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-   -   Table Rock vs Bull Shoals (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/table-rock-vs-bull-shoals-545263/)

tdelano Jul 19th, 2005 07:42 AM

Table Rock vs Bull Shoals
 
Can anyone compare the water clarity between Table Rock Lake and Bull Shoals Lake?
Thanks

lov_my_girlies Jul 19th, 2005 08:22 AM

I'm very familiar with both of them. It's essentially the same water, as Table Rock flows to Taneycomo, then on to Bull Shoals. Bull Shoals is A LOT less crowded so you don't get the mixed up water like you do at Tablerock. But I also think Tablerock is clear, especially compared to Lake of the Ozarks!

Are you looking to dive? There's more of that at Bull Shoals because there's less traffic. My husband and brother-in-law and friends dive there alot.

Let me know if you have any other questions--I've spent a lot of time at Bull Shoals and was just at Tablerock in the end of June.
Ruth

tdelano Jul 19th, 2005 12:29 PM

Ruth,
Thank you for your quick reply. We live in Ok near Grand Lake.. just visited Table Rock this last weekend. We had heard so many people talk about how clear the water is. It is much much better than Grand but I was hoping or a bit more clear than what it was. We had heard that Bull Shoals has a more rocky bottom and that it was better than Table Rock.. Table Rock was BUSY. It had me a bit worried at times with my kids on a tube behind the boat. Can you recommend a good place to rent boats on Bull Shoals and/or a good place to stay? Thanks!!

beckers2482 Jul 19th, 2005 12:35 PM

K-Dock (on hwy. K) used to rent boats - both fishing and pontoon. They may even rent jet skis. Totally agree that Bull Shoals is much calmer, that is where we always went when I was a kid. TR is just too busy for my taste, and I think Bull Shoals is just as nice (but not quite as clear). Gorgeous scenery around the lake and lots of very calm coves - you can usually find one where you can have it all to yourself. Have fun!

lov_my_girlies Jul 20th, 2005 03:12 PM

Here are some places that we've been, but I'm wondering if they are on the side where you want to be, since we come from St. Louis. Here are some that would be closer for you:


http://www.bullshoals.com/cedarcreek/
Cedar Creek Cove--cabins just up the hill from the lake. Nice dock. 2 bdrm cabins about $80/night. Nice family. Not really close to anything...about a 10-15 min drive to any store. Great fishing off the dock. We had a family reunion there and my brother-in-law brought some dog food that really got the fish going! The kids caught fish all day long! REally remote area to boat. We spent a week there one time and joked when we saw another boat--"what are you doing on our lake?"

Wing and Fin Resort
http://www.bullshoals.com/wingfin/ Clean cabins. Pool. Nice family. Nice dock, although you would drive down a hill to it. Close to Theodosia--there's a very good and reasonable restaurant there called Cookies. It's owned by the guy who owns the Theodosia marina. You can rent a boat there. There are cabins, etc right in that area, but it's rather close together for our taste. Rent the boat there, then you can dock it at your resort. Here's that info:
Theodosia Marina Resort, PO Box 390, Theodosia, MO 65761, 417-273-4444 "Full service marina, lodging, restaurant, RV facilities, camping, all right on the lake"

Turkey Creek Ranch, HC 3, Box 3180-FW, Theodosia, MO 65761, 417-273-4362 "The lake resort with a dude ranch flavor" This place is on the way to Cedar Creek Cove. I drove through there thinking it looked like a place we might want to try. There are cabins, horses, a nice dock, etc. Looks like a "family camp" type atmosphere. THey only take one week reservations though.

Another area to try might be Protem, Mo. and the 125 Boat Dock area. I don't know what kind of accomodations there are there.

You can go further south into Arkansas and go to Bull Shoals, Ar. but there's more traffic down in that area.

Bull Shoals is very remote. Let me warn you. Theodosia is the "largest" town in the northeast part of the lake and that's a very loose term. There are a couple restaurants a grocery, hardware and few other places. It's not commercialized like Table Rock and the area is rather poor. But the people are nice and the resorts are very homey.

(Here's an example of how remote it is--we were camping in Pontiac, Mo. at the Corps of Engineers campground and my daughter needed some emergency medicine: it was 40 minutes to the closest Wal Mart!)

As far as the bottom of Bull Shoals, I rarely see the bottom because it is so deep, but visibility must be about 8 feet.

Hope this gives you some good ideas to go on!
Ruth



myomy Jul 27th, 2005 03:17 PM

We are from Texas and would like to visit around Eureka Springs in October.
Any suggestions on rafting (easy) places to go? Anything else to see and do? Thanks

beckers2482 Jul 28th, 2005 06:04 AM

myomy- that is a really broad question. There is a lot to do in the NW AR/SW MO area. Give us some idea of what you like to do so we can make appropriate suggestions.

Also, you should go to www.eurekasprings.org and www.eurekasprings.com, and read about the area - these are both great websites with info on activities, lodging, restaurants, etc.

Then, do a search on this site for Eureka Springs. If you have more questions, you should probably create a new post - people who know about Bull Shoals and Table Rock might not necessarily know about ES.

Good luck!


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