You've probably visited more than one Minnesota lake. But have you been to the heart of the lakes?

The lakes region near Annandale, Minnesota, is often referred to as the heart of the lakes.With 26 lakes within a 10-mile radius, it's easy to see why.

Beyond the usual amenities accompanying ownership of a lake cabin or home, many who own property near Annandale experience an extra benefit. Annandale is only 45 minutes from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area and a 25-minute drive from St. Cloud. Within a fairly short time, city dwellers can be at their lakeside retreat. And more and more people are choosing to commute to their city job from their rural home.

The following four families describe their experience on a lake in the Annandale area:

Agris and Gail Kelbrants

Agris and Gail Kelbrants can't imagine their life without their lakeside sanctuary. They are very grateful that they bought a former lodge on Clearwater Lake's Glendale Bay back in 1977. With the interest rate then at 17-1/2 percent, both worked full-time and Agris took on odd jobs to help make the payments. Yet even with much better interest rates in 2003, the property's significant appreciation means that they couldn't have afforded the same property today.

The couple and their children used to vacation in Wisconsin and northern Minnesota, but they thought the drive was much too far. "We spent more time in the car than anywhere else,"Agris said. So they drew a circle on a map representing locations within 60 miles of their home in the Twin Cities.At about the same time, a friend was moving out of state and put his cabin on Clearwater Lake up for sale.

Clearwater Lake is the largest lake near Annandale area. It has 17-1/2 miles of lakeshore and Argis' estimate of 592 cabins and permanent homes.With its boundaries and lake bottom carved by glaciers,Agris said you can have five feet of water and another 10 feet away, the lake is 60 feet deep.

The changing depths prove challenging for fishing, he said. And Agris should know. He spends most days at the lake fishing from his pontoon. Fishing has always been great on Clearwater Lake but work completed by the Clearwater Lake Restoration the past 10 years has improved it further. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources also stocks the lake with walleye.

"When people ask what the fishing is like here, locals may say, 'fair,' "Agris said. "But fishing in Clearwater Lake is one of the state's best-kept secrets." The largest carp noted in the Guiness Book of Records was caught in Clearwater Lake, he said. The lake is abundant with northern, bass, crappies -- whitefish and panfish.

When Agris fishes during the week, he said he's lucky to see four or five other people on the lake. His wife often accompanies him and uses the time to relax and read.Their two sons and their families spend a lot of time at the cabin, too. Because it is so close to the Twin Cities, their children sometimes come for dinner and go back home that night. "The best thing is that it is so close to the Twin Cities yet it is so darn secluded," Agris said.

The Kelbrants family regularly sees a variety of wildlife on their property, but the one event that has proved the most fantastic to witness is the annual, daylong visit by thousands of pelicans on their migratory path to the Arctic Circle to bear and raise their young. Within four or five days of ice leaving Clearwater Lake, usually on an April day, thousands of pelicans fill the sky and then fill the bay in front of the Klebrants' property. "It's like a tornado," Agris said."National Geographic should come to see this."

"I've only seen it four times and the first time, I just couldn't believe it. I wondered, 'What am I witnessing?' "The pelicans usually stay about a day and one-half.

"One year, I told friends that the pelicans should be here in an hour or so. They thought I was crazy. And just like it was meant to be, that's about when they arrived. It's usually late afternoon." Agris has yet to tape or take pictures of the phenomenon. "You look in the sky and you can't make them out; the sky is entirely white."

The Kelbrants' seven acres are wooded and include a natural brook that runs year-round out of a hillside.  "I get up in the morning and see deer at the brook, or turkeys." He has watched many eagles and osprey catch fish in the lake, and regularly spots birds like scarlet tanagers, buntings, grosbeaks, killdeer and pileated woodpeckers. 

All seven property owners on the bay are environmentalists who work to preserve their properties and the wildlife. "We want to peacefully coexist with nature," as Agris explained. Every New Year's Day, Agris brings 60 pounds of bird seed to his feeders as a special treat.

"This lake is one of the best-kept secrets in the upper Midwest. We are truly blessed."

Elaine and Kenneth Wilson

Elaine and Kenneth Wilson also own a cabin on Glendale Bay off of Clearwater Lake, thanks to a tip from the Kelbrants family. Many properties in this vicinity are not advertised for sale; they change hands only through connections to family members or friends.

The Wilsons' cabin is more than 100 years old. "It has a lot of character," as Elaine described.While in good shape, it has been "leveled" two times and the Wilsons have added a deck on back. "It seems like every time we come up here, we have to do something, but we never mind it."

One of the best features is the short distance from their Twin Cities home. A trip to the cabin only takes about 45 to 50 minutes. They can drive up on Friday night and stay "until the last minute" on Sunday night before heading home. They can also easily make day trips.

"It's just great to sit outside and see nature," Elaine said. "There are so many birds - orioles, finches, pileated woodpeckers. My granddaughter loves to look at the turtles and frogs. We can watch the turtles lay eggs.

"I hadn't seen fireflies, except up here, since I was a kid," Elaine added. "It's so relaxing here. You can sit and listen to the frogs croaking. One time, at breakfast, we saw a raccoon sprawled in the "Y" of a tree, sunning himself. "The Wilsons also see bald eagles and the prehistoric-looking herons on a regular basis.

And they remember the day Agris told them to "wait until you see the loons dance and the day the pelicans come to our bay." Elaine was skeptical of his description of the sky growing completely white with the bodies and wingspans of the pelicans - that is, until the day she experienced it. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself."

The Wilsons prefer to enjoy their view of the water rather than fish in it. They used to have a boat - aptly named "the Little Titanic" - until it sank for the third time. These days, Elaine prefers a water bike, with seating up to four, that she paddles out onto the lake. "I like to sit in it and get some sun, catch a breeze off the lake and read a book."

The couple has three daughters, two of whom are married, and five grandchildren who can't wait to visit grandma and grandpa at the lake. Their cabin offers visitors plenty of room. Like most cabins on the lake, theirs is two stories. It has one bedroom downstairs and two sets of bunk beds, two single beds and two full-size beds upstairs.

When their children were young, the family often took vacations, including a few trips to Disney World. "Now we don't need any other vacation," Elaine said. "We're on a vacation every day we're up here. I'm not a big traveler any more. There's no need to go far to get away.

"Up here,we have no schedule," she added. "You can get up and go to bed whenever you feel like it. This is the life. We will never sell this place."

Kim and Jim Horton

Kim and Jim Horton and their children have spent the past six summers at their cabin on Sugar Lake. Sugar Lake, with its sandy bottom, is one of the few spring-fed lakes in the Annandale area. From where the Hortons access the lake, the water is shallow for 40 feet from shore - perfect for their children, ages 12, eight and four.

The Hortons have deeded access to the lake, which has worked out fine. They can see the lake out the cabin's front door but they don't have to pay "lake taxes" because they don't own shoreline. Kim said it was "pure luck" that they were able to buy the cabin. After driving through the Annandale lakes area, they found the cabin for sale in the newspaper.

The Hortons love the convenience of having a lake cabin 45 minutes from their home in Plymouth. The family made great use of the lake each visit."We're big into water activities - fishing, swimming and boating," Kim said. Sugar Lake is stocked with muskie." The lake also has a great lake association that's very active in preserving the shoreline and protecting the lake," Kim said, such as recent work to prevent the spread of milfoil. It also sponsors an annual picnic, fishing contests and a parade on Labor Day weekend.

The Hortons did a lot of entertaining at their cabin, whether it was having friends or family stay for a weekend, or their 12-year-old daughter having 10 to 15 friends over for her birthday party.

"It's so close we could even go on a weekday," Kim said. Sugar Lake is seven miles from Clearwater, Minn., and seven miles from Maple Lake.

Growing up, Kim's family spent vacation time at Brainerdarea resorts. Her husband's family had and still has a large cabin on Thunder Lake in northern Minnesota. In fact, the Hortons recently decided to sell their Sugar Lake cabin. It was a difficult decision, but the family found themselves dividing their free time between their Sugar Lake cabin and their extended family's home on Thunder Lake. Jim's parents' place is a year-round log home and, more importantly to their children, it's "grandma's house."

According to Kim,"We absolutely loved owning a cabin and we probably will again in about 15 years."

Mark and Teresa Peterson

Mark Peterson has spent summers on Sugar Lake since 1965. After his father died several years ago, he and two brothers bought the family cabin from his mother. Today, he and his wife, Teresa, and their three boys, ages five, seven and eight, use it throughout the summer.

Life at the cabin is centered on the lake, Peterson said. "We go there for the water," he explained. "Sugar Lake is a clean, sandy-bottomed lake." In addition to their cabin, the Petersons have a freestanding, screened porch just off the water's edge.

Early mornings often find dad and sons fishing the lake, which is stocked with muskie and walleye, and has plenty of northern and bass. All three of their children are excellent swimmers and enjoy cruising the lake with dad on personal watercraft. "When we travel, people from other parts of the country often express amazement at how well our children swim. I think that people who don't grow up near lakes don't understand that, to us, it's just natural to learn to swim."

Being so close to water is a unique part of Minnesota, he said. "Minnesotans take it for granted; people without a cabin marvel at it. I invited a friend to the lake who doesn't have a cabin; he grew up in Kansas. He stood at the end of the dock and said, 'Just look at all of this.' "

Sugar Lake doesn't have as many cabins today as it did when Peterson was small. Over time, the lakeshore has been developed and many of the smaller cabins have been either renovated or torn down in order to build larger homes.

"In the older days, cabins were fairly modest. Now they are more substantial, with more toys and expensive boats."

The Petersons enjoy the fact that the lake is so close to their Twin Cities home. Even if they attend a wedding or a baseball game on a Saturday, they can still drive to the cabin that night. "It's a great getaway," Peterson said, a place to relax. In fact, when he was a child, the family often lived for weeks on end at the cabin, with his father commuting daily to the Twin Cities to work.

Peterson has plenty of childhood memories: bonfires at the lake, spending time with neighbors and family, being on the end of the dock on a sunny day, throwing footballs, sailboating,water-skiing, grilling meals and eating them on the porch. As he has gotten older, one of his favorite times at the cabin is early morning, watching a sunrise and listening to the loons.

"I'd enjoy being there alone but it's not the same. It's really about spending time with family," Peterson said. "With my kids, I'm able to share with them some of my experiences growing up while creating new memories, doing things together."

Any cabin memories for Peterson are highly reflective of time spent with his late father, former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice, C. Donald Peterson. "I can still see him endlessly pulling us water-skiing, and working on the cabin. There were always projects to work on."

"My dad loved the cabin," Peterson continued, "and he loved the symbol of the eagle - and the passage in Isaiah that 'those who wait upon the Lord will soar on wings like eagles.'"

"The year after he died, I was raking leaves at the cabin with my brother. It was bittersweet. I was thinking that the last time I did this, dad was here. Just then I looked at a nearby maple tree and saw a large bird perched on a limb, just watching us. It was a bald eagle that slowly unfolded its wings and flew away. It was like the torch was being passed."

Realtors Describe Small-Town Atmosphere, Convenience to Metro Areas

The Annandale lakes area has a property for every buyer, according to Jeff Lundquist, broker/owner of Blackdog Real Estate, Annandale. Buyers pay a premium for the larger, more desirable lakes, such as Clearwater, Sylvia, Sugar, Cedar and, to a certain extent, Maple Lake. But many of the smaller lakes are beautiful, too, and offer more affordable property, such as Granite, Indian, Bass, Marie and Caroline.

A couple of years ago, as with other lake property, the Annandale lakes market was hot. The market slowed a bit earlier this year, Lundquist said, but he expected it to pick up later in the spring. "It's been more of a buyers' market, but that can change quickly. You can expect to see lake property to continue to escalate in value, but probably not as fast as it has the last few years."

He described Annandale as a growing community but one retaining a friendly, small-town feeling.

Marci Koshiol, broker/realtor, and her mother, Joy Carlson, owner/broker are a mother-daughter real estate team at Annandale Properties, Inc. They are very familiar with the Annandale lakes area as they have lived on Clearwater Lake most of their lives. Besides the familiarity, they boast about their community. "Main Street in Annandale is very charming, with its renowned canopy-covered sidewalks leading to numerous antique and specialty shops, as well as other businesses," Koshiol said.

"We have seen healthy appreciation in the Annandale-area real estate market," Koshiol said."However, appreciation in lakeshore has been phenomenal. Investment-wise, lakeshore is extremely strong."

The Annandale lakes area is quickly being discovered by Twin Citians, she said. "We have the luxury of enjoying the smalltown atmosphere with its many beautiful lakes, while being just a short, 45-minute drive to the Minneapolis metro area and 20 minutes to St. Cloud. It's easy for people with cabins on area lakes to extend their stay through Sunday night, or go to the cabin during the week and drive to work from here."

Heart of the Lakes' Lakes

Major lakes near Annandale are listed below, along with their size and fishing potential.

Augusta: 365 acres. Public access via Clearwater Lake.  Resort.  Good northerns, panfish, walleye.

Bass: 213 acres. Public access on the west side. Resort. Crappies, largemouth bass, northerns, and panfish.

Camp (Henry): 108 acres. Public access on the north end. Panfish, northerns, and bass.

Cedar: 837 acres. Public access from Co. Rd. 6.  Over 100 feet deep. County Park (Schroeder) with camping facilities on north side.  DNR fishing pier. Panfish, northerns, walleye, bass.

Clearwater: 3,182 acres. The area's largest lake. Two public accesses on the west side. Resort.  Best fishing in the area for northern, walleye, panfish, and largemouth bass.

Francis: 1,172 acres.  Public access on the northwest side. Plenty of panfish and bullheads and "snake" northerns.

French: 332 acres. Public access on the northwest corner. Some trophy walleyes with crappie, northerns, and carp.

Granite: 339 acres. Public access on west side. Sunken island good for crappies, bass, walleyes, and northerns.

Indian: 129 acres. Public access on south side. Lots of panfish and a few nice northerns.

John: 411 acres. Public access on the south side. Nice-sized panfish along with bass and northerns.

Limestone: 188 acres. Public access on the north side. Resort and campground. Weedless lure will catch northerns, bluegills, and bass.

Louisa: 179 acres. Public access on Lake Marie. Some large pike plus panfish and bullheads.

Marie: 141 acres. Access on the northeast side.  Panfish, northerns, bullheads. Scenic Fair Haven Mill dam on lower east side.

Mary: 209 acres. Public access on the northwest side. County park. Panfish, northerns, walleyes and some two-pound crappies.

Mink-Sommers: 459 acres. Public access on Sommers Lake. Five-pound northerns. Panfish and bullheads.

Nixon: 56 acres. Access on the north end. Sleeper bass. Bluegills and northerns.

Pleasant: 509 acres. Adjoins city of Annandale.  Two public accesses (one on the south side, one in the new Clearwater-Pleasant County Park on the north side). One of the top 100 walleye lakes in the state. Bluegills, bass and northerns.

Sugar: 1,050 acres. Public access on the north and south ends. Resort. Wright County's only muskie lake. Northerns, bass, panfish and walleye.

Sylvia-Twin: 1,524 acres. Public access on Twin Lake (west side).The cleanest in the area with 30-inch walleyes. Panfish, bass and northerns.

By Barb Umberger

Please login to post your comments.