lake ozark comparable
 

I live just north of st louis in Il and make 4 to 6 trips a year to the LOTO. I was just wondering if there was anything within the same distance (200miles) or possibly a lil further that would be comparable and worth the trip just for something differant.

NO - I've tried Lake Travis, Cumberland and several lakes in the Midwest, can't beat LOTO.

Lake michigan

Im sure some will disagree but there is nothing like LOTO in the whole country including both coast.

Can you explain why? What makes LOTO so much more enjoyable for you?

More bars, restaurants, and resorts per mile of water then any other place I know of. Plus there is usually some kind of activities going on every weekend in the summer. The lake is privately owned as apposed to a Corp lake which means you can build right up to the shoreline. Plus the Ozarks Hills are beautiful. Then there is party cove which is a huge topless party EVERY weekend if thats your cup of tea. The only drawback is our season is only 6 months.

Sounds like something i need to check out this year. Where is the party cove?

Mile marker 4 on the Glaize Arm.

http://www.funlake.com/marine/2005_marine_map.pdf

http://www.funlake.com/

Thanks for the information. LOTO is about 550 miles from me. so i would have to make a vacation out of it. But the lake looks really nice. I am a Cumberland boater and cant get enough of it. This weather is killin me.

well if you want something "different", table rock is a couple hours south. the water is much better than loto, BUT its a corp lake so its not dotted w/ condos & establishments. you wont have any off water attractions.

The reason I said "lake Michigan" is you wanted something different the same distance. There is only so much you can do in a man made lake. The attraction is really the crowd and the businesses. If you want a completely different experience, try the great lakes. It has nothing in common, but is a complete change.

I have done lake michigan and my ohhh my is it big...In my opinion you don;t get the beautiful scenary like you do at loto either....Lake Michigan can have some serious waves also...ON THE OTHER HAND..I love LOTO. It is a 400 mile trip for me and I absolutely hate the drive but its worth it every time. The chop there can get a little intense when they have the shootout but its usually not terrible. The ability to go eat dinner on waterfront bars and drive your boat is awesome. We hardely ever use a car there except to goto TopSiders at night. Kentucky Lake is the closest big lake to me and it is nice but not a great place if you are wanting places to drink on the water. Lake Cumberland is gorgeous but also lacks amenities. The only lake I havent been on that I am dying for is Havasu. So to really answer your question IMO there is nothing I have experienced even close to LOTO.

It's 360 miles for me and I go every weekend. Wife moved down July of 2008 and we love the area. I have a criminal justice degree and there is not much work in the area for me. She's working at the hospital and loves it.

It's as wild or as mild as you want to make it. I've boated all 12 months there and you can catch nice days every month out of the year to get out. Now if it's 50 degress I'll go, but we just love to get out even if it's for a few hours. The closed cooling systems from Merc are the best!

2 great lakes IMO, and for similar, but somewhat different reasons

LOTO: the size, the natural beauty of the surrounding hills, the lakeside amenities, the "do it as you want to" range of experiences possible. Greatly enhanced if you're a homeowner there, but still a great experience as a visitor/renter.

HAVASU: the size, the natural beauty of the desert, the solitude and sense of privacy along many parts of the shoreline, the ability to go from "lake" to "river" up through Topock Gorge, and the party like a rock star atmosphere to be found everywhere -- if you want to.

Never been to Cumberland, but from what I've seen in pics and read here....sounds to be somewhere between LOTO and Havasu as an experience.

For us LOTO is the place to be, we come down almost every weekend...365 miles one way... We love all of the options you have, you can find places up the lake that are not crowded or you can get knee deep in the action. It's all about what you want to do and enjoy....btw....Table Rock is a beautiful big lake , very clear and laid back...

ya we got a house down there and its about 100 miles one way for me .. i go every weekend b/t memorial and the shootout..

Thanks everybody for your replies. I think Ill stick with LOTO.I love the atmosphere and variety of places to go and hundreds of bada## boats. Doesnt sound like there is anything that compares to it anyware near me. Ill just stick to my original plan of buying a bigger boat so I can hang with the big boys a lil easier.lol.

I love Havasu and we hit it twice a month for 5 months of the year. The Chain o Lakes back home is like a mini Ozarks. Lake Michigan is cool but not much to do and it can be downright dangerous. I am going to make my first trip to LOTO this year. Looking forward to it.

LOTO is fun once or twice a year in my book.
I suppose I'm biased with Table Rock. My family has a house & houseboat there + I've boated there for most of my life so I know the lake like non-other.
True it has 0.01% of the stuff that LOTO has for bars & entertainment, but if I wanted that stuff, I'd go to Vegas.
I go boating to enjoy the water & not get beat to death or get hassled by the water PO-PO every time I leave some place.
LOTO also earned the award of being the 3rd most dangerous body of water in America and not just once.

Table Rock is great, but a completely different scene from LOTO. Great lake to boat on if you have a smaller boat. Better water all the time.

I however really prefer LOTO even in my little (by LOTO standards) boat. I have a Checkmate 253 Convincor and I don't hesitate to go anywhere at LOTO, but when it gets busy I am definitely small.:eek:

Jason is right on all accounts, I like both lakes, maybe LOTO gets the nod cuz it is almost 2 hrs closer for me and I HATE DRIVING.

Maybe lake Shelbyville south of Springfield IL. ????

Comparable to LOTO? No way. Not even close. :drink:

Yup, Shelbyville is nice, but it's no LOTO. The two lakes are nothing alike.

Shelbyville is very nice for a laid back trip.

LOTO is the best, I have been going there at least once if not 4-5 times a year since I was born.(44 yrs.now)The only other with the same type of enjoyment is the Chain o lakes in Northern Il.Kind of like a mini LOTO. There are alot of other nice lakes out there but nothing that LOTO offers.I live on the Chain now and plan to move to LOTO soon;due to better weather and a longer boating season. I was at the lake just a week or so ago on March 10th and it was 73 degrees there and 55 in Northern Illinois the same day.I drive 455 miles to get there and the trip is always worth it.

Shelbyville is NOTHING compared to LOTO, not even close..