$640,000
Deep-water point lot with a covered slip
3 bd4 ba
3,650 sqft
420 ft shore
Permitted, not built
$1,524/ft
Ted Miller
· CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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Photographs of Lake Charlevoix via Wikimedia Commons. Credit and licence on each image — hover to view, click through to the source.
Lake Charlevoix covers 17,200 acres in Michigan and drops to 122 feet at its deepest point. It is a natural lake, which generally means a more stable shoreline and fewer drawdown surprises than an impoundment. Level is unusually stable, which protects dock usability and shoreline appearance year round. Water clarity averages around 25 feet, placing it among the clearer bodies of water in the country. Short-term rental posture: Charlevoix County. Confirm at the municipal level before underwriting rental income.
Each axis is computed by published formula from this lake's own attributes. How we score.
Computed from measured clarity, trophic state, and drawdown magnitude — not an opinion. See the formula.
Weighted: water 26% · recreation 22% · investment 20% · value 18% · access 14%.
Idealized cross-section. Max depth 122 ft, average 39 ft. Depth at a specific dock depends on local bathymetry — verify at the property.
Charlevoix County
What a median-priced home on Lake Charlevoix actually costs to carry, with waterfront-specific line items most calculators omit.
| Principal & interest | $46,155 |
| Property taxes | $7,665 |
| Hazard insurance | $3,066 |
| Flood insurance | $650 |
| Utilities | $2,700 |
| Maintenance reserve (1.1%) | $8,030 |
| Septic service | $520 |
| Well & water testing | $260 |
| Dock maintenance | $900 |
| Winterization / seasonal close | $750 |
| Shoreline / seawall reserve | $960 |
| Total | $71,656 |
Smallmouth and walleye both fish well. Water clarity has held up over the fifteen years we have been here, which I credit to the watershed protections.
Prices here are meaningfully lower than the lake an hour north for water that is nearly as clear. Fewer restaurants and services, which is the tradeoff.
Beautiful clear water and the fishing is genuinely good. Be aware the level drops in the fall and our dock needed a longer walkway than we budgeted for. Not a dealbreaker, just plan for it.
