$1,220,000
Renovated cedar cabin on a quiet cove
3 bd2 ba
2,600 sqft
100 ft shore
Covered boathouse
$12,200/ft
WaterArchives.org
· CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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Photographs of Lake Pend Oreille via Wikimedia Commons. Credit and licence on each image — hover to view, click through to the source.
Lake Pend Oreille covers 94,600 acres in Idaho and drops to 1150 feet at its deepest point. It is a natural lake, which generally means a more stable shoreline and fewer drawdown surprises than an impoundment. Water clarity averages around 30 feet, placing it among the clearer bodies of water in the country. Short-term rental posture: Bonner County rules. 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%.
Daily values from USGS. Loading up to one year.
The dock sits at full-pool elevation. At low pool the waterline retreats and the reach to navigable water changes. Scale is illustrative; the 11 ft figure is from published operations for this lake.
Idealized cross-section. Max depth 1,150 ft, average 368 ft. Depth at a specific dock depends on local bathymetry — verify at the property.
Bonner County rules
What a median-priced home on Lake Pend Oreille actually costs to carry, with waterfront-specific line items most calculators omit.
| Principal & interest | $67,019 |
| Property taxes | $11,130 |
| Hazard insurance | $4,452 |
| Flood insurance | $878 |
| Utilities | $2,700 |
| Maintenance reserve (1.1%) | $11,660 |
| Septic service | $520 |
| Well & water testing | $260 |
| Dock maintenance | $900 |
| Winterization / seasonal close | $750 |
| Shoreline / seawall reserve | $960 |
| Total | $101,229 |
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.
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.
