New Construction on Blue Lake, With a 3,600-Square-Foot Shop
$884,900
Mercer sits in central North Dakota, lake country most people don't associate with the state until they've actually seen it — Blue Lake is the draw here, a genuine waterfront community north of Bismarck where new construction like this is still uncommon enough to stand out. The yard runs directly to the water's edge, no buffer, no easement question — you're simply at the lake.
Here's what sets this one apart: it's brand new, built in 2023, over 3,800 square feet, five bedrooms and four baths on 1.5 acres. The main level carries the primary suite with its own walk-in closet and bath, two more bedrooms, a full bath, a half bath, and main-floor laundry — genuinely convenient, not an afterthought. The walkout lower level adds two more bedrooms, another full bath, a bonus room flexible enough for guests, a home office, or a workout space, plus real storage. Knotty alder cabinetry, granite counters throughout, and luxury vinyl plank flooring built for water resistance carry through the whole house, and a new maintenance-free deck off the main living area looks straight out over the water. Then there's the shop: 40 by 90 feet, 3,600 square feet, quality 2x6 construction, two oversized overhead doors, RV hookups, and 800 square feet already framed out for future living quarters. That's not a garage — that's infrastructure for a genuinely serious lake-life operation, boats and campers and equipment included.
At $884,900, or $228 a square foot, this is new-construction lakefront pricing that's actually reasonable once you account for the shop — a structure like that alone would run real money to build separately. Zillow has it moving faster than 86% of nearby listings. Confirm what's included in the $10 monthly HOA and get a walk-through of the shop's electrical and future living-quarters plumbing rough-in before you finalize plans for that space. Listing courtesy of Dana J Oukrop, Paramount Real Estate.
Life at the Water
Water Access & Depth
The yard runs directly to Blue Lake's water's edge, giving straightforward, unobstructed access for boating, fishing, and general lake use. Being new construction, the shoreline and yard grading are current and up to date rather than something worn in from decades of use. Confirm with the agent what dock or shoreline infrastructure, if any, is already in place versus something you'd add.
Recreation & Boating
Blue Lake in central North Dakota supports walleye, northern pike, and panfish, standard for the region's better lakes, and its size makes it solid water for both fishing and recreational boating. The 3,600-square-foot shop with RV hookups means this property is genuinely built for people who bring a full lake-life fleet — boats, campers, ATVs — rather than a single kayak. Central North Dakota's lake season runs shorter than warmer states, which makes a heated or heatable shop like this one especially valuable for storing gear through the winter months.
Dock & Waterfront Features
The listing doesn't specify existing dock infrastructure, so confirm directly with the agent what's currently in place at the water's edge versus what you'd need to add. North Dakota Game and Fish Department and local water resource districts typically handle permitting for new dock or shoreline structures on lakes like Blue Lake — worth starting that conversation early if a dock isn't already there.
Flood & Insurance Considerations
Blue Lake sits in central North Dakota's lake country, where flood risk generally ties to regional snowmelt and spring rain rather than coastal or major-river dynamics. Pull the FEMA flood zone designation for this specific parcel before closing, and get a straightforward quote from a North Dakota-licensed insurance agent to understand what flood coverage actually costs on lakefront property in this part of the state.
Beyond the Property Line
Local Flavor & Small-Town Character
Mercer is a small central North Dakota town, and the Blue Lake community around it draws a mix of year-round residents and lake-season regulars who return every summer. The area hosts community lake events through the warmer months, the kind of small-town gathering that anchors a place like this. Bismarck, the state capital, is a reasonable drive south for anything the immediate area doesn't provide — everyday shopping, larger medical services, or a bigger night out.
Outdoor Recreation & Natural Surroundings
Lake Sakakawea, one of the largest reservoirs in the country, is within driving distance and adds a massive-scale boating and fishing option well beyond Blue Lake's more intimate scale. The Missouri River corridor running through central North Dakota offers additional paddling and fishing variety for anyone willing to make the drive. Cross Ranch State Park, along the Missouri, has hiking trails through native prairie and riverbank cottonwood forest — a genuinely different landscape from the immediate lake country around Mercer.
Listed on Zillow
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