9 Best Lakes in Missouri

Missouri is home to many beautiful lakes that provide the perfect getaway for almost any point in the year. Below are the top 10 best lakes in Missouri, followed by the methodology that landed them on the list.

#1 Lake of the Ozarks

It likely comes with little surprise that Lake of the Ozarks landed at #1 on the list. The Lake of the Ozarks has a surface area of over 54,000 acres with more than 70,000 homes along 1150 miles of shoreline.

The lake brings in more than 5 million visitors each year to enjoy everything from fishing and boating to great restaurants and nightlife.

While Lake of the Ozarks is a great vacation spot, those interested in fishing should prepare for the boat traffic. Local fishermen often call it the "lake of the ocean," with the number 40+ foot cruisers causing rough water on the weekends.

Best Lakes in Missouri Methodology

Determining the best lakes in Missouri took in-person experience and publicly available data revolving around four key dimensions:

• Amenities
• Reviews
• Proximity to amenities
• Ease of access

We evaluated the strength of each Missouri lake across those dimensions using 21 relevant variables, which are listed below with their corresponding weights.