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Lake Anna Information
Compliments of Toni Yates, Realty World, Lakeside Pros
ABOUT LAKE ANNA
Lake Anna, Virginia is the second largest lake located entirely in Virginia with over 250 miles of shoreline and stretching approximately 17 miles long, It's setting is rural and scenic. Falling in three counties, the land is primarily rolling fields and forest.
Lake Anna History
Virginia (now Dominion) Power purchased 18,643 acres of land along the North Anna and Pamunkey rivers in 1968. The lake was needed to supply cooling for the North Anna Power station. By 1972, the soon- to-be lake bed had been completely cleared of timber. A ninety-foot dam was constructed on the North Anna River and all that was needed was more water. With the help of Hurricane Agnes, the lake was filled in eleven months.
Now over 30 years in existence, Lake Anna continues to provide recreational opportunities for many. Lake Anna's reputation as a recreational get-away has continued to grow as many metropolitan area residents have discovered the lake's proximity to their urban homes.
Lake Anna Private Side V.S. Public Side
Lake Anna is actually two lakes in one. The "main lake" consists of approximately 9,600 water
acres while the "private side" is about 3,400 acres (about the size of Maryland's Deep
Creek Lake). The two sides are separated by three rock dikes. Water intake for the plant
comes from the main lake and discharges warm water into a series of three cooling ponds
which make up the private or "warm" side. After the water cools it returns to the main
lake at Dike 3. The private side is "private" in that there is no public or commercial
access. Only property owners have access to this side of the lake. Beautiful homes
abound on both sides of the lake.
The private side falls entirely in Louisa County. Access to the private side is only through the lakefront communities or landowners who maintain their own ramps. With the absence of lakefront businesses on this side, boaters must bring in their own gas from nearby gas stations. Small fuel tanks are also allowed on private property. The private side is generally agreed to have less boat traffic. Fishing, boating and swimming seasons are slightly longer because of the warmer water (about 10 degrees warmer than the public side).
Lake Anna's public side falls in all 3 counties. There are quite a few lakefront marinas and businesses such as hotels and restaurants to serve the public. At a glance, the three counties all look about the same. All are rural with agricultural roots. Only a small portion of Orange County touches the northern part of the lake. Spotsylvania County's population has recently grown dramatically making it one of the fastest growing counties in Virginia.
Shopping Around Lake Anna
Some potential Lake Anna buyers are concerned about the proximity to shopping and services or what residents call "town". Most property owners who live on the Spotsylvania side tend to go to Fredericksburg in the normal course of lake living (approx. 30 minutes away). Many Louisa County residents favor shopping in Richmond or Charlottesville, both under an hour away. Commuters find they can reach the Northern Virginia area in about 90 minutes or take the high-speed commuter trains from Fredericksburg to Washington. Many residents "tele- commute" via fax and computer. Local shopping is available in Louisa (the county seat) as well as at many picturesque local country stores and vegetable stands.
Medical Care at Lake Anna
Medical care is available locally as well as several excellent hospitals in Charlottesville, Richmond, Culpeper and Fredericksburg. Recently medical facilities have been built around Lake Anna, within several minutes access to local communities and homes, providing ambulance and medical service.
Lake Anna Real Estate Taxes, Zoning, Easements etc.
The tax rate in Louisa County is $.66 per $100 of assessed property value, while Spotsylvania is currently $.89. Spotsylvania County is also subject to restrictions and guidelines of the Chesapeake Bay Act. Basically, building in Spotsylvania can be slightly more expensive and complicated than in Louisa County but your builder should be able to assist you. In example, in Louisa County homes may be built (subject to zoning set-backs) 5' from the "VEPCO" easement while in Spotsylvania, homes cannot be closer than 100' to the water no matter where the delineation is. Shoreline development is controlled by Dominion Power. They own all the immediate shoreline on the lake, typically to an elevation of 255' above sea-level. The shoreline (or VEPCO easement) therefore fluctuates. Waterfront property owners actually have an exclusive deeded right to use the shoreline fronting their property. Shoreland improvements (docks, boathouses, beaches, etc.), while generally allowed, are subject to approval. There is no additional cost for this approval and seldom do proposed improvements actually get turned down.
Lake Anna State Park and Boating
There is a lovely state park with public beach and launching facilities, hiking and horse trails along with activities such as gold-panning, star-gazing and more. Cabins are also slated for the park. Lake Anna is popular for recreational boating, personal watercraft, waterskiing, wakeboarding, swimming and fishing. There are no restrictions on the number or size of water vessels on the lake. Boaters are more abundant from Memorial to Labor Day however the lake is popular in the fall as boats take in the spectacular foliage reflected in the lake. Fishermen tend to prefer the cooler spring and fall months and often take advantage of the excellent winter fishing.
Lake Anna Fishing
The lake contains over 30 species of fish including largemouth bass, striped bass, walleye, catfish, crappie, bluegill, white and yellow perch and threadfin shad. Field and Stream magazine included Lake Anna in its list of the top 50 bass lakes in the U.S. There are numerous tournaments and world-class fishing with guides available.