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?
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.
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.
Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes!
Lake Tulloch, located in Copperopolis, California, is one of the few lakes in California that has private shoreline houses.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lake Cumberland in Kentucky.
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.
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.
Forgot to post the link
https://smith-mountain-lake.com/
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.
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.
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
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.
The lake of the ozarks in Missouri is absolutely beautiful and fits those requirements
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.
Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia
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.
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?
Lake Whylie, Rock Hill South Carolina
Torch Lake in Michigan looks like the Caribbean. Crystal clear.
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.
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.
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!
In Georgia Lake Sinclair
South Holston Lake beautiful place located in Tennessee and Virginia
Tennessee has several and also lower price range. Maybe check around the state.
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
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.
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
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.
Seeley Lake in Montana is an option. Its somewhat popular in the summer for families, boating, camping.
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.
Bargain lakeside homes on hgtv. So many affordable lake homes with docks.
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.
Medina lake which is north west of San Antonio is private with clear water. Most properties have a dock versus shore access.
Lake Waldo, Oregon. Pretty little lake with pretty reasonably priced houses. Not fancy at all though.
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.
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.
South Carolina maybe ?
https://www.zillow.com/sc/waterfront/
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.
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…
Lake McQueeney, Lake Placid, Meadow lake, Lake Travis, Medina Lake.
Smith Mountain Lake VA – it has is plenty warm in the summer and has lots of private docks and houses – not too expensive either
Lake George in the Adirondacks. It is cold in the winter, but lots of people have summer homes there.
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.
Big Bear Lake in Southern California might be a possibility.
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.