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Lake Waconia
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.
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
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.
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.
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.
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.
About 33 miles, roughly 45 minutes via US-212 — close enough to commute from year-round.
3,080 acres with 11 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 37 feet.
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.
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.
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.
Suburban and increasingly upscale — organised platted neighbourhoods rather than old cabin clusters. Listings have ranged from roughly $535,000 to over $2.6 million.
Three known public boat launches, plus Lake Waconia Regional Park.
Use the form on this page, or get matched with a local agent who can send them the day they hit MLS.
Whether you're buying your place on the water or thinking about selling, start with a local Lake Waconia specialist who knows this shoreline. It's free to get matched.
More lakes, the towns nearby, and the easiest ways to take a next step on Lake Waconia.
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