Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri: The Complete Lake Guide

Lake of the Ozarks is a hydroelectric reservoir on the Osage River in central Missouri, created when Union Electric finished Bagnell Dam in 1931. It winds about 92 miles through four counties, with more than a thousand miles of mostly private shoreline, and boaters find their way by mile markers counted from the dam. The lake is known for bass, crappie and paddlefish fishing, resort towns and a busy summer boating scene, plus two state parks, Lake of the Ozarks State Park and Ha Ha Tonka.

In this guide

• Where Is Lake of the Ozarks?
• What Is Lake of the Ozarks Known For?
• Lake of the Ozarks at a Glance
• History of Lake of the Ozarks
• Lake of the Ozarks Boating Guide
• Lake of the Ozarks Fishing Guide
• Best Things to Do at Lake of the Ozarks
• Best Places to Visit Around Lake of the Ozarks
• Lake of the Ozarks Towns and Communities
• Lake of the Ozarks Vacation Guide
• Lake of the Ozarks Family Activities
• What Should You Bring to Lake of the Ozarks?
• Local Knowledge: Mile Markers, Winter Drawdown and the Towns Under the Lake
• Questions People Ask About Lake of the Ozarks
• Lake of the Ozarks Gifts & Apparel

Where Is Lake of the Ozarks?

Lake of the Ozarks is in central Missouri on the Salem Plateau of the Ozarks, across Benton, Camden, Miller and Morgan counties, according to Wikipedia. Bagnell Dam sits at the northeast end of the lake, near the city of Lake Ozark. From there the lake runs southwest along the old Osage River channel, with side arms that follow the Niangua, Little Niangua and Gravois creek valleys.

Several highways reach it. Wikivoyage lists US 54 north of the lake with many exits, US 65 near Warsaw on the west side, Missouri 5 near Camdenton on the south side, and Missouri 42 through Brumley into Osage Beach on the east side. Margaritaville Lake Resort's location page says the resort is 2.5 hours from St. Louis and 3 hours from Kansas City.

Truman Lake lies upstream on the Osage, and MDC's fishing report lists the Truman Dam tailwater as part of the Lake of the Ozarks fishery.

What Is Lake of the Ozarks Known For?

• A lake built by a power company. Most big American reservoirs were federal projects. This one began as a private hydropower scheme, and St. Louis Public Radio calls it the brainchild of two Kansas City businessmen.
• Mile markers. Locations on the lake are given as mile markers counted by water from Bagnell Dam, so "the 19" or "the 6" means a spot that many miles from the dam, per Wikivoyage.
• Bass, crappie and paddlefish. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) rates largemouth bass very good and crappie excellent in its 2026 outlook, and says the lake produces a significant number of the paddlefish harvested in Missouri.
• Resort towns. Osage Beach, Lake Ozark, Camdenton and Sunrise Beach host marinas, resorts, golf courses and the Bagnell Dam Strip.
• Two state parks. Lake of the Ozarks State Park, which Wikipedia calls Missouri's largest, and Ha Ha Tonka State Park, with its castle ruins and spring, are both on the lake.
• A summer party reputation. Party Cove, the Shootout powerboat races and heavy summer boat traffic are part of the lake's image, and they shape the Water Patrol's focus on safe, sober boating.
• Television. The TV series Ozark is set in Osage Beach, though Wikipedia says it was filmed in Georgia.

Lake of the Ozarks at a Glance

Fact	Detail
Type	Hydroelectric reservoir on the Osage River, created by Bagnell Dam (1929 to 1931)
Location	Central Missouri: Benton, Camden, Miller and Morgan counties
Surface area	About 55,000 acres per Missouri State Parks; about 94 square miles at normal pool per Ameren's 2017 shoreline plan; 54,000 acres per Wikipedia
Shoreline	About 1,150 miles per Missouri State Parks and Ameren, most of it privately owned
Length	About 92 to 93 miles
Depth	Wikipedia lists an average of 70 feet and a maximum of 130 feet
Volume	About 1.9 million acre-feet, per Wikipedia citing MDC
Full pool	660 feet above sea level; Ameren generally lowers it about 6 feet in winter
Dam	Bagnell Dam: 2,543 feet long and 148 feet high, with 12 floodgates, per Wikipedia
Owner and operator	Ameren Missouri, under a federal license
Main activities	Boating, fishing, golf, state parks, caves, shopping and dining

Figures are as published by Missouri State Parks, Ameren Missouri's Shoreline Management Plan, Wikipedia and Wikipedia's Bagnell Dam page, and checked October 2026. The agencies measure area differently, and the shoreline figure is a tourism-era estimate that Wikipedia attributes to the visitor bureau, so treat "about" as meant. The depth figures on Wikipedia have no stated source.

History of Lake of the Ozarks

A lake that began as a business plan

St. Louis Public Radio traces the idea to Ralph Street, a Kansas City developer and lawyer who dreamed of a lake on the Osage as early as 1912. Wikipedia says Street abandoned the hydro project in the mid-1920s when funding dried up. Union Electric Company of St. Louis took up the dam, with Stone and Webster as the principal engineering firm, and Ameren Missouri, the company's successor, still operates it.

Construction began in 1929 and took about two years. Union Electric employed 4,000 people on a given day and more than 20,000 over the whole project, St. Louis Public Radio reports. The lake began filling in February 1931, reached spillway level on May 20, 1931, and opened to boat traffic on May 30, 1931, according to Wikipedia. During construction the water was called Osage Reservoir or Lake Osage, and Wikipedia says the General Assembly formally named it Lake Benton before "Lake of the Ozarks" stuck. Wikipedia describes it as the largest man-made lake in the United States at the time.

The dam

Bagnell Dam is a concrete gravity dam 2,543 feet long and 148 feet high, with a gated spillway. Wikipedia says the design called for 13 floodgate openings but only 12 were installed, and the thirteenth is walled shut with concrete. The original project cost about 30 million dollars, according to Wikipedia. Ameren generates power at the dam, and the lake was never built for flood control, which is why Wikipedia notes that its flood-control capacity is limited. A 2019 lakeexpo article on Ameren's projections says Truman Lake upstream was built largely for flood control and that its releases can raise Lake of the Ozarks in wet years.

Towns that went under

Clearing the lake bed meant moving or burning what stood in it. St. Louis Public Radio says crews burned homes, cut trees and moved cemeteries, and that Old Linn Creek, Irontown and Gladstone were cleared and submerged. Linn Creek and Camdenton were created as new towns, and Camdenton became the Camden County seat. Wikipedia adds that stories of more than 20 flooded towns are inaccurate and that the actual number was closer to eight, and that some cemeteries remain underwater because they were not found during clearing.

From power project to resort lake

Visitors came as soon as the lake opened. St. Louis Public Radio says hotels in nearby towns filled up in 1931, and that Union Electric sold most of the shoreline to a St. Louis developer in 1945 after federal restrictions on utilities. Lee Mace's Ozark Opry opened in 1953 and is credited with starting the first live nightly show in America, per the same article. Ameren says Willmore Lodge, now a free museum and overlook, was built in 1930 for visitors to the dam project.

The state's share of the shoreline began in the 1930s. Wikipedia says development of Lake of the Ozarks State Park began in 1934 as a federal Recreational Demonstration Area, with Civilian Conservation Corps crews building roads, group camps and a public beach, and that the land passed to the state park system in 1946.

Lake of the Ozarks Boating Guide

Lake of the Ozarks is a long, winding lake with several arms, lots of docks and a lot of boats. Boaters need to know the mile marker system, where public ramps are, what Missouri requires of operators and renters, and how the water level changes through the year. This section covers each.

Boat launches and public access

Most of the shoreline is private, so public ramps matter. Missouri State Parks lists three ramps at Lake of the Ozarks State Park, and a lakeexpo roundup of public access sites lists more, with no fees shown. Check each site's status before you tow there.

Launch or access point	Where	Notes
Grand Glaize Beach (Public Beach 2)	Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Osage Beach	Four-lane paved ramp, open year-round per the park
Pa He Tsi	Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Osage Beach	Four-lane paved ramp, listed as March through October, and the park says it is not available when the lake falls below 658.5 feet
Public Beach 1	Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Brumley	Two-lane paved ramp, open year-round per the park
Bagnell Dam Access	Below Bagnell Dam, Lakeside	Public boat ramp on the Osage River, per MDC data
Coffman Beach Access	Gravois Arm, about the 2.6 mile marker	Public access, reached from Eldon via Route Y
Gravois Mills Access	Gravois Arm, about the 10 mile marker	Public access just outside Gravois Mills
Shawnee Bend Public Access	Osage Arm, near the 11 mile marker	Public access via Route TT
Larry R. Gale Access	Near Camdenton, off Koehler Road	Public access
Brown Bend Access	Osage Arm, about the 61.5 mile marker	Public access via Climax Springs and Route DD

As of October 2026, Missouri State Parks lists a daily launch fee at its ramps of $5 for vessels up to 30 feet and $10 for longer vessels, with annual permits at $75 and $85, and says campers with a valid camping permit launch free. The lakeexpo article is undated and does not name an owner for the free sites, so confirm hours and rules before you go. MDC publishes a site map for Brown Bend Access showing a boat ramp and courtesy dock.

Marinas and rentals

Two marinas operate at the state park's public beaches under the concession Lake of the Ozarks State Park Marina, which rents tritoons, fishing boats, kayaks, canoes and paddleboards and is reachable at (573) 348-1233. Surdyke Boat Rentals rents pontoons, sport boats and WaveRunners from its Yamaha marina and Port 20 locations. Bombay Boat Rental rents tritoons, ski boats and WaveRunners at four lake locations, including the Lodge of Four Seasons. Rates change, so see each rental company's own page.

Rental rules vary by company. As of October 2026, the state park marina's terms say renters must be 21 or older, boats must be back by 6:00 p.m., tubing and skiing are not allowed with its rentals, and boats may not go outside set mile markers. Surdyke says renters must be 18, and Bombay sets its own terms. Missouri's boater safety card law applies to the operator whatever a rental company says, so ask before you book, and see the rules below.

Popular areas and navigation

Mile marker zero is Bagnell Dam, and numbers count up by water from there, which makes the markers the standard way to locate a spot on the winding lake, according to Wikivoyage. Wikivoyage describes the lake's main areas this way:

• North Shore and Rocky Mount: the first six miles on the north side.
• Horseshoe Bend: a peninsula formed by the bend in the first 17 miles, often called "HH" after its main highway.
• Shawnee Bend: the bend just past Horseshoe Bend, linked by land through the Community Bridge.
• Grand Glaize: the arm in Osage Beach that holds Lake of the Ozarks State Park.
• West Side: Greenview, Sunrise Beach, Laurie and Gravois Mills, which Wikivoyage calls the quieter side.
• Gravois Arm: the northernmost arm, near Rocky Mount.

Wikipedia lists the Niangua and Little Niangua rivers as the southwest arm and Grandglaize Creek as the southeast arm. Water Patrol notices also use mile markers for the arms, so a spot on the Gravois or Little Niangua can have its own number.

Party Cove, formally Anderson Hollow Cove, is inside Lake of the Ozarks State Park at the 4 mile marker of the Grand Glaize Arm, according to Wikipedia, which says as many as 3,000 boats have gathered there on summer weekends. It says enforcement there has centered on wake, boat-driving and boating-while-intoxicated laws, and it does not describe the cove after 2010, so we make no claim about how it runs now.

We did not find a published list of lake hazards. Use a current chart or navigation app, and expect lots of docks, wake and other traffic in summer.

Water level and how to check it

Lake of the Ozarks is a power reservoir, and Ameren decides how high it sits. Full pool is 660 feet above sea level. Ameren says it generally lowers the lake in winter to about 654 feet, six feet below full pool, to reduce the chance of flooding from spring rains. The box below links to Ameren's own report.

Ameren operates warning sirens on the lower Osage River below Bagnell Dam, so stay clear of the water below the dam. Truman Dam releases upstream and heavy rain can raise the lake faster than the guide curve, so check Ameren's report before a trip.

Swimming areas and no-wake zones

Lake of the Ozarks State Park has two swimming beaches with imported sand, according to Wikipedia, and its two marinas sit at its public beaches. Missouri State Parks directs boaters to the Water Patrol for rules, and the park's boating page says there are no motor restrictions.

Missouri law sets a wake rule that applies on the whole lake, and the Water Patrol approves no-wake buoys near docks. The Water Patrol takes testimony on uniform marking of no wake and idle speed buoys under RSMo 306.124, and a 2026 notice of hearing in Osage Beach listed 14 buoy requests from 10 applicants. Read the buoys, and see the speed and distance rule below.

A 2019 ABC 17 News report found very different E. coli results at two lake sites, with Bagnell Dam Access far above the state's normal range and Public Beach 2 near zero, so avoid swallowing lake water, rinse off afterward and follow any posted swimming notices.

Boating rules

Boating on Lake of the Ozarks falls under the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) Water Patrol Division. These are the rules most visitors need, as published on the Water Patrol's boating pages and read in October 2026:

• Boater education (Water Patrol FAQ): Operators of a motorized boat or a sailboat over 12 feet (and any personal watercraft) must carry a boater safety card from an approved course (NASBLA approved), or have the boater safety endorsement on a Missouri driver's license with the license aboard. Anyone born after January 1, 1984 and before January 1, 2006 is covered on Missouri lakes under RSMo 306.127 as amended August 28, 2026. Anyone born on or after January 1, 2006 is covered on all waters of the state starting January 1, 2027. Missouri accepts NASBLA approved cards from other states. The Missouri card costs $15, and a one-time seven day temporary card is sold for renters.
• Age to operate (Water Patrol FAQ): The operator of a boat must be 14 unless accompanied by an adult aboard. A child under 14 who operates a motorized boat with an adult still needs a boater safety card. For a personal watercraft, the U.S. Coast Guard's state law summary lists the same age of 14 unless under the direct onboard supervision of a parent, guardian or other person 16 or older.
• Life jackets (Water Patrol life jacket page): Missouri law requires a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket on board and accessible for each occupant. Children under 7 must wear a life jacket whenever they are on a boat, except in the cabin area of a houseboat or cruiser. Everyone on a personal watercraft must wear one any time the craft is underway.
• Boating while intoxicated (MSHP boating brochure SHP-44 B): The Highway Patrol's October 2021 brochure defines intoxicated as a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent or higher and calls a first offense a class B misdemeanor. It lists higher classes for prior offenders, for a person under 17 aboard and for injury or death, says a conviction requires a certified boater safety course before you can operate a vessel in Missouri, and says anyone under 21 with a detectable concentration over .02 percent is guilty of a misdemeanor.
• Speed and distance (Boat-Ed Missouri course): Stay at idle or slow, no wake speed within 100 feet of a dock or pier, an occupied anchored vessel, a buoyed restricted area, or an emergency vessel showing red or blue lights. From one-half hour after sunset until one hour before sunrise, the maximum speed is 30 miles per hour. A 2016 lakeexpo report on Water Patrol enforcement adds that unnecessary plowing in a cove can get a boat stopped, and that troopers start with warnings.
• Towing and skiing (Boat-Ed Missouri course): A skier needs an observer in the boat, or the boat needs a certified convex ski mirror at least 3 inches high and 8 inches wide. Skiing is allowed from sunrise until sunset. Between 11:00 a.m. and sunset, a motorboat operator must show a red or orange flag at least 12 by 12 inches when a skier is down in the water.
• Renting (Boat-Ed rental guide): A renter needs the same boater safety card as any other operator, and Boat-Ed's Missouri rental course, which costs $4.50 as of October 2026, leads to a one-time seven day temporary card. Each rental business sets its own age, deposit and insurance rules.

More on Lake of the Ozarks

• Clean, drain, dry. MDC's 2017 release on zebra mussels, which is archived, named Lake of the Ozarks among the Missouri waters where they were confirmed. Clean, drain and dry your boat before and after you launch.
• Registration. KOAM, citing a Water Patrol brochure, says the Missouri Department of Revenue issues Missouri watercraft registrations. Register your boat in your home state.
• Contact. The Water Patrol Division can be reached at (573) 751-5071.

Seasons and kinds of boating

Boating is a warm-season activity here, and the heaviest traffic is in summer. Many marinas, state park services and rentals run on seasonal schedules, so check each owner's page for dates. Rentals include pontoons, tritoons, ski boats, WaveRunners, kayaks and paddleboards. Kayaks and paddleboards launch from the state park beaches and from Ha Ha Tonka, which has a Big Niangua River paddling trail. Ameren's winter drawdown lowers the lake, so some ramps and docks work differently in winter.

Lake of the Ozarks Fishing Guide

Lake of the Ozarks is a largemouth bass and crappie lake with blue and channel catfish, a Truman Dam tailwater for hybrid striped bass and walleye, and a paddlefish snagging season in the Osage Arm. This section covers what lives in the lake, where and how people fish, Missouri's rules for this lake and where to find guides.

Fish species and seasons

These notes come from MDC's Lake of the Ozarks fishing prospects and prospect report, which are based on spring and fall 2025 sampling. They are general guidance, not guarantees:

• Largemouth bass. MDC's 2026 outlook is very good. About 20% of the largemouth sampled were above the 15 inch minimum, with solid numbers of 3 to 5 pound fish, and MDC reports the largemouth were in excellent condition.
• Spotted (Kentucky) bass. Less abundant, making up about 15% of the black bass catch, with few over the 12 inch minimum.
• Smallmouth bass. Low abundance, with too few collected for MDC to predict the population.
• Crappie. Rated excellent. White crappie made up about 70% of crappie in fall netting, and about 60% of both black and white crappie were just under the 9 inch minimum, which MDC expected to be legal size by late spring 2026.
• White bass. Rated fair, best in river channels in spring and around points and islands in late summer and fall.
• Hybrid striped and striped bass. Hybrids are rated good in the Truman Dam tailwater and in spring-fed areas, and striped bass are stocked in low numbers as a limited trophy fishery.
• Catfish. Catfish fishing is rated good, with the best months April through September, and blue catfish can be caught year-round. Flathead catfish are present but rarely caught.
• Walleye. Stocked regularly since the mid-1990s, with MDC naming the Truman Dam tailrace in early spring and the Grand Glaize, Niangua and Osage arms in summer and fall.
• Bluegill and redear. Bluegill are very abundant but small, with fewer than 10% over 7 inches, and redear sunfish are large but not abundant.
• Paddlefish. MDC says the lake consistently produces a significant number of the paddlefish harvested in Missouri, and that snagging in the Osage Arm during the season is the best option.

Where and how people fish

MDC suggests fishing largemouth around points, brush piles and docks in spring and fall, with topwater baits in low light, plastic worms, jigs, crankbaits and spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits off points or gravel banks in winter. For crappie it points to creek channels in bays in spring, brush piles on or near points in late spring and fall, small jigs from 1/32 to 1/8 ounce or minnows, and trolled small deep-diving crankbaits in summer.

For catfish, MDC recommends drifting live or cut shad on lightly breezy days, with blue catfish often in open water several feet off the bottom and channel catfish near shore. Bass are concentrated in the Niangua and Glaize arms, and MDC says it added a significant number of brush piles to the Gravois Arm to help crappie and bass. The lake's information line is (573) 346-2210.

Regulations and licenses

Check the current Missouri Fishing Summary from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) before you fish, because limits differ by species and water. As of MDC's 2026 special regulations page for Lake of the Ozarks and its permit page:

• License (MDC fishing permits): Most anglers need a Missouri fishing permit, and Missouri residents 65 and older are exempt. As of October 2026, MDC lists a resident fishing permit at $14, a nonresident fishing permit at $57, and a daily fishing permit at $9 for residents and nonresidents. The 2026 permits run through December 31, 2026, so check the price for the year you will fish.
• Black bass: The lakewide length limit is 15 inches for largemouth and smallmouth bass and 12 inches for spotted bass. MDC's lake page does not list a daily limit, so check the Fishing Summary.
• Crappie: 15 per day, with a 9 inch minimum length, lakewide.
• Blue catfish: A protected slot of 26 to 34 inches, and fish in that range must be released. The daily and possession limit is 10, with no more than 2 over 34 inches in the daily limit. MDC says this slot has been in effect since 2014.
• Paddlefish: The minimum is 34 inches measured from the eye to the fork of the tail, and the limit is 2 per day. Stop snagging, snaring or grabbing after reaching the limit. Snagging, snaring and grabbing for nongame fish are allowed lakewide only from March 15 through April 30.
• Below Truman Dam: No fishing is allowed in the Corps' restricted zone at the base of the dam, and trotlines, throwlines, limb lines, jug lines and snagging are prohibited from the end of that zone to U.S. Highway 65.

We did not find the lake's walleye or white bass limits on MDC's lake page, so look them up in the current Fishing Summary.

Guides and fishing culture

Guided trips include Mike's Guide Service, which takes one or two anglers on 4, 6 or 8 hour trips for bass and crappie, and Expert Angling Guide Service, which lists 4, 6 and 8 hour guided trips and a 2 hour electronics training session. Rates and policies are on each guide's page. Both say anglers need their own Missouri fishing license.

Best Things to Do at Lake of the Ozarks

• Fish for crappie, bass or paddlefish. See the fishing guide above.
• Rent a boat. The state park marinas, Surdyke and Bombay all rent pontoons, tritoons or ski boats.
• Paddle. Rent a kayak or canoe at the state park's Public Beach 1 marina, or at Ha Ha Tonka State Park, where kayaks rent through the visitor center from April through October, according to Missouri State Parks. Check the park's kayaking page for prices.
• Tour a cave. Ozark Caverns, inside Lake of the Ozarks State Park, runs guided tours on a seasonal schedule, so check the park's schedule page.
• Walk to a castle ruin. Ha Ha Tonka State Park has the stone ruins of a castle begun in 1905, a spring and a natural bridge.
• Hike. Wikipedia lists 12 trails at Lake of the Ozarks State Park and 13 at Ha Ha Tonka.
• Visit the dam. Willmore Lodge, run by Ameren, has a free museum and a dam overlook, and Wikivoyage describes the Bagnell Dam Strip as locally owned shops, candy stores, arcades and bars.
• Play golf. Wikivoyage counts more than 13 courses around the lake, including the Lodge of Four Seasons and Osage National.
• Go to a lake event. The Lake of the Ozarks Shootout powerboat races are typically held the weekend before Labor Day, and the Polar Bear Plunge for Special Olympics Missouri is typically held on the last Saturday of February, according to Wikipedia. Check the organizers for dates.

Best Places to Visit Around Lake of the Ozarks

Place	Where	Why go
Lake of the Ozarks State Park	Brumley and Osage Beach	17,666 acres and 85 miles of shoreline per Wikipedia, with beaches, ramps, marinas, trails, camping and cabins. Admission is free per Missouri State Parks
Ozark Caverns	Inside the state park	Guided lantern cave tours. As of October 2026 fees were $13 for adults, $10 for ages 13 to 17 and $8 for ages 6 to 12. The cave is 56 degrees Fahrenheit, and the state recommends a light jacket
Ha Ha Tonka State Park	Camdenton	About 3,751 acres per Wikipedia, with castle ruins, a spring, caves, a natural bridge and a Big Niangua River paddling trail. Admission is free
Willmore Lodge and the Bagnell Dam overlook	Lake Ozark	Ameren's free museum on the lake's history, with a dam overlook and an original turbine on display
Bagnell Dam Strip	Lake Ozark	Wikipedia describes the stretch of Bagnell Dam Boulevard from Horse Bend Parkway to the dam as the Bagnell Dam Strip, which has two roadside muffler man statues
Margaritaville Lake Resort	Osage Beach	Resort with a spa, golf, an indoor water park and the Windrose Marker 26 restaurant
The Lodge of Four Seasons	Lake Ozark	Resort with a marina, spa and golf
Old Kinderhook Resort	Camdenton	Golf resort with lodging and the Trophy Room restaurant

Hours, seasons and status change, so check each owner's page.

Lake of the Ozarks Towns and Communities

Place	Part of the lake	Known for	Relationship to the lake
Lake Ozark, Missouri	Northeast end, near Bagnell Dam	2,077 residents in 2020, per Wikipedia; the Bagnell Dam Strip	Sits at the downstream end of the lake and near the Community Bridge
Osage Beach, Missouri	Camden and Miller counties	4,637 residents in 2020 and over three million visitors a year, per Wikipedia	Resort and shopping hub, setting of the TV series Ozark
Camdenton, Missouri	Lower Niangua Arm	3,960 residents in 2020; the Camden County seat, platted in 1930	Created as the new county seat after the lake flooded Linn Creek; near Ha Ha Tonka
Sunrise Beach, Missouri	West Side	431 residents in 2020, per Wikipedia	Village on a neck of land with several shoreline spots
Gravois Mills and Laurie	West Side	Listed by Wikipedia among the lake's communities	Quiet-side communities, per Wikivoyage
Eldon, Missouri	Miller County	4,416 residents in 2020; Petticoat Junction was based on its Burris Hotel, per Wikipedia	Coffman Beach Access is reached from Eldon via Route Y
Village of Four Seasons, Rocky Mount, Linn Creek	Around the lake	Listed by Wikipedia among the lake's communities	Rocky Mount is on the North Shore, per Wikivoyage

Lake of the Ozarks Vacation Guide

When to visit

Boating, rentals and cave tours cluster in the warm months, and many marinas, state park services and seasonal attractions run on set schedules. Missouri State Parks lists Pa He Tsi ramp as a March through October ramp and Ha Ha Tonka kayak rentals as April through October. MDC's paddlefish snagging window opens March 15, and its fishing report ties crappie to spring and fall. Because Ameren lowers the lake in winter, plan around the level if you are towing a larger boat, and check owner pages for dates.

Where to stay

• State park lodging. Missouri State Parks lists Outpost cabins and yurts at Lake of the Ozarks State Park. See the state's lodging page for details and reservations.
• Margaritaville Lake Resort. Rooms and suites in Osage Beach, with a spa, golf and an indoor water park.
• The Lodge of Four Seasons. A resort in Lake Ozark with a marina, spa and golf.
• Old Kinderhook Resort. Lodge rooms, cottages and villas near Camdenton.
• Private lake houses. Many homes around the shore rent through booking sites. We do not list individual rentals.

Where to eat

Many waterfront restaurants sit on the lake, and each sets its own dock and hours policy. Windrose Marker 26 at Margaritaville Lake Resort says guests can arrive by boat or car and that it has dock slips. Check each restaurant's own page before you go by boat, since we could not confirm dock policies for most others.

What first-timers should know

• Learn the mile markers. They count by water from Bagnell Dam, so a number tells you how far you are from the dam.
• Get your boater card first. Missouri's card law widens on January 1, 2027, and renters can buy a temporary card.
• Check the level. Ameren lowers the lake in winter and Truman releases can raise it, so use Ameren's report.
• Expect traffic. The lake is busy in summer, so leave extra time at ramps and keep your wake down near docks.

Lake of the Ozarks Family Activities

• Beaches. Lake of the Ozarks State Park has two sand swimming beaches, according to Wikipedia.
• Caves. Ozark Caverns lists reduced tour fees for ages 6 to 17 and free admission under age 6, as of October 2026.
• Castle ruins. Ha Ha Tonka's castle, spring and trails are free to enter.
• Water park. The Jolly Mon Indoor Water Park at Margaritaville Lake Resort is listed on the resort's gift certificate page.
• Paddling. Kayaks, canoes and paddleboards rent through the state park marinas.
• Life jackets. Missouri requires children under 7 to wear a life jacket whenever they are on a boat.

What Should You Bring to Lake of the Ozarks?

• Life jackets for everyone. Missouri requires one for each person aboard, and children under 7 must wear one whenever they are on a boat.
• Your boater safety card if you will run a motorized boat or sailboat over 12 feet or a personal watercraft and were born after January 1, 1984. Born on or after January 1, 2006, you need it on all Missouri waters starting January 1, 2027.
• A Missouri fishing permit if you plan to fish and are not exempt. Residents 65 and older are exempt.
• A sober designated driver. Boating while intoxicated is a crime in Missouri, and the Water Patrol enforces it.
• A working kill switch lanyard if your boat has one. Big Cedar Lodge's lake safety page says to attach it to the operator's vest, wrist or leg while underway.
• Registration and safety gear for your own boat. KOAM's summary of the Water Patrol brochure lists a Coast Guard approved life jacket for each person, a throwable device on boats 16 feet or longer, a fire extinguisher, navigation lights from sunset to sunrise and a sound device on boats 16 to 40 feet.
• Clean, drain and dry your boat. MDC has listed Lake of the Ozarks among waters with zebra mussels.
• A way to check the lake level. The box in the boating guide links to Ameren.
• Sun protection, water and insect repellent. Wikivoyage notes there is little shade on the water and advises summer repellent.
• A light jacket for cave tours. Ozark Caverns is 56 degrees Fahrenheit.

Local Knowledge: Mile Markers, Winter Drawdown and the Towns Under the Lake

The mile marker system

Mile marker zero is Bagnell Dam, and each marker counts miles by water. Because the lake is long and crooked, a marker can tell you more than a street address, and the Water Patrol uses them in its buoy notices. Arms such as the Gravois, the Glaize and the Niangua have their own numbering along their main channels, so confirm which channel a number refers to.

Why the water drops in winter

Ameren says it generally lowers the lake in winter to about 654 feet, six feet below the 660 foot full pool, to reduce the chance of flooding from spring rains. A lakeexpo report said the lake drops about 6 feet over the winter and that Ameren's low limit is 651 feet. The drawdown is why a ramp like Pa He Tsi can become unavailable below 658.5 feet.

Towns that went under

Old Linn Creek, Irontown and Gladstone were cleared and submerged when the lake filled, according to St. Louis Public Radio. Some cemeteries remain underwater because they were not found during clearing, per Wikipedia. Camdenton and the new Linn Creek were built as replacements.

A lake with several names

Wikipedia says the lake was called Osage Reservoir or Lake Osage during construction, and that the General Assembly formally named it Lake Benton. The popular name Lake of the Ozarks is the one that stuck, and Wikipedia also records a nickname, the Missouri Dragon, for its serpentine shape.

An icy winter

Wikipedia, citing Ameren, says the lake froze during a cold wave in 2021 for the first time in about 20 years.

Ozark, on and off the lake

The TV series Ozark is set in Osage Beach, but Wikipedia says it was filmed in Georgia.

Questions People Ask About Lake of the Ozarks

Is Lake of the Ozarks man-made?

Yes. Union Electric built Bagnell Dam on the Osage River between 1929 and 1931, and the lake began filling in February 1931 and opened to boats on May 30, 1931. It was built to produce hydroelectric power, not for flood control.

How big and how deep is Lake of the Ozarks?

Missouri State Parks gives about 55,000 acres and 1,150 miles of shoreline, and Ameren's 2017 shoreline plan gives about 94 square miles at normal pool. Wikipedia lists an average depth of 70 feet and a maximum of 130 feet, with no stated source. The lake is about 92 to 93 miles long.

What do the mile markers on Lake of the Ozarks mean?

Mile marker zero is Bagnell Dam, and the numbers count miles by water from the dam along the main channel. Boaters use them to describe locations on the long, winding lake, and arms like the Gravois and Little Niangua have their own numbers.

Why does the water level on Lake of the Ozarks drop in winter?

Ameren generally lowers the lake in winter to about 654 feet, six feet below the 660 foot full pool, to reduce the chance of flooding from spring rains. Ameren owns and operates Bagnell Dam and sets the level, and Truman Dam releases and rain also affect it.

Do I need a boater safety card to rent a boat at Lake of the Ozarks?

Operators born after January 1, 1984 need an approved boater safety card on Missouri lakes, and anyone born on or after January 1, 2006 will need one on all Missouri waters starting January 1, 2027, according to the Water Patrol. Missouri accepts cards from other states, and renters can buy a one-time seven day temporary card. Rental companies also set their own age and deposit rules.

What are the bass, crappie and catfish limits on Lake of the Ozarks?

As of MDC's 2026 special regulations page, largemouth and smallmouth bass must be at least 15 inches and spotted bass at least 12 inches, crappie must be at least 9 inches with a limit of 15 per day, and blue catfish from 26 to 34 inches must be released. The blue catfish limit is 10 per day with no more than 2 over 34 inches.

Where can I launch a boat on Lake of the Ozarks?

Lake of the Ozarks State Park has ramps at Grand Glaize Beach, Pa He Tsi and Public Beach 1, with a daily launch fee as of October 2026. A lakeexpo roundup also lists public access sites at Bagnell Dam, Coffman Beach, Gravois Mills, Shawnee Bend, near Camdenton and at Brown Bend.

What is Party Cove on Lake of the Ozarks?

Party Cove is the nickname for Anderson Hollow Cove, inside Lake of the Ozarks State Park at the 4 mile marker of the Grand Glaize Arm. Wikipedia says as many as 3,000 boats have gathered there on summer weekends. Wake and boating-while-intoxicated laws apply there like anywhere else on the lake.

Is the TV show Ozark filmed at Lake of the Ozarks?

The series is set in Osage Beach on the lake, but Wikipedia says it was filmed in Georgia.

What towns were flooded to make Lake of the Ozarks?

St. Louis Public Radio says Old Linn Creek, Irontown and Gladstone were cleared and submerged. Wikipedia says claims of more than 20 flooded towns are inaccurate and that the number was closer to eight. Camdenton and the new Linn Creek were created as replacements.

Lake of the Ozarks Gifts & Apparel

Lake Life Designs makes lake-specific products for people who love this lake. Our Lake of the Ozarks collection has hoodies, tees including a lake map tee, a long sleeve tee, a performance long sleeve shirt, a racerback tank, a trucker hat, a canvas print, a square pillow and a ceramic ornament. Looking for a gift for someone who loves the lake? See our guide to Lake of the Ozarks gifts.

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Details last verified October 2026. Parks, ramps, rules and the lake itself change with the season, so check the linked official pages before you go.

Sources: Missouri State Parks, boating, Missouri State Parks, Lake of the Ozarks State Park boating, Missouri State Parks, Ozark Caverns tours, Ameren Missouri, Lake of the Ozarks, Ameren Missouri, Shoreline Management Plan, Ameren Missouri news release on the winter drawdown, Wikipedia, Lake of the Ozarks, Wikipedia, Bagnell Dam, Wikipedia, Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Wikipedia, Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Wikipedia, Party Cove, Wikipedia, Osage Beach, Wikipedia, Camdenton, Wikipedia, Lake Ozark, Wikipedia, Sunrise Beach, Wikipedia, Eldon, Wikivoyage, Lake of the Ozarks, St. Louis Public Radio, how Missouri made the lake, MSHP Water Patrol, boater education FAQ, MSHP Water Patrol, life jackets, MSHP boating brochure SHP-44 B, MSHP Water Patrol notice of hearing, 2026, Boat-Ed, Missouri course, Boat-Ed, Lake of the Ozarks boat rentals, MDC, Lake of the Ozarks fishing prospects, MDC, Lake of the Ozarks prospect report, MDC, Lake of the Ozarks special regulations, MDC, fishing permits, MDC, zebra mussels release, Lake Expo, public boat ramps, Lake Expo, annual low point, Lake Expo, Truman releases and full pool, Lake Expo, Water Patrol wake enforcement, ABC 17 News, E. coli results 2019, Big Cedar Lodge, boat safety, Margaritaville Lake Resort, location