The Lake Region encompasses Pike and Wayne Counties and features over 100 lakes, offering opportunities for boating, swimming, water-skiing, fishing and sailing. Central to the region is Lake Wallenpaupack, a 5,700 acre man-made lake and one of Pennsylvania's largest lakes. It is 13.5 miles long and includes four islands and six areas for public recreation. You can rent personal watercraft, boats or paddleboats. There are many lakefront homes available around Lake Wallenpaupack as well as the other Poconos lakes. The Pocono Lake Region Chamber of Commerce provides an online list of agencies offering vacation home and cottage rentals.
There are advantages to owning or renting a lakefront home in the Poconos. Lakefront properties put you front and center to enjoy all the water activities available. Lake Wallenpaupack, for example, is stocked with fish throughout the year by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Fish include trout, striped, small and large mouth bass, muskellunge, walleye and many others. You can also enjoy hiking and watching the wildlife in the area.
For all the beauty and pleasure a lakefront home has to offer, there are also a few drawbacks to consider. If you are interested in a quiet setting, you may want to avoid a lake that permits motorboats. Level properties are more expensive than those with a steep lot. Certainly a home on a hill affords an excellent view, but it is not realistic if you are elderly or if you have young children. Level lots are much safer, but it is going to cost you a lot more. Other issues for consideration include pollution of the lakes and the efforts that must be taken to reduce the introduction of nitrogen and phosphorus into the lakes, such as the nutrients from fertilizers. Regular maintenance of your septic system is also important to prevent contamination of the lake from a system that is malfunctioning. Safe boating practice education is critical for those who plan to partake in water sports.
An April listing of lakefront homes on the Pocono Lakefront Homes website netted nearly 200 homes, ranging in price from $69,900 to $4,533,000. They were located in many different towns such as New Milford, Lake Ariel, Lords Valley, Lakeville, Dingmans Ferry, Susquehanna, East Stroudsburg and Westfall. Homes with as much as 8,500 square feet were offered with two to nine bedrooms and as many as six and a half baths.
