Southwest Missouri is an area well known for its lakes. Branson herself (part of the Southwest Missouri region) boasts three of the most famous lakes around! Table Rock Lake, Bull Shoals Lake and Lake Taneycomo have hosted anglers, boaters, swimmers and lovers of the outdoors in general for years, and 2016 is a great year to spend on and around these outstanding Branson lakes!
Swimming: Almost everybody loves to go for a swim on a hot summer day. Branson lakes provide some great opportunities to jump in and start swimming. Moonshine Beach, located on Table Rock Lake just across the dam off of Highway 165, is a fantastic place to swim. It is a true beach here is the Ozarks – complete with sand! For $5 per vehicle, you can bring your swim gear, your sunscreen, and a picnic and stay all day long. The whole cove at Moonshine Beach is roped off with a thick floating yellow cord, so swimmers know where the safest area to swim is. There is no lifeguard on duty at the beach, so make sure to keep an eye on your little ones and make sure that everyone in your group knows basic swimming safety rules. Moonshine Beach also offers amenities like bathrooms, showers, picnic pavilions (with barbeque grills) and a playground for little lake goers.
Fishing: Branson Lakes are well known for their great fishing. Folks come from all over the country hoping to get a bite. The cold, crisp waters of Lake Taneycomo hold some of the nation’s best fishing opportunities – especially for trout! All year round, the Brown trout and the Rainbow trout in Lake Taneycomo make a great challenge for the avid fisherman. For a cool summer fishing experience, the shallow waters near the foot of the Table Rock Dam (next to the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery) average a chilly 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Many record breaking Rainbow and Brown trout have been reeled in from this lake – it’s no surprise, what with 750,000+ trout stocked annually.
Boating: If you’re the type who likes to be out ON the water instead of in it or near the edge, you are certain to love boating on Branson lakes. The State Park Marina on Table Rock Lake has all the ingredients you and your crew need for a safe, successful and fun boating experience! The State Park Marina offers boat rentals, wave runners, parasailing, scuba diving, guided fishing trips and unique tours aboard ‘The Spirit of America,’ the pride of the marina docks. The marina also features a boathouse store, where boaters can purchase all the staples for a day on the water – hats, sunglasses, snacks, sunscreen, fishing gear, inner tubes, ropes and life jackets are all available here.
Scuba Diving: For a really unique activity on Bull Shoals, consider going IN the lake instead of on or beside it. That’s right, for the really adventurous lake goers, Bull Shoals Lake offers some of the most unique scuba dive tours around. At the Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock, you can take a scuba diving class from P.A.D.I certified trainers, take a daytime OR nighttime guided boat diving trip, and even learn how to become a search and recovery scuba diver! You can rent or purchase your scuba diving equipment from the Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock, and group charter rates are available. And for the really adventurous divers, Bull Shoals Lake allows spearfishing of certain species of fish during daylight hours only.
