# Lakes for Houseboat Living **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 7, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lakes-for-houseboat-living/618078 "2012-04-07T13:34:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lakes-for-houseboat-living/618078/1 "2012-04-07T13:34:37Z")
So my fever for a true bluewater yacht has passed, but now I am in the wondering-about stage for a houseboat. Houseboats, usually with a pontoon hull form, are not suited to open water. They are restricted to rivers and lakes. Since we currently live in the Philadelphia area, house boating that far north year-round is out of the question. \*\*1. What are the bodies of water with a large houseboat population? 1. Of these, which would best make a place to actually live? A couple of largish cities, lots of backwaters to hide in, warm enough to stay on the water year-round, few jet skis to both us old people?\*\* I bet the Ten-Tom canal system might be it for its long north-south distance. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lakes-for-houseboat-living/618078/2 "2012-04-07T16:51:51Z")
Lake Union in Seattle has significant numbers of houseboats. Most people who live in houseboats live in them year round. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lakes-for-houseboat-living/618078/3 "2012-04-07T17:19:02Z")
I seem to recall the Ozarks area has a large number of large lakes formed by dams and you can do a bunch of traveling working your way through the lock system. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lakes-for-houseboat-living/618078/4 "2012-04-07T17:25:13Z")
Here’s a good start. > **[Houseboat Vacation Lakes Across America](https://www.houseboating.org/Houseboat-Vacation-Lakes)** > > wwww.Houseboating.org offers Houseboat rentals and vacations across North America at great rates - House Boat Vacation Rental. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lakes-for-houseboat-living/618078/5 "2012-04-07T17:36:02Z")
I almost rented a houseboat in Virginia Beach, but my BF of the time objected, butthead =( It was a beautiful one, too. _sigh_ There are people in Rochester NY that live in housboats all year long, they put some sort of floaty thing to keep ice from forming next to the hull. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lakes-for-houseboat-living/618078/6 "2012-04-08T00:47:36Z")
Well, let me think on it. I suspect as I learn more, the fever will pass. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lakes-for-houseboat-living/618078/7 "2012-04-09T01:39:21Z")
I had one on the Mississippi River. Pros: Virtually endless shoreline, plenty of places to refuel, plenty of places to visit, plenty of places to be completely alone. Cons: Fuel cost, slip cost, insurance cost, and if you break down somewhere it will cost A LOT.