Fox Lake

The Chain O’Lakes may be one of the busiest inland waterways in the country, but its lifestyle options are varied. Those looking for water sports without crowds can find balance at Duck Lake: a 110-acre waterway only accessible to the residents surrounding its waters. Though within walking distance to a popular Metra stop and close to major commercial areas, its air of solitude sets it apart, both on land and water. “I was out on the lake on Wednesday with some friends and we were the only ones out there, which was pretty nice,” says Holly Blanchette, broker with Lake Homes Realty’s Illinois branch. She has lived in the Duck Lake Woods community for 29 years. “You can just anchor and hang out.” Though shallow, Duck Lake is fully recreational with no limits on horsepower or motorized craft. Colorful buoys bob at the center where the lake reaches its maximum depth of 9 feet—just deep enough to dodge around the Slalom waterskiing course. The lake is also stocked with trout, large and smallmouth bass, catfish and other species for licensed fishers. It’s a viable habitat for sandhill cranes, geese, the occasional swan, and of course, ducks. And while fully recreational, it’s unlikely to be constantly teeming with human activity at any point in time. “It’s also a smaller lake, so not one where you’d go out boating all day long,” says Blanchette. For a more crowded waterway with more space to roam, residents head 3 miles north to Fox Lake and boat farther up the Chain. Residents of the Duck Lake Woods subdivision join their voluntary homeowners association for clubhouse access to rent for parties and gatherings, as well as basketball courts and more. Getting out of the neighborhood to other parks is easy too. The paved Chain O’Lakes Bike Path runs at the center of Rollins Road—a main stretch at the neighborhood’s northeast corner—and leads to the south end of Grant Woods Forest Preserve, a 6-mile network of multiuse gravel trails through prairies and wetlands. Hikers and bikers use the trails in the summer to reach the and its canoe and kayak launch on Long Lake, snowmobilers and cross-country skiers traverse the terrain in the colder months. As for indoor recreation, the Round Lake Area Park District Sports Center hosts open gym and lends its facilities to local youth leagues, like AYSO for soccer and Nfront for track and field. When homes were first built in the late 1920s as vacation spots for the hardworking masses, they were strategically placed around the lake’s meandering creeks and channels, giving as many people as possible a waterfront view. Properties added through the 1960s followed suit and filled in the gaps. Now, homes in the Knollwood subdivision at the lake’s north end form a patchwork of different-sized yards and styles, connected by uneven paved roads and rounding at dead ends. The lake and its channels are visible past statement trees or around dense thickets of pine and black ash. Homes in Duck Lake Woods—the community on the southeast side—are more regularly-spaced with less tree cover, though the neighborhood is far from cookie cutter. Ranch-styles, Cape Cods and colonial styles with two-car garages sit alongside properties built from scratch by owners, all with shed space, gravel driveways or boats parked on the grass. Many channel-front and lakefront homes include personal boat launches for easy water access, though each subdivision also includes its own community boat launch, available for homeowners association members. Home prices start at $100,000 for a cottage that needs some TLC before move-in and reach up to $460,000 for a newly updated home, though listings are rare and leave the market soon after entering it. “It’s the age-old adage that they don’t make waterfront anymore, so there’s a high demand for it,” says Bob Krombach, a real estate broker with Baird & Warner who has sold homes on Duck Lake. Kids living in Duck Lake are zoned for Big Hollow School District No. 38, and all the schools in the district are under 4 miles away. Big Hollow Primary School serves prekindergarten through first grade and scores a B-minus from Niche, while Big Hollow Elementary School—located just down the hall for second through fourth grades --receives a B. After graduating, kids head across the street to Big Hollow Middle School, which receives a B-minus and serves fifth through eighth grades. Grant Community High School in nearby Fox Lake earns a B-plus, with students filling its 42-acre building from all over Lake County. Students learn more about their classmates and school-wide news through The Bark, a school newspaper gone digital, which is updated by kids taking Grant’s journalism courses. Big-box grocers start at the intersection of Route 12 and Route 134, about 2 miles southwest of Duck Lake. Jewel-Osco and ALDI are reliable options, and handymen and women choose from Home Depot and Menards on either side of the freeway. Chain restaurants like Wendys round out the options here for a quick bite after a day on the water, though a 50-year legacy is just outside the neighborhood for a more classic experience. “You can walk right over to Miller's Dog N Suds right there,” says Blanchette of Ingleside’s signature drive in. “It’s one of those places where you hit the button on the microphone to order, and they bring your food out to you and hand the tray through the window.” Meanwhile, boaters on the larger waterway can dock at El Puerto Mexican Restaurant before sipping a margarita and watching the sunset on the large outdoor patio. Both Round Lake Beach and Grayslake also provide shopping options, the latter in a quaint, walkable downtown setting. Residents can reach Round Lake by bike or float down the Chain from public boat launches, but they’ll be driving to grab groceries and secure the essentials. The nearest emergency room is at Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, 10 miles west on Big Hollow Road. It’s also fair distance to reach the nearest interstate, but once they hit Interstate 94, drivers can reach Chicago O'Hare International Airport in 41 miles. Those heading the full 54 miles into the Chicago city limits can trade a drive for an hour and a half ride on the Milwaukee District North line. “The Metra train comes right through Ingleside,” Blanchette says, “and you could technically walk there from the little rail trails that back around that area. Music and chatter floats towards Duck Lake several times each summer from the vintage Live Music & Car Show event at Millers Dog n Suds Drive In. “Throughout Lake County there’s plenty of music, bands and stuff performing all over the place, and lots of festivals,” Blanchette adds. A parade leads to a grand tree lighting finale during the Fox Lake Festival of Lights, preceded by local vendors at the Kris Kringle Market. While the Duck Lake Waterway Association is responsible for testing and managing the water quality of their lakefront, residents volunteer at trash pickups and other maintenance events of their own to keep their private slice of lake country vibrant.

Part of the chain of lakes in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, Grass Lake is one of the 15 lakes connected by channels and, ultimately, the Fox River. The conglomeration is called Chain O’Lakes, and the neighborhood that borders Grass Lake to the east is the Grass Lake neighborhood between the northwest Chicago suburbs of Antioch and Fox Lake. Grass Lake is the third largest in the chain and the shallowest at three feet. “I’ve lived in this community my entire life,” says Theresa Hahl, office coordinator for Chain O’ Lakes State Park. “We are lucky to live near the lakes, parks and forest preserves. We can enjoy this natural beauty for free. Unlike neighboring states like Wisconsin, our state parks are free. It truly is a great benefit to being a part of this community.” Thursday through Sunday, Blarney Island is the place for entertainment about a mile from the mainland. It’s what’s known as the Key West of the Midwest and is open late into the night with live music, boat races and food at the island restaurant. The island hosts high-performance drag boat racing every Thursday evening, followed by an after-party. On other evenings, there’s bound to be live music. There are shuttle boats that can fit 40 people and leave the Port of Blarney Marina on the hour, and parking is available off Grass Lake Road. Boats return to shore on the half hour. The festivities on the island usually end at 2 a.m. Closing time on Sunday night is 10 p.m. The Grass Lake Marina and RV Park is one of many marinas that offer boat launches. It’s also a 52-acre RV campground with over 100 sites. Waterfront property in this neighborhood could mean a house close to a narrow channel leading to the lake. On the lake's east shore, the houses are on secondary roads, in a rural setting with no sidewalks and on larger lots, perhaps as much as a half-acre. Much of the housing is from the 1950s and ‘60s, with bungalows, Cape Cods and split-level. The 1980s and ‘90s ranch-style houses have three to four bedrooms, with most homes having anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 square feet. The price range is from $150,000 to $350,000, and some have been remodeled. To add to the serenity of the proximity of the water, the neighborhood also has a crime score lower than the national average of 2, according to the CAP index. The national average is 4. The Port of Blarney Restaurant is at the marina where the water shuttle to Blarney Island originates. The deck has plenty of room to enjoy sandwiches and comfort food. The restaurant is open for extended hours on the weekend to coincide with the events happening on Blarney Island. Sandbar Bar & Grille is on the banks of adjoining Lake Marie. It’s accessible from Grass Lake via boat through a connecting channel. The menu is classic American bar fare, open until at least 1 a.m. every night. While there are no grocery stores in the immediate neighborhood, it’s a short trip to the west to hit Jewel-Osco and to the north for Piggly Wiggly. Grass Lake School is a public school option with a B overall rating on Niche and an 11-to-1 student-teacher ratio. It houses prekindergarten through eighth grade with just under 200 students. Antioch Community High School is part of the Community High School District 117. The school is rated an A on Niche and has an active YouTube channel, where a preview of the week’s activities is called Next Weeks Today, a take-off of the HBO news satire show Last Week Tonight. There are plenty of seasonal homeowners in Grass Lake, and it’s a popular retirement area. Since COVID, more working people are calling the area around the Chain O’ Lakes home because they have more of a hybrid situation. “There is a Metra station in nearby Fox Lake, which can get you to Union Station in an hour and 25 minutes,” says Michael Lescher, a managing broker at RE/MAX Showcase. He lives in the Chain O’ Lakes area and has sold lakefront and off-water properties since 1986.

Developed around a 100-acre glacial lake, just south of the Chain O’ Lakes is the nature-centric neighborhood of Wooster Lake. Large lots, woodlands and waterfront recreation areas provide residents with a degree of separation from the more active areas of downtown Fox Lake and Round Lake, while still allowing for accessibility to modern amenities and thoroughfares. “People like the more secluded feel of Wooster Lake compared to some of the other big lakes in the area,” says Holly Blanchette, a Lake County expert and Realtor with Lakes Home Realty. “There are forested areas surrounding two small campgrounds, and more private lots than in surrounding communities.” As the fourth deepest of over 90 lakes in Lake County, Wooster is ideal for motorized and non-motorized boating, as well as fishing. Those with lake rights head to the private sandy beach on the western shore to cast a line from the fishing pier for Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass. Those with homes backing up to the lake can use their private docks to fish from the shore or launch their canoe or kayak for a drift out on the water. In the summertime, some homeowners may hear the distant sounds of excited children at summer camp at Ruth Lodge and Leibow Lodge. The neighborhood is also situated between the county’s vast forest preserves, the closest being Grant Woods Forest Preserve, which spans 6 miles of multiuse gravel trails through prairies and wetlands. The preserve is open for biking, canoeing and kayaking in the warmer months and cross-country skiing when Illinois winter hits. The Round Lake Area Park District—named one of the Illinois Association of Park Districts’ 2023 Best of the Best—rounds out the options with playgrounds, splash pads and lakefront recreation. Home prices in the area range from $140,000 to $440,000, with five distinct sub-divisions making up the market. At the northernmost end is Tanneron Bay, a development of two-bedroom, late 1990s townhomes with 1,300 to 1,700 square feet. Between Wooster Lake Avenue and Sunnybrook Road, houses were largely built between the 1920s and 60s, with a diverse selection of architectural styles gracing the streets. Lakefront Tudor revivals with meandering driveways and one-acre lots are intermingled with modest bungalows and split-levels. Silver Leaf Glen, Wooster Lake’s largest and highest-priced subdivision, features modern traditional builds and Colonial Revivals with attached two-and-three-car garages and half-acre lots. The Milwaukee District North Metra line cuts through Lake County. Long Lake is the closest station to Wooster Lake, taking commuters and daytrippers on the hour and 40 minute trip to Chicago Union Station. Besides boating up and down the Chain O’Lakes system, drivers can reach Chicago O'Hare International Airport in 40 miles or 55 miles into the downtown Chicago area. Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital is the biggest healthcare center, 10 miles west on Big Hollow Road. “There's a Jewel-Osco and an Aldi at the Route 12 and 134 Intersection,” Blanchette lists, “and some good restaurants up in Fox Lake, or you could head east into Grayslake for the nice downtown feeling.” Rookie’s Sports Bar and Grill is an unassuming local joint where patrons can cheer on their favorite team while savoring some classic American pub fare. Folks heading up to Fox Lake for a day on this major waterway can grab dinner at waterfront dine-ins like Dockers Restaurant, which hosts a Sunday brunch and Friday Fish Fry in its indoor seating area and outdoor patio. It’s a 7.5 mile drive to Grayslake’s village-style shopping, where local digs like Fred’s Diner are doors down from classy The Vine Martini & Wine Bar. Kids living near Wooster Lake are zoned for Big Hollow Primary School, which serves prekindergarten through first grade and scores a B-minus from Niche. They head down the hall to Big Hollow Elementary School, which is within the same building and earns a B, for second through fourth grades. Big Hollow Middle School sits across the street and receives a B-minus, while Grant Community High School gets a B-plus. Grant Bulldogs take part in coed sports like tennis and volleyball and join extracurriculars from bass fishing to sign language.

While the name Palm Beach may conjure up images of swaying palm trees, this small community at the southern end of Pistakee Lake near the Wisconsin border, about 60 miles northwest of Chicago, is like the well-known Florida city in that it’s close to water. The East Palm Beach neighborhood is part of the expansive Chain O’ Lakes, comprising 15 lakes connected by the Fox River. Water is a way of life in this neighborhood. “The chain is probably the second largest boating area in the United States after Lake of The Ozarks,” says Michael Lescher, managing broker at RE/MAX Showcase with over 35 years of real estate experience. He lives in the Chain O’ Lakes area and has sold lakefront and off-water properties since 1986. “A boat is the primary mode of transportation there. I use a boat to do my banking.” This neighborhood and the Chain O’ Lakes area are slightly past suburbia on the northwest fringes of the Chicago suburbs. The community of Palm Beach is on an island accessible by way of Bayview Lane from the west. Pistakee Lake surrounds the island to the north and Myers Bay to the south. While living in the Chain O’ Lakes area, water sports are essential, including fishing, swimming and boating. Some fish typically caught in the lakes include largemouth bass, walleye and various species of catfish. The Volo Bog State Natural Area was formed in an ancient glacial kettlehole lake, which forms when a glacier gets stuck in sand and gravel. It’s the only open-water quaking bog in Illinois, meaning the ground vibrates when walking close to it. The area also includes woodlands, marshes and a prairie restoration area. With homes on the water and surrounded by water, this is a unique neighborhood that people want to be a part of long term. “It’s a quiet area, and people tend to live there for a long time,” says Marilyn Durante, a broker with Lakes Realty Group with nearly 40 years of experience. “I know some people who have lived here for over 40 years. Homes don’t go on the market too often. When they do, they get snagged quickly.” There are houses on Cedar and Queens Islands where docks serve as garages and mid-20th century raised ranch houses priced between $150,000 to $350,000. More ranch-style, split-level and raised ranches on the mainland are between $200,000 and $400,000. Waterfront property on Myers Bay or Brandenburg Lake inland ranges from $300,000 to $700,000, with some being constructed within the past ten years. Sixty-eight percent of the people in East Palm Beach are homeowners. There is an increased risk of flooding for those who live close to the water. Raised ranches are popular among those living on Cedar or Queens Islands. There are plenty of opportunities to eat on the water, especially at Docker’s Restaurant, in the neighborhood's northern end near the village of Fox Lake. “They may have more seating outside by the water than inside,” Lescher says. It’s accessible by road or water with plenty of dock parking. It’s a waterfront restaurant with seafood and turf options for those who want something different. The Bandits’ Smoke Shack serves smoked baby back ribs every Sunday, which can be preordered on Friday. They have burgers, barbecue sandwiches, and pizza the rest of the week. Lescher moved to the Chain O’ Lakes area in 1986 when you had to travel miles for shopping. Today, grocery stores like ALDI and Jewel-Osco and retail stores like The Home Depot and Menards are a short drive. Schools in Big Hollow District 38, rated a B-minus on Niche, are the public option for kids in the neighborhood. Big Hollow Primary School gets a B-minus, has a 13-to-1 student-teacher ratio, and has prekindergarten through first-grade students. Big Hollow Elementary School is the next step for second through fourth graders at the B-rated school. Big Hollow Middle School students can participate in extra-curricular after-school clubs, including jazz band or clubs like skiing and recycling. The school is rated a B-minus. Grant Community High School is rated a B-plus on Niche and has a 91% graduation rate. East Palm Beach and other areas around Chain O’ Lakes have been popular retirement communities, but with more people working from home than in the office, it has become more popular for those still working. “There is a Metra station close in nearby Fox Lake, which can get you to Union Station in an hour and 25 minutes,” Lescher adds. Interstate 94 is about a half-hour drive to the east, and Interstate 90 is about the same distance to the south.