The Lake of the Ozarks is a reservoir formed by damming the Osage River in the northern Ozarks of central Missouri.

The impoundment includes portions of three smaller tributaries to the Osage: the Niangua River, Grandglaize Creek, and Gravois Creek. The lake has a surface area of 54,000 acres (220 km2) and a shoreline of 1,150 miles (1,850 km).

The Osage Arm’s main channel stretches 92 miles (148 kilometers) from one end to the other.

The drainage area is more than 14,000 square miles in total. The lake’s serpentine shape has earned it the moniker “The Magic Dragon,” which has inspired the names of local institutions such as The Magic Dragon Street Meet.

Lake of the Ozarks

Union Electric Company of St. Louis built the 2,543-foot-long Bagnell Dam, which created the lake. Stone and Webster was the primary engineering firm. Construction began on August 6, 1929, and ended in April 1931.

AmerenUE, the successor to Union Electric, operates and maintains the dam under the authority of a permit issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The Lake of the Ozarks spans four Missouri counties: Miller, Morgan, Camden, and Benton.

The massive body of water backed up behind Bagnell Dam is the Midwest’s largest man-made lake.

Ralph Street, a Kansas City developer, was the first to pursue a hydroelectric power plant on the Osage River in 1912. Street raised the initial funding and began constructing the roads, railroads, and infrastructure needed to begin dam construction, with the intention of impounding a much smaller lake. Street’s funding dried up in the mid-1920s, and he abandoned the project. ​

The lake was known as Osage Reservoir or Lake Osage during its construction. Lake Benton was officially named by the Missouri General Assembly after Senator Thomas Hart Benton.

None of the names stuck, as it was commonly referred to as the northern edge of the Ozarks. The utility company, however, continues to refer to the electric generating station as the “Osage Hydroelectric Plant.”

The Lake of the Ozarks has an estimated storage capacity of 1,927,000 acre-feet (2.377109 m3). It has a surface elevation of 660 feet (200 meters) and a surface area of approximately 54,000 acres when filled to that volume (220 km2).

The lake’s surface elevation rarely varies by more than 5 feet (1.5 m). The lake has limited flood control capacity because it was built for power generation rather than flood control.

Because of its large volume and surface area, the Lake of the Ozarks is either Missouri’s largest reservoir or the second-largest after Truman Reservoir, according to various sources.

Why is Lake of the Ozarks so famous?

Missouri’s most popular lake destination has more than 1,100 miles of shoreline, which is more than the length of the California coast. The Lake of the Ozarks has public beaches, excellent fishing, and plenty of space for fun and recreation on the water.

Can you swim in Lake Ozark?

If you enjoy the water, visit the park’s two sandy beaches: Public Beach 1 off Highway 134 and Public Beach 2 in the Grand Glaize area off Highway 54 west of the Grand Glaize bridge. These areas have restrooms and changing rooms as well.

What is the best part of Lake of the Ozarks?

Lake Ozark, just south of the Osage River impoundment, the Bagnell Dam, is one of the best activity base camps. Osage Beach, six miles south of Lake Ozark, is also a popular tourist destination and the largest city on the Lake of the Ozarks.

Are there alligators in the Ozarks?

The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains or the Ozark Plateau, are located in five different states. They range from Illinois to Kansas, with the majority in Arkansas and Missouri. Technically, alligators have been spotted in the Ozarks.

What is at the bottom of the Lake of the Ozarks?

A sunken small town lies at the bottom of Lake of the Ozarks. With the construction of the dam in the 1920s, an entire town was submerged underwater. Linn Creek is an old town located below the Lake of the Ozarks.