The Space

Leave the world behind! Set on the shores of Clearlake, Ca, Smiling Otter Retreat, boasts 3300 sqft space, featuring a plethora of choices for indoor and outdoor living and entertainment. Come and connect with nature in a comfort of luxury. Numerous species of birds, otters, deer, racoons, and Lucy, the skunk, can be spotted right outside the house.

Gorgeous panoramic views of the lake and Mt Konocti from the inside the house, the two decks and all the outdoor areas. Multiple indoor and outdoor dining and conversation areas. Whole house water filter/softener, BBQ gas grill, gas fire pit (extra propane tanks are by the grill), hot outdoor shower, indoor Sonos surround sound system (operated with a tablet). Outdoor speakers are not permitted as per the City of Clearlake, since the sound carries far on the lake.

It can get windy on the lake, and it can happen year around. In the summer, the breeze is welcomed, and it’s nice to cool off on a hot day. In the winter, it urges you to come inside and snuggle up under a blanket enjoying the amazing views, reading a book, watching your favorite movie, or playing games with your family or friends. Game room activities include shuffleboard, pool table/ping pong/air hockey table, toys for the little ones and board games (those are in the cabinets of the library). Brand new adjustable professional grade basketball hoop right outside the house (ball provided).

Fully equipped chef’s kitchen is all set up for cooking and entertaining. Two large supermarkets 13 minutes away (Safeway and Food Etc.) and a small convenience store 9 minutes from the house. We provide two refrigerators for your groceries, one in the kitchen (with two ice makers), and the other one upstairs in the laundry room. Don’t miss the drink cooler by the outdoor couch under the deck.

Door Dash has a few restaurant delivery options and Safeway supermarket delivers. Numerous local wineries provide picturesque views and some of the best wines in the area.

With the property being so specious, on the water and having large picture windows, you feel like you are on a large ship. The otters come and hang out on the dock and feel right at home. In the winter, gorgeous large white pelicans come in flocks and feed on the lake. Oftentimes, you can spot a pair of Golden Eagles stretching their wings over the lake and flying right over the house to their nest up on the hill behind the property. In the summer, the deer come in numbers to feed on table scraps we put out on the platform my husband built for them across from the front door, feel free to do the same.

Swimming pool (warm during summer months) and spa provide hours of fun for our guests and are a rare thing on the lake, we are proud to be able to offer them.

Guest access

The whole property is yours for enjoyment (with the exception of owner storage area downstairs).

The pier/dock/boat lift/swimming platform have been recently renovated. The boat lift is for boats under 5000lbs. The swimming platform is hand cranked.

Other things to note

Water sports equipment provided: 4 paddle boards, one single kayak, one double kayak, kayak moving trolley, life vests of different sizes, and pool towels. USE WATERSPORTS AT YOUR OWN RISK! The weather can be unpredictable on the lake and can change within 15 minutes time frame with wind and large waves. If you are caught in this weather out on the lake, we recommend hugging the shores to come back to the house or exit the lake if necessary and ALWAYS wear a life vest.

The water in the cove to the left of the property does not get as choppy on windy days, you may want to go there to enjoy your motorized water sports.

There is a small community boat launch area two houses to the left. Redbud Park in Clearlake (15 min away) has large boat launching areas. For boat/jet ski/lily pad rentals, please contact Clearlake Powersport Rentals at 707-850-9235 ahead of time for reservations. If you are looking for a large lake beach, Austin Park Beach and Playground is 12 minutes away.

When the weather warms up, it is common to spot lake bugs. They look like mosquitoes, but larger, the amazing thing is though that they don’t bite. Also, sometimes, green algae can be seen swimming by, but, it clears right up when the wind picks up.