Lake Waconia
Homes & cabins for sale
Lake Waconia is the second-largest lake in the Twin Cities metro — 3,100 acres of clear water with a charming village and a long sailing tradition.
About Lake Waconia
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Life on Lake Waconia
Lake Waconia is the second-largest lake in the Twin Cities metro — about 3,100 acres in Carver County, 35 minutes from Minneapolis, with the charming city of Waconia and historic Coney Island on its water. It offers big-lake boating and a long sailing tradition close to the cities.
The market spans cabins to substantial year-round homes; size, clarity, and metro proximity sustain strong, steady demand.
What makes Lake Waconia distinct
- 45 minutes from Minneapolis — a true commuter lake
- Coney Island of the West — a 34-acre National Register island park, reopened 2020, boat access only
- Trophy muskie and walleye actively stocked and managed, unusual this near the metro
- 3,080 acres with organised platted lakefront neighbourhoods
- Part of Lake Waconia Regional Park
Featured Lake Waconia businesses
Resorts, marinas, dock builders, and lake-area pros our community relies on.
What the seasons bring on Lake Waconia
Summer is sailing, boating, and a lively Waconia waterfront. Fall brings color and calmer water.
Winter is metro ice fishing and a year-round community, reopening at spring ice-out.
The Lake Waconia real estate picture
Typical property types: Suburban lakefront in platted neighbourhoods, higher-end custom waterfront, and some townhome and deeded-access product. Year-round primary residences dominate.
What drives price here: Frontage, exposure and neighbourhood. Because these are primary residences rather than cabins, school district, commute and year-round livability weigh heavily — a different calculus from northern lakes.
The honest trade-off is water clarity. Waconia carries a C (Fair) grade at 7.3 feet, with a declining trend since 2020 — materially less clear than Lake Minnewashta twenty minutes east, which grades A. Buyers comparing metro lakes should hear that comparison plainly. What Waconia offers in return is size, a real fishery, and a proper town.
Lake Waconia by the numbers
Source: Minnesota DNR · view surveyHomes for sale on Lake Waconia
Common questions about Lake Waconia
How far is Lake Waconia from Minneapolis?
About 33 miles, roughly 45 minutes via US-212 — close enough to commute from year-round.
How big and deep is it?
3,080 acres with 11 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 37 feet.
How clear is the water?
Moderate. An August 2022 survey measured 7.3 feet, graded C (Fair), eutrophic, with a declining trend since 2020. It's less clear than nearby Lake Minnewashta — worth knowing if clarity is your priority.
What's the fishing like?
Genuinely good for a metro lake. Walleye are stocked biennially and muskie fingerlings annually, with the muskie population described as above-average in both abundance and size.
What is Coney Island?
A 34-acre island in the lake, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, site of a resort from the 1800s to the 1960s. It reopened to the public in 2020 after a $1.5 million restoration and is reachable only by private boat.
What's the shoreline like?
Suburban and increasingly upscale — organised platted neighbourhoods rather than old cabin clusters. Listings have ranged from roughly $535,000 to over $2.6 million.
How is public access?
Three known public boat launches, plus Lake Waconia Regional Park.
How do I see new listings?
Use the form on this page, or get matched with a local agent who can send them the day they hit MLS.
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