USLakeFront Lake survey & intelligence
Honesty policy

Exactly what is real, and what is not

Most real estate sites blur the line between measured data, modeled estimates, and marketing. Here is ours, drawn clearly.

101
Lakes profiled
86
With a USGS gauge
70
Returning live data
202
Sample listings

What is measured

DataSourceStatus
Water level, temperature, turbidityUSGS Water Data APIs — live sensor readingsMeasured
Historical gauge trendsUSGS daily values, up to 135 years of recordMeasured
Water quality recordsWater Quality Portal (USGS, EPA, 400+ agencies)Measured
Reservoir operationsUS Army Corps of EngineersMeasured
Lake physical attributesPublished lake management data, curated by usCurated
Regulations, dock authority, STR postureAgency and utility shoreline programsCurated

What is modeled

Every market figure on this site is a modeled estimate. Median prices, price per shoreline foot, year-over-year change, inventory, days on market, nightly rates, and occupancy are derived from lake attributes and regional patterns. They are not sourced from MLS transaction data and they are not comparable sales. Use them to compare lakes against each other, not to price a specific property.

What is a sample

202 of the properties on this site are samples, shown to demonstrate how listings work. They carry a "Sample" badge on every card and detail page. 0 are real. We do not have licensed MLS access yet. When we do, real inventory will replace the samples and this number will go to zero. We will not quietly swap fabricated listings in as real ones.

How scores are calculated

Nothing is a black box. Each lake receives five sub-scores on a 1–10 scale, computed by formula from its own attributes:

WaterClarity, trophic state, and drawdown magnitude RecreationNumber of activities, surface area, and wake restrictions ValuePrice per shoreline foot and median price level AccessSize, elevation, and proximity to a service town InvestmentSTR posture, level stability, appreciation, and nightly rate

Overall score weights them: water 26%, recreation 22%, investment 20%, value 18%, access 14%. If you disagree with those weights, that is a legitimate disagreement — the inputs are all shown on each lake page so you can weigh them yourself.

How we make money

Advertising, affiliate commissions from service providers, subscriptions, data licensing, and merchandise. Some links are affiliate links and we may earn a commission. None of that changes a lake's score. Scores are computed from data before any commercial relationship exists, and no advertiser can alter one. If that ever changes, this page changes first.

What we get wrong

Regulations change constantly and vary by municipality within a single lake. Drawdown schedules shift with drought and dam operations. A gauge can go offline or report stale data — where a reading is more than 30 days old, we say so on the page. Verify anything you are about to rely on. If you find an error, tell us and we will correct it and credit you.