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Lakes → West Virginia → Cheat Lake

Cheat Lake

West Virginia · Reservoir impounded 1926 · near Morgantown

1,730 acres 80 ft deep 10 ft clarity Water C

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5.7SCORE

Survey summary · West Virginia

1,730

Surface acres

80 ft

Max depth

26 mi

Shoreline

10 ft

Typical clarity

868 ft

Elevation

Cheat Lake covers 1,730 acres in West Virginia and drops to 80 feet at its deepest point. It is a reservoir impounded in 1926 and managed by Eagle Creek Renewable. Short-term rental posture: Monongalia County. Confirm at the municipal level before underwriting rental income.

What stands out

Boating
Fishing

Score breakdown

Water 6.1

Recreation 5.5

Value 3.6

Access 5.3

Investment 7.6

Each axis is computed by published formula from this lake's own attributes. How we score.

Water quality grade

Water A

ExcellentClear, low-nutrient water. Typically oligotrophic with high clarity and little seasonal algae.

Water B

GoodHealthy water with moderate clarity. Some seasonal variation, no persistent problems.

Water C

FairProductive water — good fishing, reduced clarity. Algae possible in late summer.

Water D

PoorNutrient-rich or heavily drawn down. Swimmable conditions vary; check before you rely on them.

Computed from measured clarity, trophic state, and drawdown magnitude — not an opinion. See the formula.

Overall score, 1–10

8.0+

ExceptionalStrong on every axis we measure.

7.0–7.9

StrongClearly above average, usually with one standout axis.

6.0–6.9

SolidA good lake with a trade-off worth understanding.

5.0–5.9

MixedReal strengths and real compromises.

Under 5

CompromisedSomething material — volatility, water quality, or access.

Weighted: water 26% · recreation 22% · investment 20% · value 18% · access 14%.

Fishery

WalleyeSmallmouth bassMuskieCrappie

On the water

BoatingFishingRowing

No USGS gauge on this lake. We only publish a station when its own name matches this water body. Nearby gauges on other lakes would look like data and mislead you, so we show nothing instead. Why we do that.

4.01 ft

Gage height

2026-08-04

Gauge history

Daily values from USGS. Loading up to one year.

What the drawdown looks like

Full pool vs winter low · Cheat Lake

The dock sits at full-pool elevation. At low pool the waterline retreats and the reach to navigable water changes. Scale is illustrative; the 8 ft figure is from published operations for this lake.

Where it is

True shoreline from USGS NHD 6 km²

The outline is this lake's actual boundary from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset, not an approximation — 120 boundary points. Basemap is USGS topographic with contours and hydrography. Switch layers at the top right.

Depth profile

Idealized cross-section. Max depth 80 ft, average 26 ft. Depth at a specific dock depends on local bathymetry — verify at the property.

Level behaviour

Level stabilityManaged Typical drawdown8 ft Drawdown seasonWinter Trophic stateMesotrophic Typical clarity10 ft Water quality gradeC Elevation868 ft Managing authorityEagle Creek Renewable

Dock & shoreline

Permitting authorityEagle Creek Shoreline Wake / speed rulesNo-wake near marina

A dock is never guaranteed. Confirm in writing with Eagle Creek Shoreline that the specific parcel is eligible before you remove contingencies.

Short-term rental posture

Monongalia County

Generally permitted, but rules change. Confirm the specific municipality and any HOA covenant.

Model rental income →

Modeled estimates. Market figures are derived from lake attributes and regional patterns, not from MLS data. Treat them as a starting point, not a comp.

$470,000

Median waterfront

$3,919

Per shoreline foot

+7.0%

Year over year

Est. inventory

157

Avg days on market

$560

Est. nightly rate

Rental snapshot

Modeled occupancy64% Booked nights / yr168 Gross revenue$103,911 Net operating income$51,172 Yield on median price10.89%

Open the full model →

What a median-priced home on Cheat Lake actually costs to carry, with waterfront-specific line items most calculators omit.

$4,045

All-in per month

$108,530

Cash to close + setup

$11,910

Beyond P&I, tax, insurance

Where the annual cost goes

Principal & interest $29,716 (63%) Maintenance reserve (1.1%) $5,170 (11%) Property taxes $4,935 (10%) Utilities $2,700 (6%) Hazard insurance $1,974 (4%) Shoreline / seawall reserve $960 (2%) Dock maintenance $900 (2%) Winterization / seasonal close $750 (2%)

Annual carry

Principal & interest	$29,716
Property taxes	$4,935
Hazard insurance	$1,974
Flood insurance	$650
Utilities	$2,700
Maintenance reserve (1.1%)	$5,170
Septic service	$520
Well & water testing	$260
Dock maintenance	$900
Winterization / seasonal close	$750
Shoreline / seawall reserve	$960
Total	$48,535