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I have some friends looking to buy a lake house just outside the Triangle and they have settled on these 2 lakes. I don't have any experience with either except the fact of what I have heard about the hydrilla being a nightmare at Lake Gaston. They are looking for lake front property. If you are familiar with these 2 lakes, which would you tell them to pick and why? Hyco Lake and Mayo Lake are out due to small size and noise pollution of the power plants. Thanks!
I've spent time at both, and both are nice. I know people who have places at both, and wouldn't trade for the other. I would be partial to Gaston because the water levels there always remain pretty constant. Kerr on the other hand water levels can fluctuate as much as 20 ft.
We have a house at Gaston. The constant-level thing was the key reason we went there as opposed to Kerr. We've got friends at Kerr whose dock/boat are unusable if the water levels drop too far, that kind of defeats the purpose of having a waterfront lakehouse.
The hydrilla can be problematic if not treated, and we've noticed more of an issue the further you get away from the main body of the lake (coves, creeks, etc.) Our previous house was on one of the larger creeks, but our neighborhood was aggressive in treating things so it never really got out of hand. Our current house is on the main body and I haven't noticed any hydrilla in the water there to date.
I have several friends with houses on Gaston and have spent tons of time there. As mentioned above, the constant water level thing is ideal. The lake is pretty large with plenty of places to ski/board, cruise and swim. Lots of houses all along the shoreline giving it a very resort-like, residential feel.
I've spent a fair amount of time on Kerr lake in my boat and camping too. It's much more difficult to get a feel of what owning property or living on Kerr would be like and I think in part that is due to not really being able to see the houses there, at least on many parts of the lake since they are built so far back from the water. The fluctuating water levels would concern me most and if I spent money there on a home I'd want to use the dock/boat whenever I wanted - this can be a problem on Kerr. The lake is enormous, love that about it and the water is generally very clear and clean. You can always get away from other boats in a cove if you want quiet.
If I were buying/building and had to choose between the two, I'd go with Gaston because it seems more set up for "lake living" whereas Kerr seems more targeted towards "recreational" activities. Gaston will be more expensive because of the guaranteed water levels. You'll probably have better resale should you decide to sell.
If they choose Gaston they should really do their homework when deciding where to buy/build. Many of the coves get very shallow the further in you go, not a huge problem since water levels don't really drop, but the water quality can become an issue there (hydrilla, temperature, runoff, mud). The main lake is beautiful, has deep water lots but can be very choppy (boat traffic and wind).
There seem to be more new developments going in the last couple years in which houses will turn out to be consistent in build quality and age. There are also many neighborhoods that have very eclectic mixes of houses both new and older so you could effectively buy/build something newer (nicer) and be next door to a run down single wide trailer.
Both lakes are fun and have their pros/cons. I suggest visiting both as often as possible, get out on the water, walk through homes.
Without a doubt I would choose Gaston. That would have been my choice even before today's crazy weather extremes (drought to floods). Gaston is immune to both and if I am buying waterfront property I want waterfront property all the time. If you are buying off the lake and going to launch at public ramps then my thoughts may be different.
Thanks everyone! So how bad is the hydrilla? Is it better than it was say 3-4 years ago? And how crowded is Lake Gaston in general? Not on holiday weekends but regular weekends during the summer?
Thanks everyone! So how bad is the hydrilla? Is it better than it was say 3-4 years ago? And how crowded is Lake Gaston in general? Not on holiday weekends but regular weekends during the summer?
I don't really notice the hydrilla when visiting and staying with at my buddy's place on Gaston. His place is on a pretty deep and fairly busy cove with a marina and boat launch accounting for the traffic. I think the hydrilla will be more noticeable and more of a problem in shallower and calmer waters.
Gaston stays moderately busy on all "in season" weekends unless the weather is bad. That said, even on the 4th of July weekend, it is not unbearably busy.
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