Lake County · Hanover & Center Townships · Cedar Lake, Indiana

Cedar Lake: the border lake

A 781-acre natural lake about 45 minutes from Chicago, in a town that grew 18% since 2020. Three school districts meet here, and the town is dredging the lake. I check the school line, the sewer and the flood map for every parcel.

Check a lake address Text (219) 440-2828

Start with what you want

What you came to the lake for

Your frontage

How many feet of water you own, and which way it faces. Morning coffee on the east shore, sunsets on the west.

Depth at the end of the pier

Enough water for the boat you have now and the one you want next, with room for a lift.

The bottom

Sand you can wade on or soft bottom. It changes how the kids and grandkids use the water.

Room for everyone

A bunkroom, a second lot, a garage for the toys. Space for the people who'll come back every summer.

Year-round or weekends

Road access in winter, internet, and the drive back to work or family.

Tell me your list. I'll match it against the shore, the parcel and what's for sale, and reply the same day.

At a glance

Cedar Lake: the basics

Size	781 acres, about 13.5–14 ft at the deepest point (Indiana DNR survey, 2018) · source
Type	A glacial kettle lake, mean depth about 7.9 ft · source
Town	14,106 people (2020 Census), up from 11,560 in 2010; incorporated 1967 · source
Growth	Estimated 16,789 people in July 2025, up 18.2% since 2020 (Indiana Business Research Center) · source
Town Hall	7408 Constitution Ave · (219) 374-7000 · source
Water	Town water from 8 wells in a bedrock aquifer, in three separate systems (West, East/Robin's Nest, Paradise Cove) · source
Sewer	Town sewer; wastewater is treated by Lowell · source
Getting here	US 41 (Wicker Ave) on the west; the town's stoplight is at 133rd Ave · source
Drive	About 45 minutes to Chicago (regional tourism bureau estimate) · source

The school line

Hanover, Crown Point or Tri-Creek, street by street

Hanover Community Schools serves most of Cedar Lake. The Chamber of Commerce puts the line at Cline Avenue: Hanover to the west, Crown Point to the east, and Tri-Creek in the southwest south of 151st Street. The town also sits in two townships, Hanover and Center.

Hanover Community School Corporation — serves the majority of Cedar Lake; Hanover Central High School · District website
Crown Point Community School Corporation — Center Township, east of Cline Ave per the Chamber; MacArthur Elementary is in Cedar Lake · Source
Tri-Creek School Corporation — southwest corner, south of 151st St, per the Chamber · Source

District lines follow townships, not mailing addresses or which side of the water you're on. Confirm the assigned school for the exact address with the district before you buy. Facts, never rankings.

Before you buy on the water

Five things I check on every lake parcel

Check 1

Flood zone

Shoreline lots can sit partly in a mapped flood zone. I pull the FEMA flood map and Indiana DNR's best-available flood layer for the exact parcel, because a flood zone can mean required flood insurance on a mortgage.

Check 2

Sewer or septic

Some lake shores are on a sewer district and some are on septic. I check which one serves the parcel, and for septic, what the county health department has on file.

Check 3

Water

Many lake homes run on a private well. I check whether city water reaches the street or the home has its own well.

Check 4

Piers, seawalls and the shoreline

Work on the shoreline (seawalls, dredging, some piers) can need an Indiana DNR permit, and some lakes have their own rules. I check what's on record before you plan changes.

Check 5

The school line

Lake shores often cross township lines, and districts follow townships. I confirm the district for the exact parcel with the school corporation.

Specific to Cedar Lake

Since March 2024 the town has a building moratorium on project parcels larger than one acre, tied to water and sewer capacity; already-platted lots can proceed. It was still in effect in February 2026, with waivers granted case by case. Check this before buying land to build on. Source
The town's 2025 water presentation calls the north and south ends of the lake flood-prone wetland areas. Source
Check the parcel in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center and Indiana DNR's Floodplain Information Portal. Source

What is changing

News and projects around Cedar Lake

The town began dredging the lake in 2023, its first dredging ever, with about $9.25 million in combined funding including a state lake grant. Source
In 2026 the town received $2 million from a class-action settlement for more sediment removal and lake treatment. Source
The town is writing a new comprehensive plan, Cedar Lake Vision 2040, with public open houses held in 2026. Source

Good to know

Public lakefront at Chamber/Sue Landske Memorial Park (boat launch), Bartlett Wahlberg Park (pier), Potawatomi Park and the town beach at Park of the Red Cedars. Source
Summerfest has run every July since 1981. Source
The Lassen Hotel is on the National Register and now houses the Museum at Lassen's Resort. Source

Before you fall for a lot

Send me the address. I'll check the school line, the utilities and the builder.

School districts in The Flatlands follow townships, not mailing addresses or town names. Send a lot number, subdivision or street and I'll reply the same day with the district, water and sewer, and what's for sale near it.

Douglas Willems · Broker · Flatland Real Estate LLC · licensed Indiana real estate brokerage

More of Lake Country

All the lakes of The Flatlands · New homes in The Flatlands

Sources

Last checked October 2026. Drive times are estimates. Lake levels, rules and fees change; confirm with the lake's managing agency.