Lake of the Ozarks is a lake in south-central Missouri.
It is situated in the scenic Ozark Mountains about 68 kilometers (42 miles) southwest of Jefferson City.
Lake of the Ozarks is one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States.
It has a surface area of 21,850 hectares (54,000 acres) and 1,850 kilometers (1,150 miles) of shoreline.
Lake of the Ozarks is at an elevation of 201 meters (659 feet). The lake rarely varies in surface elevation by more than 1.5 meters (1.5 meters).
The main channel of the Osage Arm stretches 148 km (92 miles) from end to end.
The lake was created by the construction of the 775-meter (2,543-foot) long Bagnell Dam by the Union Electric Company of St. Louis, Missouri.
Construction of the dam began August 8, 1929, was completed in April 1931 and reached spillway elevation on May 20, 1931.
At the time of construction, the Lake of the Ozarks was the largest man-made lake in the United States and one of the largest in the world.
It was created to provide hydroelectric power for customers of Union Electric, but it quickly became a significant tourist destination.
Most of its shoreline is privately owned. There are over 70,000 homes along the lake, many of which are vacation homes. The lake is now a major resort area, and more than 5 million people visit annually.
The lake’s serpentine shape has earned it the nickname “Puff The Magic Dragon”, which has in turn inspired the names of local institutions such as The Magic Dragon Street Meet.
Ozarks is a toponym believed to be derived as an English-language adaptation of the French abbreviation aux Arcs – short for aux Arkansas, meaning “of/at Arkansas”. Originally, in the decades prior to the French and Indian War, aux Arkansas referred to the trading post at Arkansas Post, located in wooded Arkansas Delta lowland area above the confluence of the Arkansas River with the Mississippi River. “Arkansas” seems to be the French version of what the Illinois tribe (further up the Mississippi) called the Quapaw, who lived in eastern Arkansas in the area of the trading post. Eventually, the term came to refer to all Ozark Plateau drainage into the Arkansas and Missouri rivers.
The Lake of the Ozarks is one of Missouri’s premier vacation destinations.
Lake of the Ozarks State is home to Party Cove, a gathering spot that a New York Times writer called the “oldest established permanent floating bacchanal in the country.” The Missouri State Water Patrol has estimated that the cove attracts up to 3,000 boats during the Fourth of July weekend
AquaPolooza takes place each July. Attendees gather on rafts and inflatable tubes. Live music is usually played from noon to 5pm as boaters link up their boats to one another.
At the end of every summer, the Lake of the Ozarks holds an event called “The Shootout”. It is the biggest powerboat racing event of the year at the lake, and runs over a five-kilometers (three-mile) course.
One of the most popular things to do at Lake of the Ozarks is golfing at one of many golf courses.
Located on the National Register of Historic Places, Willmore Lodge is home to the Lake of the Ozarks Visitors Center. The facility also features a museum displaying the history behind nearby Bagnell Dam.
Lake of the Ozarks State Park is a beautifull park. It is the largest state park in the state and have over 2.5 million visitors per year.