Choosing the “Right” Maine Lake and Waterfront Property

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Choosing the “Right” Maine Lake and Waterfront Property


I poured a local beer for a visitor from Germany and was eager to know what he thought of our local brew. He said, ” Tom, I’ve never met a beer I didn’t like. Only some better than others.”
That’s my sentiment when it comes to Maine Lakes. They’re all good, only some are better than others. The ones I say are better are only better because they suit the needs of a particular buyer better than another. Let me give you a few examples.
The Fisherman- If you are a fisherman who wants to fish for lake trout or land-locked salmon you’ve got to find a deeper lake. A lake that’s only 35 feet deep will be too warm for the cold water varieties of fish. You need to be on a lake deeper than 75 feet. Sebago, at it’s deepest, is 315 feet deep.
The Boater- If you love boating and hope to cruise on your 30’ boat all day you need to be on a very large lake like Sebago Lake. If you are on one of the channel lakes – Sebago, Brandy or Long – you will have 45 miles of shoreline to explore.
The Kayaker and Canoer- Will be absolutely miserable on a busy lake filled with teenage boys on jet skis. Some lakes like the Range Ponds in Poland have outlawed jetskis because the folks who live there wanted a peaceful lake.
The Waterskier- If you have active, athletic members of the family who want to waterski choose the kind of lake that suits safe waterskiing. Remember some lakes can be rocky. Some lakes, like Sebago get rough in the afternoon. Not great for waterskiing.
The Good Dad- I swear there are some Dads whose only reason for coming to our Maine lakes is to make the kids happy. They are the Dads that get great pleasure pulling the kids around the lake in a tube for hours at a time. If you are a good Dad, the good news is that most any lake or pond will do.
The Purist- Some folks want to be on the cleanest possible lake. They will walk away from a great lakefront property because they think the lake might not be pure enough for Junior.
In general, the further away from a metro area the cleaner the lake. What do I mean by cleaner? It generally pertains to water clarity. Thirty years ago little was known about the factors and conditions that caused degradation in water quality. Today, we know a lot more and some lakes are actually clearer than ten years ago. Go to LakeSmart to get more information and ratings on your favorite lake.
If you have questions about a particular lake, let us know. We love Maine lakes and want to share them with you!

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