350,000 to $2,000,000. Can’t get much warmer than TX. (Except during a crazy freak winter storm) Hope that helps.

    • Inks is a state park. LBJ is private and has properties in the price range (when available) but the last major flood changed the floor of the lake significantly. Plus LBJ has a strong fish smell, which is awful.

      • Maybe it’s just been the section of those lakes I’ve visited, or maybe because I came after some major storms, but I wouldn’t describe any of those lakes as clear. Clean perhaps, but not clear. They have the typical cloudy look of a Texas lake to me. Shallow areas up to maybe a couple of feet deep there’s some visibility, and after that just a cloudy water.

  337. Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs has a few places that are available to the public although most of it is considered national park land. It’s absolutely beautiful, and one of the cleanest lakes in the US. Although there is boat traffic, it’s fairly uncrowded.

  338. Medina lake which is north west of San Antonio is private with clear water. Most properties have a dock versus shore access.

  339. Lake Waldo, Oregon. Pretty little lake with pretty reasonably priced houses. Not fancy at all though.

  340. Don’t know if anyone’s chimed in previously with Raystown Lake in PA. It’s a created reservoir in Huntington County with lake front property.

    Clarity of water is hard to judge due to conditions, but I’ve been to it several times during summer and fall and found it pretty clear and warm. I do know there are private docks for owners, and the average pricing for homes in the general vacinity are about 500K+.

    Not sure if this meets criteria, but it’s a beautiful wild area.

  341. Does it have to be a leak? I ask because the water in the Crystal River in Florida is in many places clear enough to see a dime resting on the bottom.

  343. Clearlake in Northern California is lovely, has houses on the lake and docks. I don’t know how the fires have affected it, but it wasn’t overly pricey when I was there a few years ago. Good luck finding your perfect place.

  344. I’d vote for Missouri…lake of the Ozarks and Table Rock lake are beautiful, my parents had a lot there (they never built on it, just camped, but it’s wonderful)….I’d love to say Florida as it’s warm and beautiful here, but you’d always be sharing your lake with Gators…

  346. Smith Mountain Lake VA – it has is plenty warm in the summer and has lots of private docks and houses – not too expensive either

  347. Lake George in the Adirondacks. It is cold in the winter, but lots of people have summer homes there.

  348. Newfound Lake in NH, a six mile lake, is very clean, very clear. Definitely swimmable in summer. Also quite deep if that matters. Lots of private cottages large and small with docks as well as larger areas of shore that belong to kids camps or conservation groups. Both Audubon and the Newfound Lake association have large tracts of shore land that the public is welcome to access. Audubon rents kayaks and the Newfound Lake group has, in other years at least, taken groups out on the lake for an educational tour. The Newfound River feeds out of it; a small very clear river with trails along side it. Beautiful scenery, mountains and forests.

  350. It depends on just how south she wants to go. Really warm and clear invites alligators if in southern coastal waters, but going more central lowers the extent of warm seasons of course. 🙂 Also, the social climate in certain places can reduce the appeal. Sorry, but the personal recommendations are kinda contingent on those concerns.

  351. Silver lake in Ciltina, Alaska. Crystal clear and warm in the summer because of the long sunny days. It’s on the road( a rough gravel road that was once train tracks) the land on half of the lake belongs to one of the Indigenous People and the other half has private property owners. The residences run from very rustic with outhouses to very comfortable with solar and wind power. Private docks are allowed and one family has a plane with floats for quick trips in and out. It is a piece of heaven.

  352. I mean it’s not a huge lake (680 a) but in Michigan there are a lot of lakes like you describe. I grew up on one called Green Lake in Caledonia Mi and it’s just like you describe.

  354. Does it have to be a lake? Gwynn’s Island on the Chesapeake Bay is gorgeous. I go there every 4th of July with my family. Very small, very private.

  355. In the vicinity of Angola, Indiana (Steuben County, Indiana north east corner) are a large number of spring fed lakes that would meet your writer’s requirement. Pretty cold in the winter but lovely and warm in the summer with many private water front homes and docks. Crooked Lake and Lake James are two of the largest.

  356. South Holston Lake, it borders Virginia and Tennessee. My parents live there on the lake in a town called Abingdon, Va. Home of the Barter Theater.

  357. White Lake, NC. http://www.whitelakenc.org/ The area is starting to build up but at heart it’s still a rural town, not too touristy. The lake is beautiful. It’s also near the Dublin County wineries, a booming area industry.

  358. Lake James in Marion, NC. Even 15 years ago you could probably get a fancy place for <$200,000. It is beautiful there. Don't y'all have North Carolina ties?

  359. I’m in Virginia. Mountain Lake is cyclic, and refilling right now. Dirty Dancing was filmed there. It’s lovely. Claytor Lake is also very nice and affordable. Recently the market has surged. It might not stay affordable. Last, my sister lives near Hungry Mother Lake. My grandfather was in CC camp during the depression. They built that lake by hand. I’ve swam in it, on good days it’s fairly clear, and while the prices are rising, it’s not unobtainable. Hope this is helpful. ☺️

    • I’m in VA too! Mountain lake is very memorable- “Nobody puts Baby in the corner”! And I recognize Claytor Lake- It’s a state park I believe.
      My Dad has a place at Smith Mountain Lake near where “What About Bob?” was filmed. That house is huge and gorgeous!

  360. You could go Pacific Northwest, there are a TON of lakes up there and many that allow private docks. I would check out “GlampingHub” for some great examples of rental cabins on lakes, just do a search for dock, lake, warm.

  362. Bad Medicine Lake. One of the coldest lakes in MN. It’s so clear that you can see straight to the lake floor until you hit the drop off. There’s an old story that Native Americans named it Bad Medicine so settlers would stay away.

  364. Pacifc northwest? It’s warm… in the summer. And lots of small lakes with private access docks that a middle income family could actually afford, even if those houses are priced double of others in the area.
    Big lake in Skagit County, Washington is one such lake. And they do fireworks on the third of July.

  365. I’d vote for Blue Mountain Lake in the Adirondack State Park upstate NY – it can be swum in (not super warm, but not so freezing I couldn’t get in (and I like the 80s!). Of course, I’d been paddling and I usually get wet doing that anyway! Lovely lake, connects to 3 other lakes with short portages. Not sure about property values or cabins but it is lovely place!

  366. I grew up on lake Jackson. Florala, Alabama, Paxton, fl. It is on the state line. It is a natural lake that everyone swims in, snakes, alligators, and all. It is really pretty with Spanish moss. The towns together only have 2,000 people if you add up everyone.

  367. Yes, going south has issues like poisonous snakes, gators etc. Going north gotta balance out the temperatures. Still like the Adirondacks but also thinking some of the more south suggestions in Virginia, Tennessee and Ozarks could work. North Carolina is fine, but you got your self lots of snakes… I hate snakes that swim!!!

  368. Has she ever looked into the lakes in Upper Peninsula Michigan? So beautiful and breathtakingly clear.

  369. This is super late (probably too late), but we had a cabin on Lake Gaston in North Carolina (it’s also partly in VA). It’s reasonable, lakefront property and private docks/boathouses.

  370. Perhaps not up your friend’s alley, but this is where my mind went:

    Lake Greenwood in South Carolina is an artificially dammed body of water. It is warm and semi-clear–enough for people to see parts of the town it swallowed when it was built. Because the buildings were left intact when the little town was forcibly abandoned, local authorities cannot allow diving at the lakeside state park. It is beautiful, quiet, and creepy.

  371. Michigan has many many lakes. Does she want to actually visit it or just research it? My grandparents owned a cottage on Hess Lake on the west side of the state. I live in a area where ther are so many lakes, most of our streets are named for them – Pontiac Lake Road, Cass Lake Road, etc…

    Then we have our ‘Great Lakes’ Michigan, Huron, and Superior in Michigan and Erie and Ontario nearby. There are a range of prices for cottages on the interior and ‘great’ lakes – a little something for everyone. Some lakes even have parks that allow you to buy a very inexpensive manufactured home and have access to their amenities.

    Obviously our lakes are only swimable in the summer… Superior not even really then. There is also some limited surfing and other water sports available.

    If you are looking for lakes… Michigan is a jackpot of them!

  372. Lake McQueeney, Seguin, TX (near you!) would be perfect but prices are pretty high.

    Lake Cedar Creek is southeast of Dallas and has a wide range of prices. Really large lake with good fishing and water sports. Coves abound for swimming.

  373. Any of the small lakes around Ludlow Vermont – Echo, Amherst and Rescue. Great for summer swimming and houses range from small cabins to large properties. Or a bit further up – bit colder but still swimmable – Lake Champlain

  374. I’m probably too late to the game, but I didn’t know if anyone mentioned Johnson Lake in Nebraska. I work for CNPPID, which is the company that owns the lake (we use the water for hydropower), and we rent property to tenants along the lake. The tenants are able to build their own homes (and sell said homes if they choose) and they can build docks on the lake. The tenants pay a yearly fee (typically less than $3,000) for rent/property taxes. The houses are pretty close together, but we also have Jeffrey Lake and the same rules apply. The water is way too cold in May and June, but we have many tenants who have summer cabins and spend July, August, and September vacationing out there. Housing prices vary, but typically a decent home is in the $300,000 dollar range.

    We also own Lake McConaughy, but you can’t build docks there.

  375. We stayed at a place on Lake Ambajejus near Baxter State Park in Maine that seems like it would fit the bill! She can get a visual of it on Airbnb if she looks for cabins near Baxter State Park, they have like 1,000 pics

  376. Alabama has some beautiful lakes located throughout the state depending on the type and size of town the author desires.

  378. Virginia has a few lakes that are popular. Claytor and Smith Mountain come to mind. There are certainly more and less affordable spots on both. She might also look in North Carolina. Our weather gets warm enough for good warm swimming in the summer, but is too cold for swimming in the spring/fall/winter obviously.

  379. I just read that West Virginia will pay people to move to their state who will work remotely full time.
    Does this open another possibility for your friend?

    • Hey FCina,

      The lake is needed for a book plot, not for real life moving purposes 🙂 but thank you so much!

  381. minnesota is the “land of 10,000 lakes” (11,842 to be exact). and believe it or not, our summers are actually VERY warm, 90’s and humid. some lakes are privately owned, but most of the lakes have houses all around them. regular people have lake cabins they visit to in the summer. you don’t have to be rich to have a little plot of land on a lake here. there is enough lakeshore property to go around here with that many lakes. and ‘snowbirds’ are a thing here, people who spend winters in southern states, and spend summers up here on the lakes.

  382. I have the almost perfect lake for your author friend. But alas, it is in northern Ontario in Canada, not in the US. My parents live there year round but it is especially beautiful in the summer. I spent most of my summers there growing up.

  383. Table Rock Lake in southern Missouri. You can see past your feet when you are in the water. Looks like tap water when you put it in a jar. It’s warm May-September.

    • Forgot to add that it meets all the requirements. You can have a private dock. Prices are reasonable, or at least were more so before this crazy real estate boom. But you can still get a very nice house in the 2-300 thousands.

  385. Crystal Lake in Michigan (there are several, so the one in Montcalm County is the one I am talking about) might fit your bill. Houses runs from 60,000 – 200,000 – they don’t turn over much and it’s in a rural area so income is low. Water temp in most inland Michigan lakes is in the 70s. The Great Lakes frequently get into the high 60’s but they are too pricy.

    https://www.lakehomes.com/michigan/crystal-lake-crystal-twp
    https://www.infomi.com/township/crystallake/

  386. my Mom just texted me to let me know I need to add Crockery Lake in Conklin, Michigan to this list! It fits all the criteria.

    It’s also pretty close to Grand Rapids while still rural, if that matters.

  388. Horseshoe Bay, Granite Shoals, Cedar Creek Lake (all in Texas) might be options. Not sure how clear the water would be, but these places meet the other requirements (I think!).

  389. My former boss owns a home on one of the bays of lake michigan. It has a private dock and where they’re at it’s pretty clear (near Traverse City). It’s on the “wrong bay” for it to be a multi million dollar thing. They use it as a vacation house and rent it out.

  390. There are a few lakes up in northwest Michigan south of sleeping bear dunes that might fit. Platte lake and crystal lake both come to mind and fit the criteria.

  392. If you’d consider outside the US, Harrison Springs in British Columbia, Canada, is very clear and outright beautiful in my opinion. I also agree with the Adirondacks. Tupper Lake might be another possibility.

  393. Pentwater, an adorable small town on Lake Michigan that has an attached small lake (Pentwater Lake) that allows docks and private ownership.

  396. lake bull shoals has waterfront property for under 600k idk if that’s middle class though.

  398. Wow, Canyon Lake brings back memories. I lived there during middle school and the first part of High School. Try Lake Quachita in Arkansas it has the second cleanest water in the US. I live in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas which is a gated community partly retired and partly summer homes. We have clear water too. The community spans 26,000 acres. The houses range from 300K to over 1 million on the lakes and less on the mountain and forest.

  399. Definitely the Adirondacks! I haven’t been there in years since we moved away but Long Lake was a nice town and lake.

  401. How about LakeWaccamaw in Brunswick county NC? It would do any yes there is private ownership around the lake.

  403. Deep Woods Lake in Langlade County in Wisconsin. Practically trip over lakes around there. Deep Woods Lake is 71 acres, fishing for muskies as well as pan fish, swimming, boating etc. Interesting is that aside from the 4th of July, most of the residences during the week are empty, so you nearly have the lake to yourself during the week. I haven’t spotted any bear or cougar up there but I hear they are around, also wolves and of course coyote. And of course, mosquitoes! Bass Lake is a bigger lake but shallower and right next to Deep Woods. Good ATV trails there. There are a lot of year round homes on the lakes there, some more expensive than others, some your typical small summer cottage built back in the day. Look up lakes in Langlade County and get a drop down list of lakes. Well, I put my plug in. Have fun!

  405. Lake Ossipee in New Hampshire is a nice vacation stop. My extended family has had a place here for a long time and my immediate family has had many happy summer vacations there.

  406. Washington has tons of lakes.lake Samish and whatcom lake come to mind. But whatcom sells docks for private property. The houses are across the street.

  408. The Great Lakes are phenomenal lakes. My cousin has a cabin on Lake Ontario and near the shore it is very clear, but the size of the lake makes you think of a small ocean. The sunsets are amazing. There are little coves that make these lake like small pocket lakes.

  410. Well, it’s only warm for two months out of the year but has she considered Maine or New Hampshire? There are numerous lakes that fit that description, including one that my parents live on in Stoneham, Maine called lake Keywaydin. Keezar lake is larger and right next door and Stephen King has a house there. Perhaps the fictional Stephen King could make a bizarre cameo. Or she could write my parent’s sweet, psycho cannonball of a Shichon into a scene. Oh, and my dad would make a good side character. He’s a cross between Richard Simmons, Mr. Magoo, Albert Einstein, and Pigpen.

  412. Lake James, North Carolina. Beautiful mountains, woods, some state park and some private ownership. You can have docks, water is clear, nice in summer, and some affordable housing. The lake is near Morganton, NC.

  413. We live in Vermont. It has one large lake that it shares with New York. Realty prices there are outrageous. But we have many smaller lakes where the cabins aren’t quite as expensive. Warm only in the summer. Beautiful scenery. You ought to put a small lupine pack in Vermont.

  414. My parents had waterfront property in Marble Falls, but I don’t remember if it was a lake or a river. It was nice swimming if you didn’t mind an occasional snake.

  415. We own a vacation home on a beautiful spring fed lake called Deer Back Lake in Marion County in central Florida. It is sand bottomed and full of fish! Beautiful, quiet and isolated. We have two rustic swings that sit next to the lake and I spend my time with my cup of tea and my Kindle on the phone as I blissfully swing in the soft breezes from the lake. Heaven!

  416. Bear Lake is on the Northern Utah/Idaho border… it’s definitely a summer retreat and you can own property along the beach. Also, it’s deep and a delightful turquoise blue. And then there’s the lore of the Bear Lake Monster… and the lake feeds into wetlands to the north.

    • Also, property around the lake varies in price and style. It’s a cold lake, but gobs of people come to boat, swim and sail. (Sorry I’m late to the game…)

  418. Try Norris Lake in East Tennessee. Shoreline is government regulated, but private docks are allowed

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