Tag: Virginia lakes

5 Facts About Lake Anna

Posted on Camille Smith
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

For miles of gorgeous shoreline, plenty of fishing opportunities, and an interesting slice of history, look no further than Lake Anna. One of the largest freshwater reservoirs in Virginia, Lake Anna is a popular recreational spot with close proximity to major cities such as Richmond and Charlottesville. Between fishing, swimming, boating, and water sports (including several triathlon competitions), there’s something for everyone on this beautiful southeastern lake.

Close Proximity to Historic Landmarks

Image from National Park Service/Buddy Secor via Lake Anna Guide

A short day trip away from Lake Anna is Spotsylvania, also known as the “Crossroads of the Civil War.” Many major battles were fought at this location including the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, the site of 20 hours of brutal hand-to-hand combat. Other interesting attractions like the Historic Courthouse, the Old Jail, and the National Park Service Spotsylvania Battlefield will delight all history buff visitors. While you’re there, stop for some beer, wine, and spirit tasting at the Grapes and Grains Trail.

Third-Largest Lake in Virginia

Photo courtesy of Virginia.org

Lake Anna is the third-largest lake in the state of Virginia and is the second-largest lake located entirely in the state. Kerr Lake is ranked the largest lake but lies in both Virginia and North Carolina. Overall, the lake measures 17 miles long with about 200 miles of shoreline. This shoreline is divided into public and private sectors, with the latter being closed off to commercial operation and available only to private residents. With this division, boats on one side cannot cross over to the other. If you’re not a private resident, you’re still in luck. One of the most popular spots on the public shoreline is Lake Anna State Park, full of sandy beaches, swimming, and hiking trails.

History of Gold

Photo courtesy of Lake Anna Rentals

When you think of Gold Mining, perhaps the famous California Gold Rush comes to mind. However, the west wasn’t the only place in the country where people discovered gold. In 1829, gold was discovered in Louisa County, Virginia during the peak of gold mining in the U.S. Between 1830 and 1849, the Goodman Gold mine, also known as “Gold Hill” was the third-largest gold mine in the country. The Goodman Gold mine flourished for about a century until the 1940s, replaced three decades later by the man-made Lake Anna.

Hotspot for Fishing

Photo courtesy of Franklyn Zhao from Pixabay

Of course, most of our lakes are known for their abundance of fishing opportunities. But Lake Anna in particular is special in this regard. It’s lauded as one of the top spots to fish for largemouth bass on the East Coast. Besides largemouth bass, crappie and stripers are the most popular catches on this lake, and many anglers come to Lake Anna specifically to reel in a bass. About 99% of fishing on Lake Anna is catch and release, but if you want to take one home for the grill, you’ll need to meet the minimum size requirement. If you’re new to fishing on this lake, get in touch with a fishing guide from the Lake Anna Visitor’s Center. 

If you’re searching for a lively, picturesque lake home near Virginia, you might find your dream home on Lake Anna. Check out our available listings in this area, and consult with one of our lake expert agents!

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Strike Gold in Lake Anna, Virginia

Posted on Maggie Keith Gerakos
Lake Anna, Virginia during sunset
Photo courtesy of Lake Anna Guide.

One of the largest lakes in the state of Virginia, and approximately 80 miles from Washington DC (only 50 miles from Richmond), Lake Anna is a top-notch locale to call home. Lake Anna spans 17 miles and three counties in Virginia – Louisa, Spotsylvania, and Orange. This area, once flush with gold, now boasts a rich history and beautiful surroundings, making it well worth a visit or a full-time living arrangement!

The “Gold Hill” Era

Gold Hill Virginia
Photo courtesy of Terrain360.

Lake Anna State Park once carried the moniker “Gold Hill” after becoming a famous mining area when gold was first discovered there in 1829. The Lake Anna gold rush lasted over a century, until coming to a halt in the 1940s when the last bits of gold were found in a local zinc mine. The freshwater lake, now known as Lake Anna was created three decades later in 1972. A dam was built on the North Anna River, forming a lake west of the dam. Shortly after its creation, the Lake Anna area was developed into a state park, opening to its first visitors in 1983. Today, it is an idyllic locale to spend time or set up roots of your own. Owning a home on Lake Anna means having countless opportunities for adventure at your fingertips – for all ages, and all interests.

Fisher’s Paradise

two little boys fishing in lake
Photo courtesy of Step Outside.

The ways to enjoy Lake Anna and its surrounding areas are boundless. Spend the day at the sandy beach of Lake Anna State Park, take advantage of the 15 miles of hiking trails, or explore the many bike paths in the area. There is a fishing pond in the park, which is ideal for the young ones in your life. You will also find campsites that provide a base for outdoor adventurers. The state park is filled with history and is home to the former Goodman Gold Mine. Go on a tour of the land where the mine once existed. Learn why Virginia was once a top gold-mining state. Beyond the gold rush, this lake is a perfect spot for boating and fishing – it has been particularly regarded as a prime destination for bass fishing.

Must-Visit Local Wineries

Lake Anna winery
Photo courtesy of Family Detour.

Just a short drive outside the lake area, enjoy the highly regarded local wineries of central Virginia. Lake Anna Winery, Fifty-Third Winery and Vineyard, and Chateau Merrilanne – to name a few – are all a stone’s throw away from the lake area. Most wineries in the region offer tours and tastings, as well as transportation opportunities that make for a great day trip.

Immerse in Culture and History

Goolrick's Pharmacy
Photo courtesy of Virginia.org.

Lake Anna’s surrounding towns are a must-visit for any history buffs. A hop and a skip away, take a walking tour of downtown Louisa or explore nearby Fredericksburg, a town with impressive culture and history. While you’re there, enjoy a tour of the Mary Washington House, purchased by George Washington for his mother in 1772. See the same sights our forefathers did that still exist in Fredericksburg to this day. The area is also home to four significant Civil War battlefields – Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania – as well as the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Military Park. The region’s local breweries are well worth a visit. Have a beer at one of the several in the area, such as Alstadt, Highmark, or Maltese Brewing Co. You’ll want to check out the culinary scene the area has to offer, while you’re at it – don’t skip out on the local barbecue spots like Allman’s or Billiken’s. 

With Washington, D.C. only a two-hour drive away, Lake Anna is an easy trip from the city. Spend time relaxing by the lake while having plenty of other activities at your fingertips. Regardless of how you choose to spend your time, it’s sure to be golden!

The Waterfront’s Finest Wines and Vineyards

Posted on Staff

Article co-authored by LakeHomes.com intern Sam Harvey

Simply being near the water can increase your sense of calm and alleviate stress and anxiety – a phenomenon called the “blue mind effect.”

However, owning a lake home also tends to make you the most popular person in your friend group, which can create a few stressors.

Sometimes it’s nice to take a break from entertaining guests, taking the kids tubing, and cleaning up lake toys. You need an activity that’s more, shall we say, adult.

“Wine” down every once in a while at any of these award-winning waterfront wineries located on your favorite lakes. 

Pleasant Valley Wine Company

Nestled along the shores of Keuka Lake in Upstate New York is one of the oldest wineries in the Finger Lakes region.

Built in 1860, the Pleasant Valley Wine Company offers connoisseurs a variety of 31 products ranging from the official champagne of the National Women’s Hall of Fall Induction ceremony to a refreshing strawberry white Zinn and some of the finest cooking sherries in the country.

A trip to Keuka Lake is not complete without a tour of the Pleasant Valley Wine Company facility, comprised of eight stone buildings recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. You will also find the equipment from the original establishment and wine-making displays.

Offered from Memorial Day through mid-November, Pleasant Valley tours are self-guided beginning at 11 a.m., daily. The last tour group of the day departs at 3 p.m. and concludes with a complimentary wine tasting.

Bottles are also available for purchase on-site and online, ranging in price from $3.50 to about $30. Among the winery’s most popular beverages is the Pleasant Valley Chocolate Lab, made of labrusca grapes and flavored with rich chocolate.

The winery recommends mixing this dessert wine with their Autumn Frost Strawberry White Zinfandel or Blackberry Merlot and pairing it with blue cheese.

Lake Michigan Vintners

Lake Michigan Vintners, situated just 10 minutes from the Lake Michigan waterfront, is the Midwest’s only teaching winery.

Part of the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail, this world-class facility boasts products made with locally sourced ingredients, producing wines comparable to those made in the Bordeaux and the Piedmont regions of Italy.

The Lake Michigan Vintners tasting room is open from noon to 5 p.m. on Mondays and Sundays and from noon to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. For just $10, winery guests can enjoy a sampling of five wines of their choice.

Lake Michigan Vintners produces all wines in small batches, so availability is limited.

Among those wines currently available for tasting and purchase is the Grüner Veltliner, characterized by green apple aromas, a hint of lime and lemon shortbread cookies. This beverage pairs nicely with goat cheese and mozzarella.

Also available this summer is the Wavelength White, which features floral aromatics, jasmine, and hints of honey.

For red wine lovers, the Lake Michigan Vintners Pinot Noir tastes reminiscent of cherry pie and baking spices. Serve with savory dishes like pot roast and grilled lamb.

Rosemont of Virginia Winery

Conveniently situated on the Virginia-North Carolina border, just two minutes from beautiful Lake Gaston, the Rosemont of Virginia Winery invites guests to tour their 25 acres of grapevines and sample their 15, 100% estate-produced wines.

The Rosemont Estate, housed on 450 acres, dates back to the mid-1700s, during which time its grounds served as farmland for vegetables, hay, tobacco, soybeans, corn, and peach trees.

Winery construction began in 2006 and today is complete with an underground state-of-the-art gravity-flow production facility.

Tours and tastings are hosted daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. With a $10 tasting fee, winery visitors can sample each of the venue’s current vintages and receive a commemorative Rosemont wine glass at the tour’s conclusion.

Unique to the Rosemont of Virginia Winery is their Adopt-a-Vine program, through which wine lovers can donate $300 to the facility in exchange for access to exclusive events and their own vine of Chambourcin grapes.

Adopt-a-Vine program members can learn to prune and trim their vines, help harvest their grapes and receive a bottle of wine made from their fruits for three harvest years.

One of the winery’s most popular wines is Traminette 2017, a semi-sweet, dry, white wine characterized by touches of citrus and spice and bright floral notes. The winery recommends pairing this beverage with spicy cuisine or light summer salads.

Also, a Rosemont favorite is their 2016 Cabernet Franc, which features light oak and dark cherry aromas alongside hints of berry and pepper.

This Cabernet Franc is a delicious red, aged for 20 months. It has the perfect complement to earthy flavors such as those found in olives and feta, fontina, and goat cheese.

Rosemont of Virginia Winery sells its products outside Virginia in North Carolina, Maryland, Washington D.C., New York, Florida, Michigan, and California. Bottles range in price from $14 to $33.

For more local flavor, be sure to check out our article “Tastes of the Lake: A Spotlight on Your Favorite Lakeside Restaurants“!

Tastes of the Lake: A Spotlight on Your Favorite Lakeside Restaurants

Posted on Staff

The only thing more fun than playing at the lake is eating at the lake! We’ve done the hard work of choosing the best of the best lakeside restaurants. Hey, somebody’s got to do it! Savor local lakeside flavors at these must-try boat-up restaurants.

The BoatYard Grill

On the sparkling shores of Cayuga Lake in Ithica, New York, The BoatYard Grill specializes in ” serving up a warm welcome and unforgettable experience” for all lake-loving guests.

Featuring American favorites like burgers, sweet potato fries and juicy, wood fire-grilled steaks alongside creative dishes like lobster lollipops and eggplant arrabiata, this restaurant has plenty of mouthwatering options for hungry boaters to choose from.

Patrons are invited to relax on the waterfront in the Grill’s Adirondack chairs, sip on Frozen Boatyard Thrill cocktails and enjoy live music every Friday night during the summer.

And better still, The BoatYard Grill offers watercraft docking at its on-site marina for convenient fishing to feasting.

The restaurant is also part of the Cayuga Waterfront Trail, a 5.5 mile paved route connecting the lake’s most iconic lakeside attractions.

Tim’s at Lake Anna

Satisfy your seafood cravings this summer without the sharks and stingrays at the Tim’s at Lake Anna Restaurant and Crabhouse!

One of five Tim’s Rivershore restaurants and venues, Tim’s at Lake Anna has been an Old Dominion favorite since first opening its doors (and shores) in 2012.

Located in Mineral, Virginia, on the lake’s northwestern region, the restaurant offers fresh seafood year-round, its menu featuring scallops, oysters, crab and cod prepared in every way imaginable.

Renowned for its home-cooked cuisine, Tim’s at Lake Anna is also known for its idyllic lake views and family-friendly, community atmosphere.

Each year, in addition live entertainment, Tim’s at Lake Anna hosts a variety of lake-wide events, including a Memorial Day Pig Roast, Halloween Bash, Crawdad Festival and poker runs for charity.

The Gnarly Gar

Never leave the water for lunch or dinner again at Lake Travis’ famous floating eatery The Gnarly Gar.

An all-in-one restaurant, bar, filling station and entertainment venue, The Gnarly Gar provides a one-of-a-kind experience for lake lubbers of all ages.

With plenty of boat parking, lake lovers flock to this Texas novelty’s decks and docks to enjoy watching sports on the restaurant’s big screens, listen to live music, feed the area’s giant catfish, and indulge in the tastes of Lake Travis.

Menu items range from classic fish and chips to burgers to shrimp stuffed with Serrano peppers, wrapped in bacon and deep fried, paired with a kickin’ strawberry lime habanero sauce.

The Gnarly Gar also proudly serves Maine Root handcrafted, organic fountain drinks. 

Fish Tales Lakeside Grill

Dubbed the “Best Dining Experience on Lake Lanier” Fish Tales Lakeside Grill has been serving up good times and fish tales (fried grouper fingers) since 2010.

Located within Hideaway Bay Marina in Flowery Branch, Georgia, this Lake Lanier landmark welcomes lakers by boat, car and even the occasional aircraft, year-round.

The restaurant caters to their loyal lake guests at every turn, offering a courtesy dock for those traveling by water, allergy-friendly menus at every table and unwavering service with a smile.

Fish Tales Lakeside Grill also features a giant kids’ sandbox and live music.

Mouthwatering menu favorites beyond the restaurant’s famous Fish Tales include the fish tacos, grouper sandwiches and signature items like the Aloha Chicken and Gulf Mix Platter.

And did we mention Fish Tales’ bar menu features NINE taste bud-tickling, shareable cocktails?

Enjoying the lake goes beyond boating and swimming. Take our advice and enjoy these great restaurants, remember lakes across the U. S. have great local restaurants with lots of local color. Be on the lookout and let us know what you find!

Lake Holiday: The Perfect Place to Call Home

Posted on Staff

A picturesque, gated lake community with affordable homes surrounded by nature? Sounds perfect to us.

Located in Gainesboro, Virginia, just near the West Virginia state line, Lake Holiday offers everything a true lake lover craves. The 1,900-acre wooded community has a modest average home price of $286,892 and encompasses a 240-acre residential lake.

Don’t let the fact that it’s a neighborhood lake fool you, though. It’s no stranger to energetic residents. In fact, Lake Holiday happens to be perfect for popular water sports such as canoeing, kayaking, water skiing, sailing, and swimming.

And humans aren’t the only ones enjoying the great outdoors. Lake Holiday is overflowing with diverse wildlife. White-tailed deer, wild turkeys, great blue herons and even eagles frequent the area. Ducks and geese are present year round and are sometimes joined by the occasional swan.

Beneath the water’s surface is an angler’s paradise. This body of water just so happens to have some of the best bass fishing in the state. In addition to smallmouth and largemouth bass, fishermen also reel in black and white crappie and channel catfish.

Community residents have access to a 91-slip marina, beaches and a lakefront clubhouse. And that’s just in Lake Holiday’s own backyard. Since the residents are also in the great state of Virginia, they’re never far away from a good time.

A Nature-Bound Haven

Virginia is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Four-season natural recreation ranges from skiing in the mountains to sunbathing on the Atlantic coast. For Lake Holiday residents, it’s only a one-hour drive to the Shenandoah National Park.

This massive natural preserve is nestled among the Blue Ridge Mountains, just 75 miles west of Washington, D.C. It features 500 miles of nature trails–including 101 miles of the well-known Appalachian Trail–surrounded by towering trees, waterfalls and rock formations.

Backpackers love to hike up Hawksbill Mountain. At 4,050 feet, it’s the highest peak in the Shenandoah National Park and features 360-degree panoramic views of the world below.

scenic autumn drive

Visitors can get another perspective of the landscape with the historic Skyline Drive. This National Scenic Byway stretches the entirety of the 105-mile-long park. It features envy-worthy views from various peaks and overlooks, as well as multiple campsites, and continues south as the famous Blue Ridge Parkway.

The park also serves as a safe haven for a wide variety of animals that are otherwise pressured by too much human activity. In fact, there are over 40 fish species, 50 mammal species, 20 reptile and amphibian species, and more than 190 different types of birds.

The majority of animals in the park, like white-tailed deer and woodchucks, are relatively harmless. However, visitors should still keep an eye out for larger predators like black bear, bobcats and coyote who thrive in the deep woods.

The park thrives in every season, from the colorful foliage of fall to the snowy slopes of winter. And with infinite recreational opportunities like white-water rafting and mountain climbing, it’s a great place to visit with the family.

The Perfect Place to Call Home

With all this fun within just one hour of the lake, Lake Holiday is an ideal community for lake lovers to settle down in.

Its safe, secluded location puts it miles away from any big city, offering something we could all use a little more of: peace and quiet. It’s engulfed in nature on all sides and couldn’t be more perfect for those who live for the outdoors.

A word to the wise: consider purchasing your next lake home here. You won’t be disappointed.

For more information on what’s available on Lake Holiday right now, click here.