www.iFourWinns.com

Saturday, October 9, Patoka Lake in southern Indiana - The sky was blue, the air was warm (85), the water was calm, clear, and cool, and there was hardly another boat out there. It was spectacular.

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2005 Horizon 250

Wow! Gorgeous.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

My parents live 30 mintes from Patoka Lake, so we frequently boat here when we are visiting. We watched 4th of July fireworks over Patoka this year and my 2 year old still talks about that night every time he sees the boat. I would definitely recommend it if you are close.

Too bad the boat traffic isn't this light during the summer months!

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2001 Four Winns Horizon 180LE, VP 4.3GL/SX
2006 Ford F-150 Extended Cab 4x4, 5.4L

Yeah, it is less than an hour from here, so we have been there quite a bit. In the summer, on a weekend day, it can be pretty crowded for tubing or skiing, and there are some shallow areas to watch out for, but overall it is a real nice lake for a day on the water. The DNR officers are regularly patrolling on weekends, and seem to like to inspect boats randomly. That's fine - it keeps people safer and decreases crazy behavior, but it still is a little annoying when you know you are in compliance and have to drag out all your jackets, point out fire extinguishers, etc. for their satisfaction.

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2005 Horizon 250

That part of the state is beautiful! I've driven past Patoka lake a handful of times and always wondered if it was a good lake for boating. Would you guys consider it a good lake to spend the weekend on in a small cruiser?

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Our Boating Blog: http://ben-dana.blogspot.com/

2005 268 Vista "Sea Pickle II"
1979 AMF Alcort Puffer
Previous:
2003 FW190 Horizon
1973 Startcraft 18ft "Sea Pickle"

Nice pics. We've never been there, we normally head to Monroe/Brookville/Lake Michigan. That extra drive past Monroe just hasn't been worth it...I think the lakes smaller to.

Beautiful pics none the less. We're headed out this weekend to close out the season.

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Patoka lake is slightly smaller than Monroe but I think it is less crowded and dangerous than Monroe on weekends (and it is closer to me). I found this info on the internet - the 4 largest lakes in Indiana are: Lake Monroe -10,750 acres, Patoka Lake -8,800 acres, Brookville Lake -5,260 acres, and Gibson Lake -3,490 .

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2005 Horizon 250

Well it doesn't compare to a big lake like Lake Cumberland, but it should be fine for a boat your size. There are a few areas that are designated as no wake or <5 mph where people can anchor in calm water, and there is enough space to get a good sustained cruise in as well. This map isn't great but you can get an idea.



It is also close to French Lick which has a decent casino and 2 fabulous resorts, especially West Baden.

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2005 Horizon 250

Great pics!

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Current: 2006 H200 5.0 GXI SX Blue/White
Previous: 2003 H220 VP 5.7 Gi DP
Black/White

Nice. Our leaves on our lake in Georgia are going strait from green to brown. The drought and heat didn't help but, then again, it is rare that we get much color down here ever. We need some of you guys on the upper East Coast to post your autumn leaves pics.

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Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY