A Decadent Guide to Bay Area Lake Houses

Nothing says summer quite like a lake house.

Buy now, and you’ve still got a good two months: swimming, beachside barbecues, and views for miles.

Life is better when considered from a sun deck.

With views of the Sierras.

And here, seven choices — from an $8 million spread on Lake Tahoe to a do-it-up-right log cabin on the banks of Lake Shasta.

Destination: 1780 N Lake Blvd, Tahoe City
Lake in question: Lake Tahoe
Price: $7.995M
Vitals: 4 beds, 5.5 baths, 8,900 square feet
Why here: Killer views from (almost) every room — just check out the floor-to-ceiling glass and mountain views above the hottub. And the necessary detail: 100 feet of lake frontage.

Destination: 6254 Soda Bay Rd, Kelseyville
Lake in question: Clear Lake
Price: $5600K
Vitals: 4 beds, 3 baths, 2,210 square feet
Why here: Two words: private dock. Everything else — including the views of calm Clear Lake, the expansive patio, and the timber ceilings for an extreme vacation-house vibe — is secondary.

Destination: 8569 Meeks Bay Ave, Meeks Bay
Lake in question: Meeks Bay
Price: $3.39M
Vitals: 4 beds, 3.5 baths, 2,318 square feet
Why here: Private dock plus 80 feet of lake frontage plus a huge patio with worth-the-cost-of-admission mountain and lake views.

Destination: 2471 Highway 182, Bridgeport
Lake in question: Bridgeport Reservoir
Price: $325,000
Vitals: 5 beds, 2.5 baths, 2,600 square feet
Why here: Compared to Tahoe, you’re paying about 10 percent per square foot. If cost doesn’t seduce you, consider the wood and stone interiors and the view of the Sierras from the deck.

Destination: 3212 Edgewater Dr, Tahoe City
Lake in question: Tahoe
Price: $4.35M
Vitals: 6 beds, 3 baths, 2,268 square feet
Why here: The realtor puts it delicately: “Many will see as re-development candidate….” We say keep the “6 bedroom log cabin” and focus on the spectacular sandy beach access — a rarity in this neck of the (Sierra) woods.

Destination: 111 Schroder Drive, Oroville
Lake in question: Lake Oroville
Price: $549K
Vitals: 4 beds, 4 baths, 3,045 square feet
Why here: A spacious split-level with a commanding fireplace — all set on 20 acres of rolling hills.

Destination: 19598 Daisy Lane, Lakehead
Lake in question: Shasta Lake
Price: $399K
Vitals: 4 beds, 3 baths, 1,847 square feet
Why here: This is a real-deal log cabin — you’ll probably want to rework the interiors but the bones are good, and promising.