Lake Coeur d'Alene

[Kper]

Does anybody here sail on Lake Coeur d'Alene, ID? We were considering retiring near Lake Coeur d'Alene and was curious about sailing conditions.

[angelfish2]

Kper, we have not sailed there, but have sailed on the Flathead Lake in Montana for a couple of years. The season is very short, perhaps 3-4 months and then you have to winterize. Because these lakes are very deep, waves do not build quickly and the winds are pretty erratic. However, I loved the fresh water and beautiful scenery. You will get very good at tacking.

[puffcard]

Yea there's some beautiful sailing, there and just 25 miles north on the bigger Lake Pend Oreille. Better for day sailing out of a marina. Lake Pend Oreille drops right off to very deep water. They had an active group out of Bayview, with races on Wednesday nights during the summer. Very pretty, the winds get squirrelly around the mountains and weather can sneak up from behind the mountains. I sailed there while working at the Navy detachment. The lake doesn't freeze but it gets very cold.

[Kper]

I figured conditions would be variable but wasn't sure exactly what to expect. 3-4 months is certainly a short season for sure. Where we are now the winds have either been too light or too strong all year. The past 2 weeks we've sailed out on light winds only to have them die on the lake forcing us to motor back in. When they're strong the winds come down the length of the lake (7 miles) creating conditions too rough to comfortably sail. Gets frustrating for sure.

Anybody own property in the region that might recommend some places to start looking?

[angelfish2]

Originally Posted by Kper

Anybody own property in the region that might recommend some places to start looking?

Well, I usually go to Zillow and look around first. A local realtor could help you also. However, be aware that this is a very expensive place to live due to the California "invasion".