What's the skinny on Lake of the Ozarks?

[bob3185]

To the lady who wanted to know if Lake of the Ozarks was "safe". You said that people warned you of drunk boaters etc. That happens, no denying it and not just at the Lake of the Ozarks. But your main concern with two young daughters should be the water itself. There are signs posted all over the lake saying not to eat the fish due to contamination. Now, if fish swim in the water and are unfit to eat, what would it do to a swimmer? I don't want to find out. It's a pity. I grew up going to that area and I have some of my fondest memories of weekend "vacations" and the occasional week long cabin rental. It's changed and not for the better. The dam area is more like a carnival than a tourist attraction. It has arcades and tacky tourist traps et al. So, my advice, find a nice safe state park like Meramec State Park, or many others that are safe, sane and close to food, gas, water, and friendly people.

[aragx6]

Fish aren't unfit to eat because they swim in the water, it's because they eat all the crap that gets left behind. I've never heard of anyone becoming ill from the water, I think it's perfectly safe to swim in.

[Bobster]

From what I understand they do have some problems with water quality in certain parts of the lake, I would imagine that they would be in the more densely populated/used parts of the lake closer to the dam.

Even still, I don't think that it's a major thing or is something that is going on all of the time. If it's a concern, you might want to contact the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and I'm sure that they would give you the skinny!

[aragx6]

There was a story last year about some e. coli issues. But it was only three of the 62 samples as this article below state, hardly something to be concerned about. I'd be more concerned about the 6 people who drowned last year because they were drunk.

Water testing at the Lake of the Ozarks reveals levels of E. coli bacteria higher than the state's acceptable limits. The high levels were found in three of the 62 samples taken, all three coming from coves on Horseshoe Bend.

E. coli found in Lake of the Ozarks : News : KRCG (http://new.krcgonline.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=38628 - broken link)

[la_missourienne]

L of O has a lot of younger-kid family-friendly stuff and is generally a nice area. However, the drunk boating and such is a problem, so you have to be careful should you choose to have any outings in/on the lake.
One other thing to keep in mind: TRAFFIC. Although improvements have been made, the main 'strip' (Hwy 54) is crazy with traffic all summer. You will also pay more for gas here than you would just 10 miles outside of the Lake area (but certainly not CA prices or anything).
Recommendations:
A place that is very nice to stay: Lodge of the Four Seasons (a bit pricey, though)
State Park to see: Ha Ha Tonka (cool castle ruins!)
Shopping: outlet mall--but caution: not all of the stores are 'outlets' and therefore not actually bargains
Eating: there are many good local places--be sure to ask around!
Amusement park: Big Surf (water park)

But, as nice as L of O is in many ways, I'd personally rather seriously vacation elsewhere if the water is the thing (such as pp's have suggested). L of O is nice for, say, a weekend getaway IMHO.

[Bobster]

Not to beat a dead horse, but a lot of these comments about the lake seem to paint it as clogged full of drunken boaters. Yeah, on 54 and around the dam, traffic can get bad and there are drunken boaters on the lake, particularly at party cove, but over-all it's not really that bad!

Especially, if you get past a certain point. I wish somebody with better knowledge of the resorts further up the lake would pipe in...

[bob3185]

HaHa Tonak state park is very nice if you're into camping. The rates are reasonable and in the evenings a ranger has a info presentation around a big campfire. Nice family fare. And yes the castle and small cave that is navagible by about anyone is fun for kids. The fishing isn't bad. But like I said, don't eat the catch. Someone said they aren't edible because of all the tourist food they eat. Not so. The fish are contaminated pure and simple. I might have been a little hard about the "tourist trap" mentality at the dam area. I have some good memories of that area too and it has some "Ozark" humor and hillbilly atmosphere that the Ozarks thrive on. There are numerous cabin/motel rentals and there is a boat tour of the lake on a big tour boat. The drive to the destination is fairly picturesque in its own right. If you're an outdoors person it would be a nice trip.

[Mary-Iris]

Thanks all. The area sounds "colorful!" I think we'll explore the area for a weekend at most.