If you are interested in buying waterfront property on Lake Pend Oreille or the Pend Oreille River, you have a number of choices in terms of location and communities around the shoreline.
Lake Pend Oreille has 110 miles of shoreline, 80 percent of which is public land. That leaves you with the option to explore the remaining 20 percent for a real estate purchase.
Although the lake is natural, it is regulated by a dam and the water fluctuates accordingly. Water level differs based on the slope of the actual shore but this means that not all waterfront property is technically “waterfront” all year round.
Bottle Bay is convenient because it is right across from Sandpoint but it’s shadier there because you don’t have direct to sun inside the bay. The marina in the bay has gas and a restaurant.
Hope is a wonderful little community with a few good restaurants. The neighborhood feels European set on the hillside with the narrow roads. Sunsets are particularly beautiful depending on which way the home faces. close to the Monarchs, and is a fun community.
Garfield and Bayview Bays are much further south and are sailing meccas. They have easy access to wonderful trails such as those at Farragut State Park, Bernard Peak, and Mineral Point. They are farther away from Sandpoint but are priced per square foot much less and the waterfront is swimmable, but the beaches are rocky.
Sunnyside is close to town and has some beautiful waterfront properties, but the downside is the slope of the shore is very flat. Therefore, in the winter, the water withdraws significantly. The real estate is priced accordingly because of that.
Glengarry Bay and Elliot Bay have the most desirable waterfront because the slope is gradual and views are gorgeous across to the Selkirks and/or the Monarchs. These bays are also somewhat remote and can take up to 30 minutes to get into Sandpoint.
Oden Bay is very nice but at the time of this writing, there isn’t much for sale out there. It has a mix of homes from higher end to trailers.
Pend Oreille River
As you drive across the Long Bridge into Sandpoint, the river is on your left, and the lake is on your right. The river also has many beautiful opportunities for waterfront with Dover Bay and two different sides to choose from.
Dover Bay is a planned community with walking trails, a marina, a restaurant. There is a variety to choose from with condos, townhomes, single-family homes, and bare land available. It’s conveniently located about 10 minutes from Sandpoint by car or boat.
The south side of the river is more desirable because the water is deeper and it is constantly moving so you don’t get milfoil build up.
The north side is nice because it’s very close and accessible to Sandpoint. In the summer, it can sometimes take quite a bit longer to get from the south shore into town.
We’ve seen strong activity at Schweitzer this winter for the first time in four or so years, and I’m guessing that activity will spill over (if you’ll pardon the pun) to waterfront properties this Spring and Summer.
If I can answer any questions about these or other areas of Sandpoint, please don’t hesitate to email or call.
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