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Nice lake in "never freeze" climate close to bigger city?


wakeboarder3780

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Stay away from the N. MS / Memphis area then. Most of our lakes are poo brown. There are some smaller lakes that are nice but they can be packed with idiots and lake lice.

How about Greers Ferry, AR? Been there once and fell in love with the whole area.

+1 on Greers Ferry, AR! I love that lake, really big, several coves to ski in and great Scuba diving/spear fishing (lost city is fun), property is a hit or miss since it is Corps lake.

+1 on Lake Ouachita, AR as well, but if had a choice it would be Greers Ferry.

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Hey crew. The wife and I have been lightly discussing moving from the great white north "some day". We've got time to research and freedom to move (no kids or anything really tying us down).

The things I'm interested in are:

Lake where water doesnt look "poo brown" and at least has some clarity to it.

Lake is "big" and generally good for wakeboarding.

Lake front property isn't going to cost in the millions but I think we could afford 600k ish homes.

Lake never freezes year round

Lake is in a state that does NOT require a third (so sick of the nanny state bs).

Things wifey is interested in:

Within an hour drive to a "big" city. I'm assuming big could be anything that has over 100k population.

City has "good restaraunts" and "lots of shopping"

Nice to have:

Low humidity

Notice any differences in wants and desires there? LOL. Does anyone know any lakes like this? So far we've been looking and it seems harder than I originally thought to find places like this.

Well you can scratch off CA....

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i just moved from pgh pa to lake wylie south carolina. its really charlotte. we are about 15 min from downtown charlotte. charlotte is a big banking area. large amount of shopping, everything is fairly new and up and coming. there are no taxes, i mean none. its sooo cheap to live hear. We are looking at lake front on lake wylie. there are lakes all over that are 25 miles plus long. mt island, lake wylie. lake norman, lake murry lake watery and many more. when is say cheap, i mean dirt cheap. a 500k home lake front with dock in the best school districts are about 2k a year for taxes. They dont have wage tax in sc. only 300 bucks max on boats, cars, motorcycles etc. the only thing is an avalarum tax (may not have that name correct) on private property like your car.

you can get a non waterfront home that has 6 bedrooms 5 baths etc etc for pennies. They build everything big and its growing everywhere. The cool thing is it is almost an all season boat area. 3 hours from the beach, 3 hours from the smokey mountains (so you can rock climb, mt bike, mx tracks everywhere, off road areas for jeeping) then the wife can shop at some of the best malls and outlets there are. plus you have uber job options. we moved here 3 months ago and totally love it. people are from all over, not just here. everyone is really nice and we have had help adjusting to the area by everyone we have met. check out the area, its really an amazing place to live

Thanks Doug, now everyone will want to move here... He's lying, NC suxs. stay away......but if you must move to lake wylie. ;)

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Thanks Doug, now everyone will want to move here... He's lying, NC suxs. stay away......but if you must move to lake wylie. ;)

Hijack

We think similarily about our lake, hoping to keep it a good secret. It's a small lake, but really clean and really deep. In order to preserve it I thought it would be funny to make up a sign that reads "Biohazard free for ___ days", and hang a little card on the blank spot reading 12 or some other stupid number. Then post that at the public launch. To compliment that, anytime a dead fish was found, drop it off at the launch in front of the sign.

Hijack off

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You don't have kids now, but do you think you might? If so, you should plan for that (school quality, proximity, etc.). We bought our lake house in our 20's, and having kids seemed like a million years away. Nice lake, 4 miles from work, perfect. Kids came along 5 years later and the local school did not meet our standards. We ended up driving the kids 25 minutes to a school 2 districts away everyday. Fast forward several years and I had to relocate 2 hours north for work. We still have the lake house but now our weekday house is less than a mile from the school and I can't imagine it any other way. Quality of life is so much better for the kids. I now have a 40 minute drive daily, but we would be tripling that in the old neighborhood with everything the kids do at school. Just something to think about.

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Hijack

We think similarily about our lake, hoping to keep it a good secret. It's a small lake, but really clean and really deep. In order to preserve it I thought it would be funny to make up a sign that reads "Biohazard free for ___ days", and hang a little card on the blank spot reading 12 or some other stupid number. Then post that at the public launch. To compliment that, anytime a dead fish was found, drop it off at the launch in front of the sign.

Hijack off

Hijack on/off. Thought about changing the DNR sign for my lake to Leech, Muck, Weed, or Love Canal.
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Norris lake, TN

The only problem with Norris is TVA drains the water in the winter, and it does get cold enough to freeze some winter. If it does freeze it doesn't last long but Douglas froze 3 winters ago pretty much solid for 2 to 3 weeks.

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Austin, TX. Lots of lakes around - Travis is my personal favorite (was better before the original Oasis burned down) - big lake, deep, clear water, and you cannot beat the city, either. The only problem is they use Travis irrigation and hydro...so in a drought year it can get low...but still typically usable beacuse it is so big and deep.

Now I am in Ohio and I like Norris Lake (near Knoxville, TN) but it gets cold there in the winter...don't think it would qualify for your no freeze requirement.

-- Mike

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Austin, TX. Lots of lakes around - Travis is my personal favorite (was better before the original Oasis burned down) - big lake, deep, clear water, and you cannot beat the city, either. The only problem is they use Travis irrigation and hydro...so in a drought year it can get low...but still typically usable beacuse it is so big and deep.

Now I am in Ohio and I like Norris Lake (near Knoxville, TN) but it gets cold there in the winter...don't think it would qualify for your no freeze requirement.

-- Mike

The Oasis burned? Oh no. I was there about 6 years ago. Unbelievable setting with all the decks and great food !

Steve B.

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What about some of the inland lakes in Florida near Tampa or Orlando? I would imagine all the pros live there for a reason. Warm enough to wakeboard year round, should fit your price range, near a big city. What's the water quality like?

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Thanks for all the helpful info people :D A couple things, the kids are definitely not going to happen (unless God works some crazy magic in the next few months, there will be some "snip snip" to ensure that. Now before everyone that has kids calls me a child hater simmer down I don't think children are evil, just a personal choice, came from a big family, lots of nieces and nephews to keep me busy if I want.

So that being said I will be looking into all the lakes listed! Thanks for all the helpful info :D Wife and I will choose a likely area and visit this spring for a week or so to check out the area, rent a boat and take it out on the lake, etc.

JK13, i'll be a bit sad to leave the area too, its generally a cool area here with low cost of living and close to family and all that. But I'm so into wakeboarding that the need to have a third really bothers me. It wouldn't be a big deal if I had a super serious crew, but people around here aren't all that serious about boarding. That being said I will *not* miss having to take docks and boat lifts out every winter, struggling to find the aforementioned third, hoping the third doesnt get hung up at work, pitches in for gas, and actually doesn't wreck something on the boat. I talked the wife into letting me visit family 5 times a year which is as much as I see them now so nothing is really holding me back anymore. If we end up making the move i'll send some pics :D

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I pay about $7k in property tax for a $650k house, how is it where you are?

If you think those property taxes are high, you've never lived in the collar counties of Chicago. Double that, easily, and that's for (arguable) the worst fiscally run state in the U.S.

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If you think those property taxes are high, you've never lived in the collar counties of Chicago. Double that, easily, and that's for (arguable) the worst fiscally run state in the U.S.

I have a relative in northern IL--not on a lake. Around $10k on a $500k home in a random subdivision.

Their lake house an hour north of us in WI is more like $4k on $300k.

Those TX numbers don't seem too far off from what we see around here.

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I spend a lot of time on Greers Ferry in AR and it's a great lake, but it does get very busy on the weekends. There are a few places you can ride on the weekends later in the day, but it's hit or miss on boat traffic. Early in the morning you have the place to yourself.

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Norris lake, TN

This would get my vote as well. Clear, flat water, warm weather, not to expensive

The only problem with Norris is TVA drains the water in the winter, and it does get cold enough to freeze some winter. If it does freeze it doesn't last long but Douglas froze 3 winters ago pretty much solid for 2 to 3 weeks.

My parents are currently building on Norris, and this was initially one of their biggest concerns. There are plenty of places on the lake where even with the winter pooling, their dock stays floating.

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Lake Keowee In seneca SC, Near Clemson University near two other lakes lake never freezes and is clear about 10 ft down. 1.5 +/- hrs from Atlanta or 2 hrs from Charolette. Near the Greenville/ spartanburg/ anderson cities that meet the population/ shoppiung requirements. We live in Greeenville and have a dock at Lake Keowee.

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+1 on Greers Ferry, AR! I love that lake, really big, several coves to ski in and great Scuba diving/spear fishing (lost city is fun), property is a hit or miss since it is Corps lake.

+1 on Lake Ouachita, AR as well, but if had a choice it would be Greers Ferry.

We are looking at our options...and ARK and both the lakes you mentioned are near the top of the list...is there much of a difference weather wise say between Greers Ferry and further NW say Fayettville or Rogers/Beaver Lake?? Beaver Lake is about 500 ft higher. BOth are pretty good sized lakes, property even lake front is pretty cheap..compared to CA....

ANd what do you mean by the property is a hit or miss since it is a Corps Lake? I know COE, but why a hit or miss?

thanks

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i just moved from pgh pa to lake wylie south carolina. its really charlotte. we are about 15 min from downtown charlotte. charlotte is a big banking area. large amount of shopping, everything is fairly new and up and coming. there are no taxes, i mean none. its sooo cheap to live hear. We are looking at lake front on lake wylie. there are lakes all over that are 25 miles plus long. mt island, lake wylie. lake norman, lake murry lake watery and many more. when is say cheap, i mean dirt cheap. a 500k home lake front with dock in the best school districts are about 2k a year for taxes. They dont have wage tax in sc. only 300 bucks max on boats, cars, motorcycles etc. the only thing is an avalarum tax (may not have that name correct) on private property like your car.

you can get a non waterfront home that has 6 bedrooms 5 baths etc etc for pennies. They build everything big and its growing everywhere. The cool thing is it is almost an all season boat area. 3 hours from the beach, 3 hours from the smokey mountains (so you can rock climb, mt bike, mx tracks everywhere, off road areas for jeeping) then the wife can shop at some of the best malls and outlets there are. plus you have uber job options. we moved here 3 months ago and totally love it. people are from all over, not just here. everyone is really nice and we have had help adjusting to the area by everyone we have met. check out the area, its really an amazing place to live

Friends and employees have been using this site to look at properties. It is updated weekly I think...good luck.

http://www.thelakewylieman.com/

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Jk, the Little Rock guys will have to confirm but I think that NW AR gets a good bit colder in the winter with more snow.

On Greers Ferry the number of boat docks is fixed based on the original permitting from the 60's. You have to look really hard to find a house with a permit. I have some friends with places there and the corp is very strict about what you can do below the "white line." One place this line is 50' from the water and another it is 300'. Also, the water level fluctuates over 30' so you are constantly adjust the dock because there are just cables attaching it to the bank.

About all I can offer.

You really want to stay away from Bear Creek. We now have over 6 wakeboard boats on the weekend.

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Jk, the Little Rock guys will have to confirm but I think that NW AR gets a good bit colder in the winter with more snow.

On Greers Ferry the number of boat docks is fixed based on the original permitting from the 60's. You have to look really hard to find a house with a permit. I have some friends with places there and the corp is very strict about what you can do below the "white line." One place this line is 50' from the water and another it is 300'. Also, the water level fluctuates over 30' so you are constantly adjust the dock because there are just cables attaching it to the bank.

About all I can offer.

You really want to stay away from Bear Creek. We now have over 6 wakeboard boats on the weekend.

We spend most of the summer on Lake Tulloch, in CA...and the COE has given authoiry to TRI Dam to supervise the lake. So I know how it is with permitting and dealing the beauracracy types.

IS Greer Ferry a reservior then? must be if COE is there. so reservior was built in the 60's then? SO no houses on the water? HOw do you access the boat dock then, swim out to it? Canoe?

tulloch is one of the few lakes in CA where you can build out to the water...so the boat dock (after doing a lot of excavation) is accessible via a ramp from the back yard. Tulloch fluctuates only a few feet during the summer in large part as it is the leveling lake for New Melones reservior , unless they are doing some work on the dam, shoreline etc. like they are now.

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Jk, not sure I made myself clear.

There are lots of waterfront houses and lots but I would guess that less than 20% have a permit for a dock. The COE has stated that they are not going to issue any more. If you have a dock there is a ramp to the bank but the ramp usually has wheels at the bank to follow the water level. One friend had a waterfront lot but no dock and he would moor his boat to a buoy overnight. We either swam or took a tube back and forth. Even though it was a waterfront lot you could not see the lake because the "white line" was about 150' from the water. The COE would not let him clear any trees or brush. They even wrote him a warning ticket for riding a 4-wheeler below the white line. He sold that place and bought one with a dock. Great except it was 350' from the dock to the house with a steep hill and no way to get a atv up and down. You learned to take everything down in one trip or just do without.

It is still a beautiful lake.

Edited by BearCreekBum
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Jk, not sure I made myself clear.

There are lots of waterfront houses and lots but I would guess that less than 20% have a permit for a dock. The COE has stated that they are not going to issue any more. If you have a dock there is a ramp to the bank but the ramp usually has wheels at the bank to follow the water level. One friend had a waterfront lot but no dock and he would moor his boat to a buoy overnight. We either swam or took a tube back and forth. Even though it was a waterfront lot you could not see the lake because the "white line" was about 150' from the water. The COE would not let him clear any trees or brush. They even wrote him a warning ticket for riding a 4-wheeler below the white line. He sold that place and bought one with a dock. Great except it was 350' from the dock to the house with a steep hill and no way to get a atv up and down. You learned to take everything down in one trip or just do without.

It is still a beautiful lake.

SO the between the white line and the water...ya can't develop or do anything...leave it natural? Any indea why / how it varies from 50' to 300'?

I guess the best way to see it is to visit and see it first hand!

COE at our lake, or in this case Tri Dam, is not exaclty user friendly...although they are good at issuing letters too.

thanks for the info

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