Baugo Bay is the widest part of the St. Joseph River, at .72 miles bank to bank. This is the one place in St. Joe County where riverfront homes come with views that rival lakes. 

There are two riverfront homes for sale with Baugo Bay views at this time. 

One is 10586 Jefferson, which has a fun kind of lakehouse charm and shows evidence of mulitple additions and revisions.  It’s listed at $199,000.

• mls photos
• mls data
• more photos

The other is 10738 Jefferson, which has a more standard floorplan and a larger lot. It’s listed at $249,500.

• mls photos
• mls details

Want to know more, including the hazards to watch for when buying a home on the St. Joe River? Call or e-mail.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has released updated maps of flood plains in St. Joseph County. These could affect your insurance rates and, of course, inform you of the likelihood your property may one day be flooded.

You can see the maps on the Indiana DNR’s web-site here, and read the South Bend Tribune’s article regarding the maps here.

The St. Joseph River originates in Michigan, dips into Indiana, then curves North again to empty into Lake Michigan near Benton Harbor. In Indiana, the largest cities along it’s banks are Elkhart, Mishawaka, and South Bend. Each of these cites has managed its river frontage in a different way.

In Elkhart the banks are gradual, and there are many homes with yards backing to the water, effectively privatizing large swaths of the river. South Bend has roads running along the river so most of its riverside homes face the water across a road and don’t block it from the public. Mishwaka has a combination of private river homes and public riverfront parks.

Of the approaches, I prefer South Bend’s because it creates scenic drives along the river, especially on Northside Blvd and Riverside Dr. It also makes the East Bank Trail possible.

The East Bank Trail along the St. Joseph River is one of my favorite things about South Bend. I think of it as a to-scale and cozier version of Chicago’s lakeside path. On most any Spring, Summer or Fall day, you will find fishermen, runners, bikers, dog-walkers and stroller-pushers coursing its length. Travel the full three miles and you’ll pass a farmer’s market, an ice skating rink, downtown south bend, 13 bridges, three parks and a fitness station. You might also see Notre Dame’s rowing team practicing on the water.

Click play for a quick video tour of the trail. I’m still working on the best way to share videos on this site, so please forgive the choppy, low-res imagery. The trail is the ribbon of pavement to the right of the river, then the dark stip in the center of the screen where it splits from the river.  For more freedom and detail, fly to South Bend in Google Earth.

[coolplayer width="480" height="380" autoplay="0" loop="0" charset="GBK" download="0" mediatype=""]
East Bank Trail
[/coolplayer]

When I returned to South Bend I was worried about living in a city so far from the ocean. After all, Indiana is in the landlocked Midwest and doesn’t even have a famous river like the Colorado or Mississippi. I’ve been here for seven months now, and I’m happy to report my fears were groundless. Here are five fun watery destinations within one tank of gas from South Bend:

• At 52 miles from South Bend – Winona Lake in Warsaw, Indiana. This smaller lake is ringed by cottages, art galleries and restaurants. Eat in a lakeside restaurant where you might catch the landing of a seaplane, or get a meal and bottle of wine to go from the French deli and eat it outside in a large park.
• At 38 miles from South Bend – Silver Beach in St. Joseph Michigan. This is a great family beach on Lake Michigan with volleyball, a playground, restrooms, concessions and lifeguards. St Joe is a walkable town with art galleries, shops and restaurants.
• At 36 miles from South Bend – Tower Hill at the Warren Dunes State Park in Michigan. This state park has mountains of sand to climb, vast expanses of freshwater to swim, forests to hike through, and hangliders to watch. Grab a burger at Redemaks on your way back to South bend and you have the classic South Bend beach trip.
• At 33 miles from South Bend – Magician Lake near Dowagiac, Michigan. This is a great lake for fishing. Michigan’s DNR stocks this lake with walleye, but people also catch bluegill, pike, perch and bass.
• At 0 miles from South Bend – The East Race in downtown South Bend. This artificial whitewater course is open to the public. You can rent a raft, bring your own kayak or just watch from one of the pedestrian bridges. Near downtown restaurants and entertainment.

Follow this link to view a slideshow of the  Michiana photos that have appeared on the BendAreaBlog since its launch on April 11th.

In 1805 the legislature split the Indiana Territory into two pieces along a line from the southernmost point of Lake Michigan to Lake Eerie. This created the Michigan Territory. In 1816, just before Indiana became a state, the boundary was moved ten miles north to provide Indiana with its 45 miles of Lake Michigan frontage. If you look closely, you can spot this historical marker near Johnson Road and US 31 in South Bend.

According to the DNR, Indiana’s lakeshore breaks down into about 22 miles of industrial use and 23 miles of beaches. You can thank the foresight of early politicians for the Indiana Dunes.

While Mishawaka’s development on the former Uniroyal site is getting a lot of attention, the scope of growth along the St. Joseph River is not always appreciated. From Logan Street on the West to Capital Avenue on the East, there are at least seven ongoing or recent projects near the river:

• Rebuilding of the Logan Bridge
• Expansion of the Wastewater Treatment Plant at Lincoln Park
• Construction of Footbridges to Kamm Island
• Creation of Beutter Park
• Planned condominium / retail development by IronWorks of Mishawaka
• Creation of Highland Village neighborhood with more than twenty river lots
• Expansion of Capital Avenue / 331

Between IUSB’s growth and Mishawaka’s riverfront development, the number of footbridges in the area is on the rise. Some of the area catwalks can be found at the following locations:

• The East Race
• Howard Park
• IUSB
• Kamm Island
• Central Park
• Eberhart Golf Course
• Robert C. Beutter Riverfront Park

South Bend is about 25 miles from Lake Michigan, but St. Joseph County still has a variety of waterfront homes. The St. Joseph River and Juday Creek pass through the area, several quarries have filled with water, and many neighborhoods are now developed with ponds. Here are two options for people in the area who would like to live on the water:

Granger on the Water
In the Clay and Harris Townships, there are currently 321 active listings, of which 37 are described as “on water.” They are listed from $154,900 to $1,950,000. To see details of these properties, look here.

Mishawaka on the St. Joseph River
Mishawaka has revitalized its riverfront with a new park and pedestrian bridge, and plans continued development in the area. 273 Mishawaka homes are currently listed for sale in the mls, but only 9 of them are on the river. They are priced from $139,000 to $559,000. To see details of these properties, look here.

The Saint Joseph River originates in Michigan and dips into Indiana before emptying into Lake Michigan near Benton Harbor.

Along that route, it passes through Elkhart, Mishawaka and South Bend. On its banks, there are parks including South Bend’s East Race, and Mishawaka’s new Beutter Park, and many private homes.

Edgewater Drive and Prospect Drive are among the most pleasant areas of riverfront homes in Mishawaka, and there are several homes currently for sale on these streets. Click here for a map, photos and more information. Or, visit realst8.com to search the MLS directly.

We can also create a search that e-mails you information about riverfront homes as they become available upon your request.