
Weatherby Lake, MO · Private lake community
Weatherby Lake Homes for Sale
A quiet 274-acre Northland lake ten minutes from KCI, with 10-horsepower motors and personal docks.
Living at Weatherby Lake
Weatherby Lake is the executive commuter's lake. It sits in Platte County about ten minutes from KCI, which is why I show it to people whose week involves an airport. The 274-acre lake was created by a dam finished in 1937, the city incorporated around it, and the lake itself is run by the Weatherby Lake Improvement Company, a non-profit that issues annual assessments to members rather than traditional HOA dues. Buying property makes you eligible to use the lake once the fees are paid.
This is not a ski lake, and that is deliberate. Motors are capped at 10 horsepower, jet skis and racing hulls are prohibited, and everything within 100 feet of shore is idle speed. What you get instead is pontoons, sailboats, kayaks, paddleboards, fishing, sailing regattas, and personal docks behind lakefront homes. The people who choose Weatherby want the water calm in the evening and want to hear it. Homes range from older lake cottages on the original lots to substantial newer builds, with the Park Hill schools as a draw.
Before offering, know the difference between a lakefront lot with a personal dock and a lot with a leased dock space at a community access area, because both exist here and they price very differently. Dock structures need WLIC permits and used docks from outside the lake are not allowed in, so get the permit status on any existing dock. And since WLIC funds dam and lake maintenance through assessments rather than dues, I want the current assessment schedule and any special assessment history before you close.
Lake life, verified
- • 274-acre private lake formed by a dam completed in 1937; the city of Weatherby Lake is incorporated around it.
- • Lake managed by the non-profit Weatherby Lake Improvement Company (WLIC), which issues annual assessments to members instead of HOA dues; property ownership makes you eligible for lake use once fees are paid.
- • Motors limited to 10 horsepower; hull length capped at 24 feet 2 inches and width at 8 feet 6 inches without a Board variance.
- • Allowed: pontoons, sailboats, canoes, kayaks, rowboats, paddleboats, runabouts, deck boats, paddleboards; prohibited: powered jet skis, hydroplanes, and racing hulls.
- • Idle speed only within 100 feet of shoreline and in buoyed no-wake areas; personal docks permitted with WLIC approval, plus courtesy docks and access ramps.
- • Designated swimming areas at access points; no new sand beaches on private shoreline.
Location & schools
- • Roughly 10 minutes to KCI via I-29.
- • About 20 minutes to downtown Kansas City via I-29.
- • Roughly 40 minutes to Overland Park and Leawood via I-29 and I-435.
- • West of I-29 near Barry Road and MO-45; I-29 is the nearest highway.
Schools: Weatherby Lake is in the Park Hill School District (Hawthorn Elementary, Congress Middle, Park Hill High).
Weatherby Lake homes for sale
Live from the MLS. Lakefront moves fast and often trades before it lists — tell me what you need and I'll watch the water for you.
Want first look at Weatherby Lake listings?
I'll send what's on the water right now, what's coming, and the dock, boat and association questions to settle before you offer.
Weatherby Lake: questions buyers ask
Can I have a boat at Weatherby Lake, and what size?
Yes, but it is a low-horsepower lake by design. Motors are limited to 10 horsepower, hulls to 24 feet 2 inches at the waterline and 8 feet 6 inches wide, and only one motor per boat aside from a trolling motor. Pontoons, deck boats, runabouts, sailboats, kayaks, and paddleboards are all fine. Powered jet skis, hydroplanes, and boats built for speed are prohibited. Everything within 100 feet of shore is idle speed.
Is Weatherby Lake a private lake?
Yes. The lake is managed by the Weatherby Lake Improvement Company, a non-profit whose members are property owners inside the city as it existed in 1970. Buying property makes you eligible to use the lake once assessments and permit fees are paid. There is no public ramp and no public access, and boats, docks, and even RC boats all carry WLIC permits.
What does lakefront cost compared to lake access at Weatherby?
Lakefront with a personal dock behind the house is the top of the market and inventory is thin. Off-water homes still get lake use through WLIC and can lease a dock space at a community access area, which keeps them meaningfully more affordable. I compare recent lakefront and off-water sales for you, and on lakefront I check the dock and seawall permits, since WLIC approval is required for both.
What do the Weatherby Lake assessments cover?
WLIC does not charge traditional HOA dues. It issues annual assessments to members to fund lake maintenance, which includes the dam, water quality, water patrol, access areas, courtesy docks, and ramps. Dock and boat permit fees are separate. City taxes cover municipal services. Amounts change, so I pull the current member fee schedule and any special assessment history from WLIC as part of due diligence rather than quoting a figure.
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