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Lake Lillinonah - panoramio.jpg
Csouthard · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Lakes → Connecticut → Lake Lillinonah

Lake Lillinonah

Connecticut · Reservoir impounded 1955 · near Brookfield

1,900 acres 90 ft deep 8 ft clarity Water D
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5.5SCORE
Survey summary · Connecticut
1,900
Surface acres
90 ft
Max depth
45 mi
Shoreline
8 ft
Typical clarity
197 ft
Elevation
Lake Lillinonah - panoramio.jpg LillinonahTrail NorthernLakeFacingNorthWithBoat.JPG LillinonahTrail PondBrookInlet.JPG

Photographs of Lake Lillinonah via Wikimedia Commons. Credit and licence on each image — hover to view, click through to the source.

Lake Lillinonah covers 1,900 acres in Connecticut and drops to 90 feet at its deepest point. It is a reservoir impounded in 1955 and managed by FirstLight Power. Short-term rental posture: Town rules apply. Confirm at the municipal level before underwriting rental income.

What stands out

  • Fishing
  • Boating

Watch outs

  • Nutrient-rich water; seasonal algae blooms are possible

Score breakdown

WATER RECREATION VALUE ACCESS INVESTMENT
Water 4.3
Recreation 5.5
Value 4.9
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

Largemouth bassNorthern pikeWalleyeCatfish

On the water

FishingBoatingRowing
No USGS gauge on this lake. Water level and clarity figures below come from published lake management data rather than a live sensor.

What the drawdown looks like

Full pool vs winter low · Lake Lillinonah
5 ft FULL POOL WINTER LOW

The dock sits at full-pool elevation. At low pool the waterline retreats and the reach to navigable water changes. Scale is illustrative; the 5 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 — 272 boundary points. Basemap is USGS topographic with contours and hydrography. Switch layers at the top right.

Depth profile

SURFACE 90 ft max avg 29 ft

Idealized cross-section. Max depth 90 ft, average 29 ft. Depth at a specific dock depends on local bathymetry — verify at the property.

Level behaviour

Level stabilityManaged Typical drawdown5 ft Drawdown seasonWinter Trophic stateEutrophic Typical clarity8 ft Water quality gradeD Elevation197 ft Managing authorityFirstLight Power

Dock & shoreline

Permitting authorityFirstLight Shoreline Mgmt Wake / speed rulesNo-wake near launch
A dock is never guaranteed. Confirm in writing with FirstLight Shoreline Mgmt that the specific parcel is eligible before you remove contingencies.

Short-term rental posture

Town rules apply

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.
$545,000
Median waterfront
$2,765
Per shoreline foot
+7.4%
Year over year
163
Est. inventory
128
Avg days on market
$660
Est. nightly rate

Rental snapshot

Modeled occupancy51% Booked nights / yr134 Gross revenue$96,207 Net operating income$48,444 Yield on median price8.89%
Open the full model →

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

$4,600
All-in per month
$125,330
Cash to close + setup
$12,735
Beyond P&I, tax, insurance
Where the annual cost goes
$55,204 PER YEAR
Principal & interest $34,458 (64%) Maintenance reserve (1.1%) $5,995 (11%) Property taxes $5,722 (11%) Utilities $2,700 (5%) Hazard insurance $2,289 (4%) Shoreline / seawall reserve $960 (2%) Dock maintenance $900 (2%) Winterization / seasonal close $750 (1%)

Annual carry

Principal & interest$34,458
Property taxes$5,722
Hazard insurance$2,289
Flood insurance$650
Utilities$2,700
Maintenance reserve (1.1%)$5,995
Septic service$520
Well & water testing$260
Dock maintenance$900
Winterization / seasonal close$750
Shoreline / seawall reserve$960
Total$55,204
Model your own numbers →

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