
Newfound Lake is the 8th clearest lake in the United States
New Hampshire has a multitude of lakes that draw visitors and vacation homeowners from all over the country. The most well-known are Winnipesaukee and Squam; however, I remember a geography project I was doing in high school on Newfound Lake in the 1960s; back then, it was called one of the cleanest lakes in the country by National Geographic. When I was in grammar school, my parents would bring my siblings and I to Wellington State Park Beach and I always remember how crystal clear the bottom of the lake was from the swim raft.
Yes, Newfound Lake is still a jewel of a lake, a true treasure, with water clarity that is unbelievable and forested mountain ranges in the background. Located in Grafton County, in the heart of the Lakes Region, the towns of Alexandria, Bridgewater, Bristol, and Hebron surround this 4,451-acre lake, New Hampshire’s 3rd largest lake contained within the state. It is considered one of the deepest lakes in New Hampshire with a maximum depth of 183 feet and an average depth of 74 feet. This glacial lake has a maximum length of 6 miles with a maximum width of 2.4 miles.
Ask any resident around Newfound Lake about its water quality and you’ll get an earful. The local residents praise and take so much pride in the quality of their lake and for good reason. AZanimals.com, on September 29, 2022, listed the 10 cleanest lakes in the United States. The site noted there are thousands of lakes in the USA (111,819 according to the National Lake Assessment), including 12,000 in Minnesota alone! However, not all lakes are created equal; there are some that are truly special. Guess what? Newfound Lake was ranked the 9th cleanest lake in the USA on their site. Also, on vacationsmadeeasy.com, lifestyle.com, getawaycouple.com, and flavorverse.com, Newfound Lake was ranked the 8th clearest lake in the country. Smartertravel.com ranked Newfound Lake as the 2nd most swimmable lake in America on its top 10 list. All of these rankings are very impressive when you think about the fact that there are 111,819 lakes in the country!
SO, WHAT ARE THE UNDERLYING REASONS FOR NEWFOUND LAKE’S PRISTINE CLARITY?
- First of all, the lake has two primary inflows from the Fowler River and the Cockermouth River and its primary outflow is the Newfound River which keeps the water moving at all times.
- The lake is blessed with eight subterranean natural springs which refill the lake with crystal clear water twice a year. This natural wonder keeps the lake recycled with cold, fresh water.
- The lake is surrounded by an exceptionally clear watershed comprised of 98% forest. Newfound sits in the middle of about 100 square miles of undeveloped land which helps keep pollutants at bay.
- The lake’s maximum depth of 183 feet and average depth of 74 feet keep the water moving. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services ranks our lakes from “0” (clear) to “75” (tea-colored). Newfound is one of five in the state with a “0” designation. Also, the state designates the lake at “oligo” under the “irophic class,” which means there is minimal support for algae blooms and rooted plant growth. This is one of the contributing factors to the lake being milfoil free and keeping invasive weeds from invading. Newfound beaches are renowned for their soft, white, natural sand beaches. Whenever I drive around the lake, I always admire the beautiful, natural beaches and the shimmering, clear waters lapping along the shoreline.
- The Newfound Lake Region Association has always remained diligent in monitoring the lake, keeping milfoil at bay and ensuring that it stays that way. The hard work of local volunteers who clean the area and maintain the trails is super important. NLRA “Lake Hosts” and “Weed Watchers,” along with conscientious “Recreators,” has been the first line of defense against invasive species. Lake Hosts provide complimentary boat and trailer inspections at Newfound Lake’s two public boat launches to check for any fragments of flora and fauna. Since 2002, Lake Hosts have recovered 28 fragments of invasive plants, including milfoil, from being launched into the pristine waters of the lake. They have done a great job!
- The lake is home to 22 species of fish and Wellington State Park in Bristol has the largest freshwater beach of all of the New Hampshire State Parks. The long stretch of white, soft sand is amazing and the nature trails and picnic areas make it one of the best places to spend the day.
- At Paradise Point, the New Hampshire Audubon Preserve is located at the head of the lake. The Preserve consists of 43 acres encompassing 3,500 feet of untouched shorefront.
So, there you have it…no sharks, no riptides, no salty water, just paradise with crystal clear, calm, fresh waters that will be waiting for us come early spring. In the interim, the fall season has been breathtaking. There are still a few boats in the water and there are lots of hiking trails surrounding the lake to enjoy before winter sets in.
Now let’s take a look at the real estate activity from January 1st to November 8th, 2022 compared to January 1st to November 8th, 2021 for waterfront individual homes on Newfound Lake:
In 2022 to date, there were seven homes that sold. The median sales price was $1,300,000 with the lowest price at $796,000 and the highest price at $1,850,000. The median days on the market was 11.
In 2021, for the same period above, there were seven homes that sold. The median sales price was $1,280,000 with the lowest price at $800,000 and the highest sales price at $2,575,000. The median days on the market was 13.
Both years saw very similar activity. At the present time, there are no pending sales on Newfound Lake that have not closed.
Presently, there is only one single-family waterfront home for sale on Newfound Lake and is listed with Steve Baker of Roche Realty Group in Meredith. This is a very special property overlooking Pike’s Bay with 237′ of pristine shorefront with commanding lake and mountain views. The shore frontage boasts 150′ of Caribbean-style sandy beach. The three level home was built with smart home modern systems and quality construction. It includes a large wrap-around porch and lower stone patio, plus a 16’x22′ boathouse and a new boat dock. This four bedroom, ten room lake house is priced at $1,995,000. For information, please call Steve Baker at 603-455-4931 or Roche Realty Group at 603-279-7046.
Life is good on the 8th clearest lake in the United States!
This article was written by Frank Roche. Frank is president of Roche Realty Group with offices in Meredith and Laconia, NH, and can be reached at 603-279-7046. Please feel free to visit www.rocherealty.com to learn more about the Lakes Region and its real estate market.
7 Oak, Hebron, NH 03241
MLS #4945392
City:Hebron, State:NH
Price: $1950000
NEWFOUND LAKE: Step inside this recently renovated 3 Bedroom private waterfront home and feel as if you have stepped onto a boat with sweeping views of the broadest part of the lake. This turn-key home was renovated stem to stern in 2018 with new siding, windows, trim, doors, kitchen, baths, floors, sheet rock, wiring, furnace, insulation, water line, well pump, whole house generator, deck & 2 car garage. You'll enjoy the view from nearly all the rooms. Well appointed kitchen, w/quartz counter tops, soft close cabinets & Bosch appliances open to the fireplaced living room with built-ins & dining area with vaulted ceiling and tons of natural light adjoining the deck with amazing views. Two bedrooms & full bath on main living level. Lower level walks out to the stone patio with lake views & features home office, Entry/Mudroom, Primary bedroom, 3/4 bath & Laundry/utility room. Awake to watch the sunrise laying in bed over the lake. Kick back on the deck, relax on the stone patio or sit around the campfire and listen to the loons. The property offers nearly 80 feet of privately owned sandy bottom, gradual entry waterfront with dock & mooring. Located at the end of the road and adjacent to the association beach gives this property more elbow room than a typical lot of it's size. The icing on the cake is the low Hebron Taxes: only $9, 074 for the year. Owners to retain possession until May 25th. Showings start March 23, 2023 by appointment only. 640f31cf34e2b58e266cb4a3 0.28 9574 Walkout DayLight Finished 0 0 1 1 2 3 2164 Hebron RE_1 NH-Grafton FROM BRISTOL: Head NORTHWEST on Lake St./Rt. 3A. Turn LEFT onto West Shore Rd. Take Right Continuing on West Shore Rd., past Wellington State Park. Turn RIGHT onto Beachwood Dr. Turn LEFT onto Oak Ln. The house is on the RIGHT, #7. Sign on property. 7 Oak Lane Deck Outbuilding Patio Private Dock neren3 2 Detached 1 1 640f303b34e2b58de94c21f3 1 1 1678716987 43.6745169 1678492800 1950000 Lorna Platts Sirois 4945392 Active -71.7880431 Country Setting Lake View Mountain View Water View 12197 4945392 1476 7 Oak, Hebron, NH 03241 1679431779 Old Mill Properties REALTORS 40 901 Single Family Homes Residential NEWFOUND LAKE: Step inside this recently renovated 3 Bedroom private waterfront home and feel as if you have stepped onto a boat with sweeping views of the broadest part of the lake. This turn-key home was renovated stem to stern in 2018 with new siding, windows, trim, doors, kitchen, baths, floors, sheet rock, wiring, furnace, insulation, water line, well pump, whole house generator, deck & 2 car garage. You'll enjoy the view from nearly all the rooms. Well appointed kitchen, w/quartz counter tops, soft close cabinets & Bosch appliances open to the fireplaced living room with built-ins & dining area with vaulted ceiling and tons of natural light adjoining the deck with amazing views. Two bedrooms & full bath on main living level. Lower level walks out to the stone patio with lake views & features home office, Entry/Mudroom, Primary bedroom, 3/4 bath & Laundry/utility room. Awake to watch the sunrise laying in bed over the lake. Kick back on the deck, relax on the stone patio or sit around the campfire and listen to the loons. The property offers nearly 80 feet of privately owned sandy bottom, gradual entry waterfront with dock & mooring. Located at the end of the road and adjacent to the association beach gives this property more elbow room than a typical lot of it's size. The icing on the cake is the low Hebron Taxes: only $9, 074 for the year. Owners to retain possession until May 25th. Showings start March 23, 2023 by appointment only. Private Public Newfound Sch Dst SAU 4 Bridgewater-Hebron Village Sch Newfound Regional High Sch Newfound Memorial Middle Sch NH 2 Oak 7 Raised Ranch Beachwood 2 1679431991 Lake/River/Creek/Stream Mountains Water View Directly Adjoining Dock Access Yes Newfound Lake Lake 79 Yes 1 Exclusively Owned 1960 03241 ListPrice 1950000 1678717391 1950000 ListingStatus Active 1678717391 Active https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/a5e9-4945392-1-neren3.jpg 1 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/c7c7-4945392-2-neren3.jpg 2 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/5957-4945392-3-neren3.jpg 3 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/dfac-4945392-4-neren3.jpg 4 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/5763-4945392-5-neren3.jpg 5 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/a3bf-4945392-6-neren3.jpg 6 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/13e2-4945392-7-neren3.jpg 7 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/08c6-4945392-8-neren3.jpg 8 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/665d-4945392-9-neren3.jpg 9 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/976b-4945392-10-neren3.jpg 10 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/0c7c-4945392-11-neren3.jpg 11 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/c9f2-4945392-12-neren3.jpg 12 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/ff64-4945392-13-neren3.jpg 13 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/1d10-4945392-14-neren3.jpg 14 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/5baa-4945392-15-neren3.jpg 15 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/c0ef-4945392-16-neren3.jpg 16 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/6e9d-4945392-17-neren3.jpg 17 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/3e4e-4945392-18-neren3.jpg 18 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/b25e-4945392-19-neren3.jpg 19 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/44ab-4945392-20-neren3.jpg 20 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/ea54-4945392-21-neren3.jpg 21 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/11d8-4945392-22-neren3.jpg 22 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/c4b3-4945392-23-neren3.jpg 23 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/2ae1-4945392-24-neren3.jpg 24 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/c6b2-4945392-25-neren3.jpg 25 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/1e60-4945392-26-neren3.jpg 26 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/62d2-4945392-27-neren3.jpg 27 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/f06e-4945392-28-neren3.jpg 28 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/a659-4945392-29-neren3.jpg 29 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/e0ae-4945392-30-neren3.jpg 30 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/7655-4945392-31-neren3.jpg 31 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/3965-4945392-32-neren3.jpg 32 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/cbae-4945392-33-neren3.jpg 33 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/a878-4945392-34-neren3.jpg 34 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/1294-4945392-35-neren3.jpg 35 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/2555-4945392-36-neren3.jpg 36 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/b3fe-4945392-37-neren3.jpg 37 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/a32e-4945392-38-neren3.jpg 38 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/528a-4945392-39-neren3.jpg 39 1678718676 https://s3.us-central-1.wasabisys.com/apiv1.photos.master/ac89-4945392-40-neren3.jpg 40 1678718676 1678718676 1678718682 Point -71.7880431 43.6745169 RETS