www.iFourWinns.com

Our annual summer trip is probably going to just be me and my 2 boys this year, and we probably should stay relatively close to home. So, I'm thinking about doing a week at LOTO. Problem is, I haven't stayed there in nearly 13 years and didn't own a boat then. So I'm looking for advice on parts of the lake to stay on, which ones to avoid, and especially any leads on good places to stay with decent docks, nearby ramps (that aren't horrendously steep), etc. Any advice greatly appreciated!

BTW - where is Greenview? It doesn't even show up on Google Maps.

_________________


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

Hold on here, Mike are you actually planning on using your boat??????????????????????

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Ardy
Adelaide South Australia
Red H180 3.0 Merc

Mike,
This is were I'm staying next month for a family outing. Got food, a ramp and dock as well as lodging. This is at about the 62, well away from all the trouble makers!

http://www.kelleyslanding.com/

LODGING
Kelley's Landing
252 Nichol Road
Edwards, MO 65326
(573) 345-0055

_________________
Walt B
"Debt-Charged"
Black '07 H210SS
6.2L Bravo One turning a 21P HIFive
Wakeboard Tower with Perfect Pass Stargazer version
Missouri River; Kansas City, Mo.

Much appreciated Walt, I'll check that out.

Ardy - Pffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffft

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

Sounds like a great trip Mike.

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-Rob.


Current boat: 2011 Yamaha AR210
Previous boat: 1998 Horizon RX 4.3GL SX

Hope so, Rob, it's a bit daunting as it'll be the first time I've ever launched or loaded without my wife's help. Actually we may end up at Stillwater's at Table Rock instead, but still considering both.

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

The higher the milemarker, the more remote and private it will be. If you are looking for peace and quiet, head past the 50. If you want the crazy and lots of action, run from the mid 20's to party cove. There are tons of areas to explore and some beautiful areas. Get a good chart and have your GPS running so you can breadcrumb your way back home.

Eat a minnow for me at Dicks Halfway Inn at the 46.

_________________
2001 Horizon 260 - 7.4 Volvo GSI DP

Thanks, Dave!

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

My in-laws have a place out there on LOTO, but down closer to the dam. I was out there on Labor Day weekend a few years ago, and it was a madhouse.
I would love to go back again on a non-holiday weekend and cover some of the lake - it's totally my scene with lots of exploring to do, and cool places with docks to pull into for a bite to eat and perhaps a nice frosty beverage!

Enjoy!

_________________
2002 Funship 214
VP 5.7 GX Si
2003 Tahoe

When I was a kid, my best friend's family had a cabin on the Gravois Mills arm (when the places there actually were cabins instead of multi-million dollar estates). I used to spend weekends and a couple of weeks there with them during the summers; his mom taught me how to ski behind their brand-new 18' Mark Twain . That was when it was rare to see a boat as large as 20' there and during the week, you could run all the way down the lake and not see 5 other boats. Man, I'm old.

Anyway, I'd like to see parts of that lake again, just to reminisce if nothing else. Maybe find their cove and see what became of it. Or maybe I shouldn't.

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

And under no circumstance are you to return from your outing without photos. As you know, if there is no pics, it never happened. Oh yeah enjoy your time on the water!!

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Ardy
Adelaide South Australia
Red H180 3.0 Merc

Mike,
My sis's place is about 2 miles from Kelly's landing. It's just across from Rebel Marina. Big dick's is about 15 mi one way, Warsaw about 15 mi the other. On the water there are 4 bars, a restaurant (Kelly's), a gas station and a grocery store within about 3 miles. Plus, you can't beat rainey creek cove for isolation when you want to ski/tube/ whatever.

_________________
Walt B
"Debt-Charged"
Black '07 H210SS
6.2L Bravo One turning a 21P HIFive
Wakeboard Tower with Perfect Pass Stargazer version
Missouri River; Kansas City, Mo.

LOTO looks fun. Very narrow "lake" it looks more like a river. After reading about it on Wikipedia I see it was formed by the Osage river. Looks very long. Are you all able to boat year-round there or does it get too cold?

Is there boating on Truman Lake, too?

Looks like fun!

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Vic
"Byte Me"
1989 Vista 245
Lake Norman, NC

All the "good" lakes in this region are just dammed-up rivers, part of a coordinated flood control plan run mostly by the Corp of Engineers. Although, ironically, LOTO is not a CoE lake - it's owned (or at least used to be) by the local electric company, which is why it's become so commercialized (and crazy) whereas the other regional lakes mostly aren't.

If you look at the maps and compare the topography of LOTO and Table Rock (further straight south in MO), you'll see they look much alike - because they're both just rivers . TR is down into the Ozark Mountains, so it's much deeper. But both have countless coves and new places to see. This combined with the relatively clear water owing to the rocky terrain of the area is what makes them attractive.

There is boating on Truman and some people love it. But it's more of a combined boating/fishing lake, with large areas still full of brush (it's also a newer lake compared to the others).

All the lakes in the northern half of MO ice up during the winter, at least enough that when combined with the cold air & wind you won't see many open boats on the water. I'm not sure how much ice TR gets but I'm fairly sure it gets some also.

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

Mike, I think you'll find that LOTO is quite tolerable during the weekdays. It won't be as calm as you remember it from back in the day, but it is definitely do-able with a boat your size during the week. The monster boats are usually sleeping between weekends. No doubt you'll still see some, but you won't be overwhelmed. You should go check out that cove. Odds are it is full of docks with several enormous boat lifts.

_________________
Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)