Lake Winnisquam VS. Lake Winnipesaukee Comparisons in Laconia, NH

Living in the Lakes Region, we are so fortunate to have a large number of water bodies surrounding us. There are literally 273 lakes, ponds and rivers to enjoy in NH’s Lakes Region!  Let’s look at two of the larger lakes and draw some comparisons.

Lake Winnipesaukee is NH’s largest lake. It encompasses approximately 44,568 acres of water body. The total shoreline is 240 miles, with a maximum depth of 213 feet; the average depth is 62 feet. The length is approximately 22.9 miles and the width is approximately 7.5 miles.   Within its 72 square miles of surface area, Lake Winnipesaukee includes 274 scenic islands. Lake Winnipesaukee is the 6^th largest natural lake that is located completely within the U.S. borders. It is estimated that the lake contains 625 billion gallons of water! That’s A LOT of water! I wonder where they came up with the mathematical formula to calculate that number! There are 8 towns that have shore frontage on Lake Winnipesaukee; Alton, Gilford, Laconia, Meredith, Center Harbor, Moultonboro, Tuftonboro & Wolfboro..

Lake Winnisquam is NH’s 4th largest lake. The lake is approximately 4,264 acres. It is roughly 1/10 of the size of Lake Winnipesaukee in

surface area. Within Lake Winnisquam, there are five islands. The maximum depth is approximately 154 feet; With the average depth being 52 feet.  The lake includes a shoreline of 28.2 miles. Lake Winnisquam is approximately 5.4 miles long and approximately 1.7 miles wide. There are five towns that enjoy shore frontage on Lake Winnisquam; Sanbornton, Tilton, Laconia, Meredith and Belmont.

A series of lakes create a wonderful watershed for the Lakes Region. Merry Meeting Lake flows into the Merry Meeting River into Lake Winnipesaukee. Lake Winnipesaukee flows into Paugus Bay, through the Lakeport Dam and into Lake Opechee in Laconia. Lake Opechee then flows through another dam in downtown Laconia and into Lake Winnisquam. Lake Winnisquam then flows into Silver Lake and through the Winnipesaukee River which joins the Pemigewasset River, in Franklin, to form the Merrimack River. Eventually, it all ends up in the Atlantic Ocean.

The beauty of Lake Winnipesaukee and Lake Winnisquam is that in addition to the watershed connection, there are numerous natural springs that help to create the quality of the water that our lakes are known for nationally. Additionally, the freezing of the lakes during the winter months helps to cleanse and regenerate the water before the spring season.

A look at real estate market activity on both lakes within the city of Laconia:

The statistics comparing Lake Winnisquam and Lake Winnipesaukee in Laconia, NH for Residential homes that have Owned Waterfront, a Right of Way or Shared Private Access to the water, suggest that you might get more or equal bang for your buck on Lake Winnisquam in Laconia. If you are looking to spend a bit less money and would like more land and potentially more privacy, then Lake Winnisquam just might be a better fit for you.

New home construction and existing homes in Laconia, NH from May 6, 2012 through May 6, 2014: (two year comparison)

Lake Winnisquam                                    Lake Winnipesaukee

# of Properties Sold                  28                                                                        73

Average List Price                  $372,403.11                                                      $426,070.95

Average Sold Price                  $356,855.11                                                      $399,409.12

Average Lot Acres                         .81 Acres                                                      .37 Acres

Average House Sq Ft                  2178.54 Sq Ft                                                      2262.14 Sq Ft

Average # bedrooms                  3.25 Bedrooms                                                      3.32 Bedrooms

Average # Bathrooms                  2.29 Bathrooms                                                      2.92 Bathrooms

Average DOM                                    156.14 Days                                                      136.40 Days

Average DUC                                    46.50 Days                                                      42.08 Days

*The above averages exclude Condominiums
**DOM=Days On Market   DUC=Days Under Contract
***Above data obtained from NNEREN from 5/6/12-5/6/14 for waterfront owned, Right of Way and Shared Private Access

You can see from the above data, that there isn’t a huge difference between the Average Selling Prices of the two lakes within the City of Laconia. Laconia has a considerable amount of shore front on Paugus Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee, as well as some nice waterfront properties along Pendleton Beach and Wentworth Cove Road. The Plantation Beach Association includes a number of fine water access homes to the community beach. Laconia also enjoys some of the finest shorefront with westerly exposure along Lake Winnisquam. Shore Drive and Eastman Shore Road include some of the finest waterfront properties on Lake Winnisquam. Additionally, all of the neighborhoods off of Shore Drive including Holman Street, Lynnewood Road and others offer some of the finest beach access on Lake Winnisquam at Wildwood Beach and Lakewood Beach Associations.

The bottom line is: Both lakes offer a quality lakeside experience. Some individuals desire a larger lake such as Winnipesaukee, especially if they are into extensive boating activities. Some frequently visit restaurants along the lake. Keep in mind however, that there is a considerable amount more boats and on certain days the water can become quite rough. Other families might prefer the more laid back atmosphere of Lake Winnisquam if they like to sit and enjoy a nice beach, go kayaking, waterskiing or other water sport activities. Either way, Lake Winnisquam and Lake Winnipesaukee are two great choices that the Lakes Region has to offer.

Above article was written by:

Christina Day, Roche Realty Group Inc.