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Lake Monroe, Florida.jpg
Rochambeau1783 · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Lakes → Indiana → Lake Monroe

Lake Monroe

Indiana · Reservoir impounded 1965 · near Bloomington

10,750 acres 54 ft deep 6 ft clarity Water C
Compare
5.4SCORE
Survey summary · Indiana
10,750
Surface acres
54 ft
Max depth
150 mi
Shoreline
6 ft
Typical clarity
538 ft
Elevation
Lake Monroe, Florida.jpg Lake Monroe, United States (Unsplash).jpg SanfordRiverwalk.jpg

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

Lake Monroe covers 10,750 acres in Indiana and drops to 54 feet at its deepest point. It is a reservoir impounded in 1965 and managed by USACE. Short-term rental posture: Monroe County restrictions. Confirm at the municipal level before underwriting rental income.

What stands out

  • Boating
  • Fishing

Watch outs

  • Short-term rental rules are restrictive — do not assume rental income
  • USACE shoreline permitting — private dock approval is not guaranteed

Score breakdown

WATER RECREATION VALUE ACCESS INVESTMENT
Water 5.9
Recreation 6.4
Value 4.5
Access 6.1
Investment 4.0

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 bassStriped bassCrappieCatfish

On the water

BoatingFishingSailingHiking
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.
26.00 deg C
Temperature
2026-08-04
16.80 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 · Lake Monroe
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

Location

No NHD boundary matched this water body, so the marker shows the mapped centre point.

Depth profile

SURFACE 54 ft max avg 17 ft

Idealized cross-section. Max depth 54 ft, average 17 ft. Depth at a specific dock depends on local bathymetry — verify at the property.

Level behaviour

Level stabilityManaged Typical drawdown5 ft Drawdown seasonWinter Trophic stateMesotrophic Typical clarity6 ft Water quality gradeC Elevation538 ft Managing authorityUSACE

Dock & shoreline

Permitting authorityUSACE Louisville District Wake / speed rulesNo-wake in coves
A dock is never guaranteed. Confirm in writing with USACE Louisville District that the specific parcel is eligible before you remove contingencies.

Short-term rental posture

Monroe County restrictions

Restrictions apply and vary by jurisdiction. Verify at the municipal level before you offer.
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.
$300,000
Median waterfront
$4,252
Per shoreline foot
-0.2%
Year over year
339
Est. inventory
54
Avg days on market
$332
Est. nightly rate

Rental snapshot

Modeled occupancy46% Booked nights / yr121 Gross revenue$47,124 Net operating income$21,014 Yield on median price7.00%
Open the full model →

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

$2,796
All-in per month
$70,450
Cash to close + setup
$10,040
Beyond P&I, tax, insurance
Where the annual cost goes
$33,558 PER YEAR
Principal & interest $18,968 (59%) Maintenance reserve (1.1%) $3,300 (10%) Property taxes $3,150 (10%) Utilities $2,700 (8%) Hazard insurance $1,400 (4%) Shoreline / seawall reserve $960 (3%) Dock maintenance $900 (3%) Winterization / seasonal close $750 (2%)

Annual carry

Principal & interest$18,968
Property taxes$3,150
Hazard insurance$1,400
Flood insurance$650
Utilities$2,700
Maintenance reserve (1.1%)$3,300
Septic service$520
Well & water testing$260
Dock maintenance$900
Winterization / seasonal close$750
Shoreline / seawall reserve$960
Total$33,558
Model your own numbers →

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