Your frontage
How many feet of water you own, and which way it faces. Morning coffee on the east shore, sunsets on the west.
Starke / Marshall County line · Oregon & Polk Townships · Indiana
Koontz Lake homes
A 346-acre lake on the county line, raised by an 1848 mill dam, on SR 23 between Walkerton and US 30. The lake community has been putting real work into the water. Here's what to know and what I check.
Start with what you want
What you came to the lake for
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
Koontz Lake: the basics
| Size | 346 acres, 32 ft maximum depth (Indiana DNR survey, 2011) · source |
|---|---|
| Dam | A natural lake raised by a fixed-crest dam built in 1848 for a grain mill · source |
| Community | Koontz Lake CDP, 1,667 people (2020); Oregon Township (Starke) and Polk Township (Marshall) · source |
| Sewer | Koontz Lake Regional Sewer District; central sewer finished in 2011, replacing septic · source |
| Public access | DNR's Koontz Lake Wildlife Management Area: boat launch on the southeast side, fishing pier on the southwest · source |
| Getting here | SR 23 on the west side: about 4 miles to Walkerton, about 4 miles to US 30 · source |
| Drive | About 35 minutes to South Bend, about 25 minutes to Plymouth (estimates) |
The school line
Oregon-Davis on the Starke side; confirm the Marshall side
Oregon Township, which holds most of the Koontz Lake community, is served by Oregon-Davis School Corporation. For homes on the Marshall County end, I confirm the district by parcel before you buy.
- Oregon-Davis School Corporation — Oregon Township, Starke County · Source
- Marshall County end (Polk Township) — confirm the district for the exact parcel · Boundary map
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 Koontz Lake
- Koontz Lake Conservancy District, formed in 2018, is funded by a special assessment on property. Ask what the parcel pays. Source
- Shoreline muck was reported up to about 7 ft deep in places in 2022. Check the bottom and depth at your frontage. Source
- Check the parcel in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center and Indiana DNR's Floodplain Information Portal, which adds DNR 'best available' flood mapping and can produce a free floodplain report for a point. 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
- https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/files/depth/fw-Koontz_Lake_Bathymetry_Marshall_County_c_August_2011.pdf
- https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/items/24f83bb0-8beb-4b09-b169-299e64a51bed
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koontz_Lake,_Indiana
- https://townepost.com/indiana/lakes-region/no-wasting-time/
- https://townepost.com/indiana/lakes-region/for-love-of-the-lake/
- https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/files/fw-koontz-lake-map.pdf
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Township,_Starke_County,_Indiana
- https://www.stats.indiana.edu/maptools/maps/boundary/school_districts/region1_unified.pdf
- https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home
- https://secure.in.gov/dnr/water/surface-water/indiana-floodplain-mapping/indiana-floodplain-information-portal
Last checked October 2026. Drive times are estimates. Lake levels, rules and fees change; confirm with the lake's managing agency.