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| Photo Credit: Fun Lake |
Lake Ozark Facts:
Lake of the Ozarks is a fresh water lake in central Missouri, created by the damming of the Osage River in 1931. The Lake is privately owned by the utility company, Ameren UE. The Lake is 90 miles long with over 1200 miles of shoreline. Our recent blog post on Lake Ozark Fun Facts covers many more details.
Public Boat Ramps:
There are 9 public boat ramps on Lake of the Ozarks. For a map of the Lake Ozark public boat ramps visit www.funlake.com. In addition to the public boat ramps there are numerous private marinas that will allow public use for free or a small fee. If you are staying at a condo or resort, it is likely that the complex has its own boat ramp too. Call first!
Boat Rentals:
There are many boat and PWC rental facilities on Lake of the Ozarks. Virtually all marinas have rental facilities as do the larger resorts. Resort rentals are usually open to the public not just guests. The most common boats rented are pontoon boats, PWC and runabouts under 26 feet. If you have a choice between a tri-toon and bi-toon pontoon, rent the tri-toon as they handle the waves better. If you are a novice, go pontoon over runabout – much easier to handle and more enjoyable for all. Larger cruisers can also be rented on Lake of the Ozarks as well as large house boats. Iguana Water Sports rents cruisers. All persons born after 1994 must have a valid boater’s license in Missouri in order to drive a boat or PWC.
Lake Traffic:
Lake of the Ozarks is a very busy lake on the weekends during the summer – Memorial Day to Labor Day. The lake is moderately busy on weekdays during the summer, especially around the larger resorts (Tan-Tar-A and Lodge of the Four Seasons) and the dam area where there is heavy vacation rental traffic. For a more enjoyable boating experience, during the summer boat Monday – Thursday if at all possible. Over the years boat size on the lake has steadily increased, with cruisers exceeding 40 feet very common. The cruisers make large wakes coupled with the narrowness of the lake makes for some pretty choppy water. Recently, off-shore style racing boats, “cigarette-style” boats and other “go-fast” boats have become quite popular. There are many no-wake areas on the late that are seasonal and permanent. The permanent no-wake areas tend to be in residential coves while the seasonal ones tend to be in high traffic areas, such as under the Grand Glaise Bridge. On summer weekends fishing boat traffic is heaviest before 11 AM. Pontoon boats and personal water craft tend to travel in all directions so watch for them! The absolute best time to be on the Lake of the Ozarks, in my opinion, is from Labor Day to the end of October. The water is still warm, the lake is quiet and many of the restaurants are still open. It’s like having a private 90 mile lake!
Coving Out:
One of the most common activities on Lake of the Ozarks is coving out…anchoring in a quiet cove and just hanging out on the water. If the cove gets busy, boaters will start to “tie up” to each other. Be sure to ask before you tie up and try to pick a boat about the same size as yours. Look for coves with few docks and pristine shoreline. It is considered bad boating behavior to cove out directly in front of a residential dock.
Lake Ozark Anchoring Tips:
Anchoring on Lake of the Ozarks can sometimes be challenging, mainly because of the water depth. When coving out, head for the back or sides of coves. The bottom is usually mud and gravel. Plow type, fluke style and heavier anchors are recommend. Point the boat nose into the wind, let the boat come to a stop then let out twice as much rope or chain as the water depth. Let the anchor hit bottom and then gently back up to dig the anchor into the bottom. The boat will swing around the anchor in the wind, so make sure you are far enough from other boats and the shore.
Party Cove Lake of the Ozarks:
Party Cove is an icon of Lake of the Ozarks attracting visitors from across the country. Party Cove at Lake of the Ozarks is Located at the 4 mile-marker on the Grand Glaise Arm within the State Park; the entire cove is no-wake Memorial Day – Labor Day. On any given summer weekend over a 2000 boats may anchor in Party Cove forming a line around the cove perimeter and row after row across the middle. The waterway created between the outside boats and inside rows is called “the Gauntlet.” Boats not tying up must travel through the Gauntlet and are subject to water guns and cat calls. Party Cove at Lake of the Ozarks is really just a bunch of fun-loving, swim suit clad people people-watching and having a good time. However, it can be a dangerous place with lots of drinking and close quarter boat maneuvering. Drownings happen frequently in Party Cove, so be careful.
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| Photo Credit: Fun Lake |
Water skiing, Wakeboarding and Tubing:
Tubing is very popular on the lake and is done just about everywhere, especially in the state park and in the larger coves. From personal experience, most of the skiing and wake boarding that I have seen happens early in the day before lake traffic gets too heavy, in the state park and the larger coves and quieter ends of the lake. Wakeboarding is more popular than water skiing from what I have experienced.
Fishing Lake of the Ozarks:
Lake of the Ozarks is a world-class fishery featuring large and small mouth bass, striped bass, white bass, crappie, catfish, walleye, carp, spoonbill and many other species. There are numerous fishing tournaments on the lake each year, especially bass and crappie. A great resource for Lake Ozark fishing is the Bassing Bob website. The most prominent fishing structure on Lake Ozark is the many private residential and condo docks that line the shores. The most pristine area is the Lake Ozark State Park that encompasses the Grand Glaise Arm. In general, fishing on Lake Ozark is great all year round, however when Ameren UE is pulling water off for generating electric, the bass fishing is at its best. The lake is actually a river with a very slow current and when electric is being generated, that current spikes and helps pull bait fish downstream. Bass will set up off main channel points and ledges facing upstream into the current. Typical water draw off the lake is 900 cubic feet per second, but when generating electric the pull can spike over 20,000 cubic feet per second. Visit the Ameren UE Bagnell Dam water release website to check water pull rates.
Missouri Water Patrol & Law Enforcement:
The Missouri Water Patrol is a constant presence on the Lake during the summer, especially on the weekends and in high traffic areas. In addition, the US Coast Guard frequently deploys teams to spot check the lake. Many of the larger boats on the lake are registered with the US Coast Guard and the teams may board 30+ boats a day for routine boating safety and registration checks. The water patrol publishes rules and regulations for boating on Lake of the Ozarks. All persons born after 1994 must have a valid boater’s license in Missouri in order to drive a boat or PWC. The Water Patrol is very serious about lake safety and will stop any boat that is operating in an unsafe manner or disobeying lake rules.
Dining on the Lake:
There are numerous waterfront dining options on Lake of the Ozarks. Some of my personal favorites are Shorty Pants (great food!), Red Head Yacht Club (wild pool fun!), Fish Company (great pizza), Paradise (best view!), Coconuts, Captain Ron’s, Backwater Jack’s (great oysters!) and Miller’s Landing (great breakfast!). Most have excellent docking and during the summer have dock attendants on hand to help tie up. Tipping the dock attendants $5-$10 is a standard practice. Visit the Lake of the Ozarks this Summer!
There is so much we could share about Lake of the Ozarks. It is truly one of the gems of Missouri and boating in general. We hope to see you on the lake soon and when your lake visit is over, be sure to visit Stern Memories to create a boat name portrait or boat name gift.
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