Is Lake Norman, NC like Winni?

[mrportjeff]

There is no comparison to Lake Winni!!!!

[Slickcraft]

Here is a response from my wife's cousin sitting on the dock at Lake Norman last evening:

Hello from Lake Norman, NC,

I am sitting on our dock on Lake Norman and have been to Lake Winnipesauke many times as I have cousins in Alton. I hope to offer so useful information. First, I am not a year round resident of Mooresville, NC but our family has property "on" the lake and has for several decades. We've seen it develop and change. I don't know what your specific interests or concerns are but I'll try to hit what I think might be the greatest contrasts.

We don't have any "Ice Out" pool. In fact, if we ever have ice, you'll be more concerned with larger issues than that! Lake Norman does get snow. By comparison, it is laughably little. But an occasional (read once every couple of years) 6" - 10" does happen with lighter coatings maybe 2 or 3 times a year. Boating and enjoying the lake is a year round opportunity depending on your boat and your interest. The lake is in some respects like Winni as it is long. But the water is largely quite deep averaging approximately 50 feet. The shores are largely natural and not rocky. There are very few islands by comparison. The lake is man-made developed by Duke Energy back in the 1960's and is part of the Catawba River chain of man made reservoirs originally built for hydro electric power generation. Today it is mainly for water cooled nuclear plants. There is one on Lake Norman and the fishing is good year round there. Fishing sports are good generally all over the lake with Large Mouth Bass, Stripers, and Cat Fish as the primary targets. Water levels do fluctuate a fair amount as they lower the lake level in the winter and raise it summers for boating, etc. It does not generally change more than a couple of feet during the summer season. Real Estate is like any lake. You can find any number of million dollar homes and up for sale these days. The shore is substantially developed with either inaccessible or undesirable areas left untouched. If you're into Sailing you must be aware of you water depth at the dock. Check out the restrictions on docks and covered boat slips. The key there is the square footage of "covered" water. Naturally sandy beaches are somewhat scarce. Many you see are man made. Structure like "sea walls" or "breakers" are not allowed. But likewise they are not required as a practical matter. And last but not least, the water WILL warm up in the summer!

Hope this helps.

[SAMIAM]

Spent some time on a similar lake once...lake Cumberland in Kentucky, also, man made. No sandy shore or rocky ledge anywhere.....but one thing bothered me. When they filled the lake, there were forests below which are still standing, eerily, under the murky water. Made anchoring a challange.....also, stories of difficulty finding drowning victums because they get snagged on debris. Good bass fishing.

[wifi]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

... difficulty finding drowning victums (bodies) because they get snagged on debris. Good bass fishing.

LOL

[MariaNYC]

Your question compelled me to register! I grew up just north of Lake Norman and, in fact, pre-date it. My college had a lake campus there so I'm pretty familiar with swimming in it - boating not so much. As others have noted, Lake Norman is man-made so the bottom can be muddy and mucky. Since the predominate soil type there is red clay, you may come up with a film of red dirt after swimming. A friend who lives on the lake could not fathom that I would consider scuba diving here - her reaction, based on Lake Norman and many southern lakes - was how could you possibly see anything through the murk in a lake. Folks who spend more time there can perhaps address whether the frequent traffic tie-ups on I-77, the main artery, affect their ability to get there and around. Finally, the areas around Lake Norman are in the process of becoming Charlotte suburbs, and much of the development visible from and around the lake has been charm-free although individual condo or home developments can be attractive. And a couple of the towns are taking advantage of the increasing affluence to start up nice restaurants and such. But nothing akin to a Wolfeboro or Meredith, nor the retro charm of Weirs Beach. Maybe Davidson, a college town, comes closest. Much of he lake is about a half hour from Charlotte, which has professional sports and the like, which could be an advantage depending on your interests.

[sea_n_ski]

I was on a college hunting trip with my daughter and drove by Lake Norman just last week.

A couple things I found interesting. First off almost every boat was on a lift with a roof above it. The second thing was that the Interstate cut across it a couple of times.

It looked like a beautiful lake with people fishing, tubing and cruising around. I didn't see any large boats like we have on Winni.

[Lucky1]

If you have family there, why not go for a visit nearby and see Lake Norman for yourself? I could live without a lot of things that Lake Winnipesaukee offers, but some things here are very important to me. What are the things that are important to you?

Are you thinking of moving there full time? If so, would you be willing to drive to a lake and live near to your family?

Used to drive the girls to FL in April. NC is a two day drive so pack the car and take off for a few days, visit your family, look at lakes etc, and come back and tell us what you think.

At one time we looked at a lake in a different state that seemed charming to us for about a week. Looking back on that adventure now, I wonder what on earth we were thinking!! Always remember, "Act in haste, lament at leisure." Take your time and think this all through carefully. Good luck.

[onthebay]

Has anyone has any first hand experience with Lake Jocasse and Lake Keowee? They are located in the southwest corner of South Carolina up by Georgia. I also was looking for an alternative "not a substitute" for Lake Winni. Looking for a little longer boating season and less snow.
I believe that Clemson University is in the area.
From what I have seen online it looks like the cost of lakefront is pretty similar to Lake Winni and it is located in the mountains which keeps the water cooler and clearer than most southern lakes. Being down here in FL I wouldn't even consider going in freshwater but see people tubing, swimming, and waterskiing all the time...

[winnisummergal]

Lucky1,

We just returned from Raleigh to visit family, however, it was a short one and we didn't have time for the 2+ hour trip to Charlotte. At some point we will make it to Charlotte but since we currently live in Arizona it's not a quick weekend "roadtrip", therefore, we wanted to get any information from those who have been to both Winni and Lake Norman. Thank you to everyone who offered such great information. We still have much research to do, not to mention aquiring employment! Please continue to leave your thoughts!