...less is more
Bigdog,
Formula has given you a really good suggestion, overseed sometime around the middle/late of September and come next spring you should be very pleased. I suggest lightly raking in a sparse sprinkling of Scotts Northeast seed mix and then top dressing it with their EZ seed mix. The EZ seed also has some premium seed and it is mixed in with starter fertilizer and coconut mulch. If you can get a hold of a plug aerator before raking in the NE mix it works even better because some of the seed will go into the plug holes and the rest will be top dressed by the dirt plugs as they dry out and disintegrate.
Also mow your lawn during summer as tall as you can stand it and the grass will have a natural tendency to choke out the weeds. It isn't a matter that a lawn is cut tall or short that makes it look good, it is the frequency of the cutting that makes it look perfect ...and again keep the blade(s) of your mower sharp!
Maxum, the lime won't bother the lake if applied properly. Our soils, rain, and waters are all naturally acidic and it would take a huge amount to have any effect beyond an immediate area. The key again is sneaking up on the ph level gradually, monitoring the results, and not trying to slam it all at once. An adage that works for lime and most especially fertilizer is that if a little is good, less, not more is better. Lime actually has little fertilizer value, it works by freeing up the ions in the soil and plants and that allows them to attach to the useful nutrients in the fertilizer and utilize the "food". If the ph isn't correct (~6.5-7) much of the nitrogen and phosphates will simply wash off, money is wasted and the runoff will pollute our water table.
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