I was talking to a friend yesterday that hauls boats and he mentioned he had just went by the lake and it wasn't frozen. I guess I assumed it would have been frozen in mid Jan. ???

Does it freeze over every year? I would have thought it would be frozen for Jan/Feb. If not, any crazy people ever running around this time of the year?

During the really cold spells there are some coves the freeze. It is pretty rare for the main channel to freeze. Last year was cold enough to have a thin layer of ice in the main channel that lasted for a short period of time. It is not unusual to see boats out on nice days during the winter. There are often bass tournaments about every weekend too, those guys are crazy. You'll see them year round out on the lake.

Is the lake still down ??? i seem to remember some talk about they drop the lake level like 8 to 10 foot in the fall mos ...

Thanks JMS... you're right, fishermen tend to be nuts when it comes to getting out in the weather!

i was out at loto right before christmas picking up my new boat and there was boats out running around

I've boated every month of the year at LOTO. I boated on 12/10/2010 (sunny, 63, light winds) and there were a dozen or so boats out between the dam and the 4 MM. As stated above, rarely does the main channel freeze over but I have seen it on a couple of occasions. Most years if you can get out of your cove you can boat. The shallow water coves that are protected from wind and waves are what usually freeze over. They drop the lake every spring for the shoreline cleanup and to accommodate the spring rains and any melt water.

They usually drop it in March, but not 8-10 feet. More like 4-5 feet. The idea is just before spring rains people can clean up the shore and repair break water walls.

I swear it was 6 feet the one year everyone's walkways were falling off the seawalls!

There has been a few years it went a little lower because the rains didn't come and they are still producing electricity. It might get down to about 653-654 ft. But then lots of folks start getting nervous as some lifts in more shallow water are getting close to bottoming out. Most years it doesn't go below 655. 659-660 is full pool.

The lake will drop close to 6' almost every year and usually late February or early March is the lowest. In early March of 2009 the lake dropped to 653' (7' down) for a few days and that is the lowest I have saw it since living here from 2000.

The main channel froze in front of my house at the 13 mile marker last year and I was able to walk on it....not thick enough to go far out though or should I say I was too chicken to try.