Buying a Home on Clamshell Lake: What to Check
With 6.49 miles of winding shoreline on just 211 acres, Clamshell offers many different kinds of frontage, and the details at the water's edge matter most.
Clamshell Lake is a lake of bays, points and islands. That variety is part of its charm, and it is also why buying here takes a careful eye. Two homes on Clamshell can feel like they are on different lakes: one on firm, open water facing an island, another in a quiet, lily-lined bay. Here is how to tell what you are really buying.
Want a guide who knows Clamshell's shoreline? Start on the buyer's page.
1. Frontage and bottom type
The DNR's vegetation survey describes Clamshell's bottom as a mix of soft muck and silt and harder sand and gravel. Plants grow thickly in the shallows, and about 29 acres of waterlily and emergent beds sit along undeveloped shores, islands and wetlands. Visit in summer, walk the frontage and step in. Ask how much of the shoreline is usable for a dock and swimming, and whether the lot faces open water or a bay.
2. Depth off the dock
About 73 percent of Clamshell is 15 feet deep or less, and the deeper water sits in two basins separated by shallows. Many lots have a long, gradual approach. Ask how long the dock runs, where the lift sits, and what depth is at the end in late summer. If you plan to keep a larger boat or a wake boat, measure before you commit.
3. Weeds and lake health
Clamshell's plant beds are part of why it fishes well and stays clear. In the DNR's 2011 survey, vegetation grew at 92 percent of sampled sites out to 25 feet. Expect native weeds in front of many lots. Removing aquatic plants below the ordinary high-water level falls under DNR rules, so ask before you plan to clear a swimming area. The lake is designated as infested with zebra mussels, so check the condition of lifts, dock legs and any water intake lines.
4. Exposure and view
On a lake shaped like Clamshell, the view from each lot is unique. Some homes look across to an island, others down a long bay. West-facing lots get the evening sun and more breeze; homes tucked in coves get calmer water and more shade. Visit at different times of day before you decide what fits how you will use the place.
5. Septic and shoreland rules
Most homes on Clamshell use private septic systems. Ask for the system's records, age and compliance status. In unincorporated areas, Crow Wing County Land Services issues land use permits and shoreland alteration permits for work such as additions, decks, beaches, retaining walls and stairways, and it sets structure setbacks from the ordinary high-water level by lake classification. Cities with their own zoning, such as Crosslake, run their own permits, impervious surface limits and septic requirements.
Confirm which office has jurisdiction over the parcel, and ask it for the lake's shoreland classification and the setbacks that apply. If you have plans to expand or rebuild, get answers before you make an offer.
6. Channels, launch and traffic
Clamshell has a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public access on the north side of a small bay, and a navigable channel west to Bertha Lake, which leads on to Whitefish. Lots near the access or the channel see more passing boats, especially on summer weekends and the fishing opener. Lots deep in a bay or facing an island feel more private. Sit on the dock on a Saturday afternoon and on a weekday evening, and respect posted buoys in narrow passages.
7. Winter road and year-round use
If you plan to come up in winter, ask whether the road is publicly maintained, who plows a private road, and how the driveway handles snow. Have a year-round inspector check heat, insulation and water lines. Lake homes range from seasonal cabins to full year-round houses, and a listing description does not always make the difference clear.
A builder's eye on the inspection
As a 4th-generation builder as well as a broker, I look closely at how a lake home is built and sited: drainage toward the water, the foundation, the roof, the well and septic, and the shoreline structures. Bring a qualified inspector, and walk the lot with someone who knows lake property.
Questions
Is the water deep off the docks on Clamshell Lake?
It varies by lot. About 73 percent of the lake is 15 feet or less, so many frontages have a gradual approach. Measure the depth at the end of the dock before you buy.
Can I remove weeds in front of a Clamshell Lake home?
Aquatic plant removal is regulated by the Minnesota DNR, and shoreline work above the water may need a county or city permit. Ask before you plan any clearing.
Is there public access to Clamshell Lake?
Yes. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates a public access on the north side of a small bay north of three islands.
Keep reading
See what living on Clamshell Lake is like, read the Clamshell fishing guide, compare neighboring Bertha Lake, or return to the Clamshell Lake guide.
I am David Olson, a broker and 4th-generation builder with a family cabin on the Whitefish Chain in Crosslake. When you are ready to look at homes on Clamshell, call or text 218.513.2677 or email david@whitefishpropertyfinder.com, or start on the buyer's page.
Sources: MN DNR aquatic vegetation report, Clamshell Lake; MN DNR LakeFinder data, Clamshell Lake; Crow Wing County Land Use Permits FAQ; City of Crosslake land use fact sheet; MN DNR shoreland classifications.