opinion ? on lake living vs country living

[arcticcat400]

hello everyone i live in the country on a nice piece of property and love having the privacy but have been thinking about moving onto the lake and have seen a few houses in a decent price range on a good lake so i was thinking it would be nice since i love to fish and end up spending most of my time out on the lake anyway but i also love living in the country being able to ride 4-wheeler anywhere i want and hunt in my own back yard and the person who owns the house we were looking at is a developer and had talked about buying ours after we buy theres or sumthin like that but i dont like the idea of seeing another piece of land getting developed so i would just like to hear some thoughts on country living vs lake living and what you think of both

[cold one sd]

I guess I'll stay right here in town, because if I moved to the country I would have to develop some land. Just kidding. I wanted to buy a place at the lake years ago and my wife wanted nothing to do with it. So here I am.

[Augusta]

Well here's my two cents. I live on a lake, and before I moved to the lake, I used to go fishing alot. Now that I live on the lake, I hardly ever go. Go figure! Living on the lake seems to talke the allure out of fishing, for me anyways. Everyone of my neighbors are the same, we all live here, but none of us really "use" the lake.

[Ryan_V]

I live in the country and love it. Like you said, I love taking the kids on the wheeler in the back 40 in the tall grass and woods, seeing deer/pheasants/etc in my back yard. I would love to move to a lake, but would be giving up alot, like livestock!! either way, you win. I like the old saying...."there not making any more land". this is true, and makes property over an acre or 2 worth quite a bit. it's getting hard to find properties over a few acres any more. you just have to know what is the right move for you and your wife/family.

[The Crumpler]

Is there a place to put in a pond on your property? You could have the best of both worlds. A place of your own to catch bass and bluegills as well as attracting all sorts of other wildlife, and leave the jetski and powerboat noise miles away. Ahhhh . . . .

[HarryG]

It is a matter of opinion. I own some lake property but I have thought about selling it and getting a place off the lake that is much cheaper. I could put up a pole shed, buy a good boat and still have a place to live. However, in the spring when I tie my boat to the dock and walk to my cabin, I love it. The grass is always greener on the other side no matter what you do.

[jigginjim]

Harry hit the nail on the head. The grass is always greener somewhere else. If you live in the country, you wish for lake shore, and lake owners just want the quite of the country. I have lived intown and on the lake out in western minnesota 13 miles from town. You never really do what you set out to do. My dad has a lake place, but also bought a small farm place 3 miles from the lake. Both are nice, but I think the best is 120 acres of land (wooded), 20 miles from town, on the lake place with 1500ft. My house in the middle, 300 ft from the shore,just for duck hunting. Oh lake must have good pannies and walleyes, with cattails around shore. forget swimmming.

[hawkeye43]

We moved to the lake 9 years ago and they will carry us out of here in a box when the time comes. I think its more work to do with the lakeshore and docks. Yes you may do a little less fishing than before, but if you want to go for a hour it alot easier to go. In the winter we leave the trucks on the lake at night because it easier to get to the fishhouse from there. We actully do more fishing in the winter than before we moved. I think I have learned the lake alot better than before. Its great to watch the seasons change, being able to watch the freeze over overnight, walking on first ice, bonfires by the lake, waiting for ice out and the wood ducks to come to nest anouther year. Its all about what you enjoy to see and do. PRICELESS

[eyepatrol]

I grew up on a lake that my folks still live on. It's not a fancy fishing lake per say, just a 5.5' deep bullhead and carp infested lake, but we waterfowl hunt on it too. I really really miss living right on the lake. I would (and sometimes still do) sit for hours down at the shoreline watching and listening to wildlife while catching bullheads and the occassional carp. Bonfires at night, hearing geese in the morning. No scouting for waterfowl, just pull the duckboat off shore and take off. A very nice and quiet neighborhood too.

Now, for you, I don't know. Obviously you need to go with your own feelings. But here's something to think about....you move to the lake and then you get to fish whenever you want 365 days a year. Bonfires probably, sunrises and sunsets, swimming maybe, and a few other benefits. But, you've sold off the acreage in the country. So now where do you go 4-wheeling? Now where do you go hunting? Maybe the person you sell the acreage to will let you do these things, but if not, you'll have to find somewhere else. My point? You can always hook up the boat and hit the lake, all different kinds of lakes. If you sell the acreage and lose your ability to 4-wheel and hunt, where are you going to go to enjoy those activities? That's the way I'd look at it, but for you it could be different.

Best wishes on whatever decision you make!

[harvey lee]

I lived in the country for 20 years and loved it the whole time I was there.4 years ago we moved to town and everyone in the family said I would hate it.

Here is what I found to be true for me.I could go out the door and start hunting.I had to drive to the lake.Now,I have to drive out of town a few miles to hunt and still have to drive to the lake.

I always thought it would be nice to live on a lake and after supper if the weather was nice to go out fishing for the evening and there would be no drive vs driving to a lake and driving home again.

The only problem for me is I like to fish different lakes and yes,I could still travel to another but I am sure that there is also more upkeep to a lake home.

For me,I will live in town and drive to where I want to hunt or fish.I do not miss living in the country as all family members thought I would.I see how much time my brother spends with all the extras such as dock and shore work and all the company he has there on weekends entertaining.Many people and friends I know just dont use the lake that much.

This is a real personal choice you have to make with your family members.

[wayne123]

Why not buy a 40 acre lake lot and have both? I know you need to win the lottery first.

I would add if you live on the lake I would keep a boat on a trailer to go fish other lakes. You miss a lot if you fish only one lake.

[waxworm]

No neighbors or loud jet-skis in the woods. that's my opinion

[cylinder]

My feelings are with basscatcher & Hawkeye43, among others. I grew up on a farm that I still live on, and I have a lake house too. I love both. I don't have time to do much ice fishing, but I try to go fishing once or twice a week or so in summer. When I'm at the lake place I can jump in the boat and go for an hour or so, if only to look around, see where the fish might be, look at the loons, watch the changes in vegetation, trees, etc.

The farm probably has a little more privacy because neighbors are farther away. Sometimes there is a stink in the air from the large hog confinements a mile away though. The lake is too far away from my job though and there are lots of things I can't do everything through the Internet-- have to be there. I can sit outside at night both places, but it's much more relaxing at the lake.

My blood pressure and cholesterol have both dropped tremendously since getting the lake place 6 yrs ago, but I don't know if it's because of the relaxation thing or because we do a lot more grilling rather than frying.

Also, there are lots more bikinis at the lake than on the farm.

[warrior]

arcticat400, If there are any questions that I could answer for you personally or professionally I would like to be your resource for information. I love to fish too!

[Random guy]

I can not live on either. When I lived on the water I was fishing all the time and got nothing done. When I lived out in the country I was hunting all the time and got nothing done. I need to live somewhere populated to make sure I stay on track.