Turk Lake

If you show up expecting a glitzy resort town, you'll find something better: a 151-acre lake split into two quiet sections, ringed with small cottages and year-round homes that take their water seriously. The fishing here is genuine—Black Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike—and the lake runs deep enough (up to 20 feet) to keep boats and skis happy most of the year. Turk Lake Bar & Restaurant sits right on the water with an outdoor patio and live music, which is about all the commercial fuss you'll get; the rest is residential shoreline and wooded lots that back up to the Flat River) corridor. About thirty miles from the busier parts of the region, it's rural enough to feel like escape but close enough that you're not actually stranded. The lake runs its own improvement board and the community takes maintenance seriously—which is what you want when your address depends on water quality and a shallow, clear bottom.