New places to boat?
 

Guys,

I usually make 2-3 trip a year down to LOTO to go boating. The WP has pretty much ruined any enjoyment you could possibly get down there with stopping everyone all the time, including me (and no, I have no OUIs).

So, I am looking for some new places to go, have fun, do some partying. I usually take 4-5 fun people with me, and sometimes there are 4-5 boats of friends, as well...

I live in Central IL and am looking for cool lakes with roughly a 4 1/2 - 5 hr radius tow max (or less). Anyone want to share some of their experiences or promote the lake/river they boat on?

I have been to Chain O'Lakes (fun but shallow). Would you recommend going back there? Only been twice and it's been awhile. I have also been to Centerhill Lake 45 min East of Nashville. It is a lot like LOTO in that it's a reservoir. Great, clean lake, just don't remember too many places to hang out on the lake (although, Nashville is a short drive for great nightlife).

Any suggestions welcome. Thinking about making one trip to Put IN Bay on Erie. Anyone have any comments about that?

Thanks in advance,
Zack

Nice Lake
 

Come down and boat on Table Rock. We have the best water around. Deep, clean, and pretty wide open to let your boat run. It gets pretty busy on weekends but is nothing like LOTO. Cow Creek is a good cove to hit usually a good crowd. The WP usually leaves you alone unless you do something stupid. It's one of the best lakes around.

a little far, but give lake texoma a try on one of the 'big' weekends... (if you are looking for something wild)

Yup...come visit. We are about 4 hrs from STL depending on what part of the lake you put in.

Very clean, very deep, and very wide open.

I live on the Mississippi between locks 17 and 18 (Oquawka to New Boston il). 20 miles of open boating. Afew hot boats, see WP couple times a year, 2 or 3 rukus runs ( mainly locals, stock pleasure, pontoons, jon boats, etc.). Lock thru 2 or 3 times a year to Burlington ia or Muscatine ia. Planning on going to Coralville Lake in Ia, very small but heard they have a party cove ( University of Iowa) and Princeton beach in the Quad Cities ( heard there's some nice boats and bikinis). Mark Twain lake is nice, stayed outside of town: motel, restaraunt and party bar all in one. Would like to try the Illinois but heard it is pretty narrow.Been to Clinton lake or Lake Shellybeville? Would like to try them out. Done with LOTO, WP and wakes from other boats.

Hey Zack, we boat thru Peoria several times a year and have always had a great time. We boat a lot in downtown Chicago on Lake Michigan now and have found a great group to hang out with. Have you ever hit some of the Chicagoland Harbors as well as Indiana and Southern Michigan. A lot of great spots and only a few hours away. You can usually check the weather forecasts a few days in advance and be sure that it is not going to be too big of water to enjoy because that is the only obstacle to avoid. Besides occasional 5'+ water, the restaurants, nightlife from harbor to harbor, etc. can be a great time not to mention the playpen downtown on weekends. Check it out up here. Hammer

Zack, have you tried Mark Twain? Little over 3 hours from here in Bloomington. Norris in TN? Dale Hollow or Cumberland?

BG, I run the river all the time from Peoria to Starved Rock and from the other side of the lock at Peoria all the way down to LaGrange. Don't be afraid to try it out. You would like Shelbyville and Cove 5 in the summer. I keep my boat on a lift at Clinton Lake. There are a bunch of us on the same Dock that raft-off and party every weekend. Give a shout out if you ever want to come this way and looking for people to hang with or need any information.

Jeff

Lake Michigan sounds great. What about trailering up past the last loch on the IL River, running through DT Chicago, then on up to Milwaukee? Been there for the 100th and thought Mil River looked like fun?


Wanted to go to Texoma and Table Rock. I will put them on the list!

Knotforme, thanks for the invite, will definitely be coming down this summer, a salesman that I know boats a lot on Cinton Lake and wants me to come down, sounds like fun. Do they have Motels or places to dock and sleep on the boat? Thanks BG

Zack put in bay is a great place to go. i am a member of the WNYOPA you should come to buffal ny for our fun run on june 14th its a blast you can also go to www.wnyfunrun.org for more info

Can always come play at Kentucky Lake. Party is ON at the Rock Quarry, suggest staying at Moors Marina http://www.moorsresort.com/

IM me if you have any questions. Will also be having the 5th annual Carl Flood Memorial Poker Run June 20-21.

http://discoverkentucky.org/pokerrun/index.html

You can rent a slip at the marina and sleep on the boat if you want. You would have to go back into Clinton to get a hotel room and that is about 10 miles or so from the lake. Here is the marina's website to call for slip rental information.

http://clintonlakemarina.com/index.html

Lake Cumberland is pretty close to your radius. State Dock and Jamestown Marina are pretty good places.

Zack,

Lake Winnebago (30 miles long, 12 miles wide) and the 140 miles of awesome rivers and other lakes around it. Come up to the 14th Annual Oshkosh Thunder Poker Run in Oshkosh, WI (June 13, 14, 15) for a great time and lots of people that will show you the cool spots. Call me with questions.

Mark
920.420.5678

try lake wawasee in northern indiana a few of the people I boat with say it is a great lake to boat and party on. I would deffinitly recomend put-in-bay any time in july and august a non stop party, but get there early the a b c docks fill up fast.

Just curious.. Been two years since we have been down to LOTO and have a condo/slip booked for Memorial Day Weekend. Has the law really gotten that bad?? Need help!! This is my birthday weekend, don't really care to spend the whole weekend talking to people with badges in Challengers!! Locals...please reply

We Go To The Loto Several Times A Year And Take A Two Week Vacations Down There. If You Don't Do Anything Stupid They Pretty Much Leave You Alone.

I've been going every year, multiple times per year, since 1999. The only time I've been pulled over on the water was when I had a new boat with no registration stickers. They wanted to see the paper work, did a quick safety check, and sent me on my way. If your boat is displaying proper registration stickers, you are not making a wake in a no wake zone, you do not have anyone sitting up on a sunpad while moving, you do not have an open beer in your hand while driving, etc. then the water patrol will leave you alone. It is easy to spot the boats on the water that are just begging to be pulled over. Be smart and they leave you alone.

They have become horrible the last couple of years. It is sad because it is such a great lake to hang out at. They do just sobriety checks and pull over everyone. I have been pulled over for some off the wall reasons. Last year I got pulled over because they could see the top of my 8 year olds head and wanted to make sure he had his jacket on. I also got pulled over last year for going 35 at night. 30mph is the limit but it is hard to keep a cat on plane under 30. Don't be fooled. Most lakes pull boats over for doing something stupid, loto wp pulls "everyone over" sooner or later.

I boat there exclusively. I've not had this issue. The sobriety checks are few and far between, no different than on the road. Although they do have them infrequently. I find that during busy times there is enough crazy stuff going on that there are plenty of others begging to get pulled over, like K4M indicated.

The one day I got nick nacked a few years back, there was an officer that was training a new recruit. He pulled me over twice in 3 hours. First time was because I was not totally off plane when I hit the no wake buoys going into Frankie and Louie's. That was the weekend they moved the buoys out another 1/4 mile or so from the place, and they sat there most of the day pulling poeple over to remind them the markers changed. Then he got me a few hours later at the no wake under Grand Glaize, where he said he thought he saw someone sitting on the engine hatch (BS). As the new recruit started the safety drill, my wife reminded the senior officer that we had just gone through it, had he forgotten? The officer remembered and just sent us on our way immediately.

Other than that, and going through a sobriety check on purpose because I knew it was there the day after labor day (call me nuts for just wanting to experience it), I've not had any issues for years. The sobriety check was hilarious. My wife and I were out alone, with only water and soda, and before I could get the registration out of the cabin my wife had asked the officer about 15 questions on where he went to school, how he got interested in this field of work, etc etc. When I came out of cabin with the coast guard registration, he just looked at me and said "thank you for being a sober boater sir, you and your wife go ahead and be on your way!" He never checked anything.

I agree with you at night time though, especially between 10 and 1am or so. And especially if you are leaving the bar areas like Toads or Backwater Jacks. They just hang out at those areas and follow boats that leave. If you break the 30MPH speedlimit you just gave them an excuse to check to see if you are over the alcohol limit. A reason I rarely, almost never boat at night anymore. That and I don't trust many of the other boats at night.

Mark,

I'll have to add that one to the short list! Great tip, Thanks.

Zack

They are pretty bad anymore. Typical sitting outside docks after dark, waiting. Agreed , if you don't act stupid, probably ok.

BUT, they have shut down a whole run o fthe lake and funnelled all boats through a "safety check." Locals told me it generally happens when they do on-road road blocks.

Additionally, someone in the Frankie & Louie's cove is allowing them to dock their boat in a slip. I was watching a WP boat one minute, looked up and he was gone. A large boat with a single caught my attention as I idled by in a slip with line-of-sight to the dock.

You guessed it... WP guy had slipped boat, was up on the dock using night vision binoc's watching everything going on. So someone over there doesn't like the boat traffic and was allowing them to use their dock as a hiding/observation point.

Zack

Not worth the drive from Illinois, not even worth the 45 min drive for me.

I got pulled over last year @ the fall harbor hop on a bogus deal like the ones above. The WP claimed I was in gear when my wife hopped on deck to place the bow line. Having only had Diet Pepsi all day I made sure to let the officer know that the sticks were in neutral and he was welcome to hop in and take a look if he didn't believe me. He quickly realized he wasn't citing me for anything and just asked to see some life jackets. At this point I go into the cabin to grab the jackets and I kill the engines because I forgot to take my lanyard off. There were three adults on board and I brought out 8 Jackets and showed the officer the lanyard hoooked to my shorts and said "Looks like my Lanyard works."

At this point I was on my way. No Documentation info or anything.

If you are sober you have nothing to worry about. They will send you on your way.