I grew up spending time on and around Lake Monroe. My parents still boat there almost every weekend in the summer. It's a nice clean lake, but it can get busy. There are very few places for Indiana people to go boating, so they go to Monroe. It's not a deep lake, but it's plenty deep for any boating activity. I've gotten use to the 100' to 200' depths in Missouri/Arkansas. We would typically launch at Cutright SRA simply because it was easy to get to and usually quiet. Cutright also has a very large no wake area, so you can just float and relax or you can venture under the bridge and go WOT. Once our day was done, we would pack up and drive through Bloomington to grab dinner and then head home.
All in all, since you haven't been there, you should go at least once and form your own opinion. I've never been to Norris, so I can't compare the two. Once you've been to Cumberland or Dale Hollow, it's really hard to go anywhere else! I also really enjoy Rough River Lake in KY.
Hope that helps a little!
