We had similar concerns when looking to buy on the lake ten years ago. Several of the places we considered had very shallow water that nevertheless was clean and reliably got deeper as one moved further offshore. Thing is, that meant very long docks (60 ft +) to get the boat out to where it could be tied up in consistently deep enough water. I didn't like the idea of maintaining that length of dock nor was I overly excited about the large shallow swim areas; so we passed.
We opted for a home with a 30-foot dock thanks to a quick bottom drop off and no underwater obstacles. LOL - after all that I now only have a jet ski tied up to it. But the swimming is great!
I say - if a boat is critical to your home experience (it sounds like it is), steer clear of areas that offer questionable maneuverability. At a minimum, you will constantly be worrying about it in the late summer-early fall especially. If a boat isn't critical, then by all means consider the purchase as long as you are comfortable that the price you pay is reflective of the compromised dockage opportunity and other possible drawbacks such as quality swimming and clean water (some of the smaller coves don't have a lot of water movement).
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