Best Lakes

[fairpilot]

We are going to start shopping for a lake house that we can get some use out of then retire in. We would like some seasonal changes living in Florida has no seasons. I would like to see some snow in winter for grand kids. We love Northern Ga, North Carolina, Tenn and Ky. I know there a hundreds of lakes but would like to hear from people that live on of frequent often and why they love their lake. Maybe this should be a new category on the site, All about Lakes..

 

[CAM212SS]

Norris Lake TN
Super clean, deep water, friendly people, lots of marinas
TN has no state income tax

 

[RadioWaves]

That's funny, the wife and I are doing just the opposite , we have a house at Kentucky lake and are looking for a place in Florida to retire because we are tired of the seasons. I hate the cold!! Ky lake is great though, huge with lots of coves to hang out in plus you can travel (we would also like to do the loop at some point.

Let me know if you need any info about Ky lake

 

[druppert]

Lake Gaston, NC/VA
* 350 miles of shoreline for great sightseeing. Always something to look at
* Very active on the weekends during the summer provides a lively atmosphere but remains calm in the off-season and during the week
* deep water with very few open water hazards
* River fed/dam controlled makes for clean water & stable water level
* Very good fishing

 

[2kwik4u]

Dale Hollow Lake in KY/TN is a great place. Wife and I vacation there every year. Mostly stone bottom helps keep the water pretty clear, and pretty.

I've visited Norris Lake for a wedding and took the boat. It was cooler than I expected in September, but was a neat lake regardless.

Keep in mind a LOT of the lake in KY are owned by the Army Corps of Engineers. Those lakes typically don't allow people to have docks on the water, and are used as "day lakes" mostly. There are a few with docks though, but they are typically busier than the others.

 

[AndyD]

Lake Gaston, NC/VA
* 350 miles of shoreline for great sightseeing. Always something to look at
* Very active on the weekends during the summer provides a lively atmosphere but remains calm in the off-season and during the week
* deep water with very few open water hazards
* River fed/dam controlled makes for clean water & stable water level
* Very good fishing

We went to Gaston once and it was a gorgeous lake for sure; trailered up from Raleigh. The only thing I didn't like was you couldn't find a quiet cove anywhere because with so many residents on the lake almost every shoreline area was somebody's back yard. Any secret spots you know of?

 

[Pinhacker71]

Norris. I will have a home there one day.

 

[Ismael Breton]

Center Hill Lake. One of the cleanest, most fun, and beautiful lakes in TN. Fall on Center Hill is unbelievable.

 

[Vandyman]

If you want a private dock, you need to typically look at TVA lakes at least in TN. We have a house on Tims Ford Lake near Winchester. Great small town, 1 1/2 hours from Nashville, an hour from Chattanooga or Huntsville, and not overly crowded. As someone mentioned, TN has no state income tax and low property taxes (sales tax is near 9% tho). Near Monteagle Mountain and Lynchburg for great hiking/trails.

 

[Papa]

Our place is on Lake Sinclair. It is a GA Power (Southern Company) lake. The best thing about it and Lake Oconee is they are dam controlled and are never low on water. They let the lake down every 4 years so we can do dock maintenance and sea wall repairs. The people are so laid back and nice we plan to retire there.
Papa