The largest human-made lake in America, in 1931.
Lake of the Ozarks is a reservoir on the Osage River in central Missouri, created by Bagnell Dam in 1931 — the largest human-made lake in the United States at the time, with 1,150 miles of shoreline built by a Depression-era workforce that averaged 4,000 workers a day.
Lake of the Ozarks sits in central Missouri, dammed on the Osage River when Union Electric — now Ameren — completed Bagnell Dam in 1931, starting construction in August 1929 and employing an average of 4,000 workers a day, over 20,000 total, at the height of the Great Depression. The result was the largest human-made lake in the United States at the time, 1,150 miles of shoreline. The Bagnell Dam Strip in Lake Ozark, a half-mile stretch of old Highway 54 Business, has been the lake's commercial heart since the dam's completion — souvenir shops, arcades, and mini golf anchored by two 1960s fiberglass statues. Osage Beach, the larger modern town, carries most of today's marina and dining base: Lake of the Ozarks State Park Marina and Backwater Jack's, the lake's well-known waterfront bar and grill. Lake of the Ozarks State Park itself, Missouri's largest, adds 85 miles of shoreline, two swimming beaches, and the Ozark Caverns. Osage Beach covers the grocery run and the hospital.
Color-coded by category. Toggle layers, search by name or town, tap a pin for the editorial.
Same restaurants, wineries, parks — re-sorted around what you're actually trying to do.
The questions travelers actually ask before they arrive. Direct answers, the way a friend would phrase them.
9+ answers →