Pontoon in Missouri

Missouri built its boating scene on big reservoirs and two of the continent's great rivers. The centerpiece is the Lake of the Ozarks, a serpentine reservoir with over 1,150 miles of shoreline, more coastline than a lot of ocean states, and a boating culture to match, cove after cove of it. To the south, Table Rock Lake near Branson runs clearer and calmer, a family lake tucked into the Ozark Mountains. Add Stockton Lake, Truman Lake, and the rest, and you get a state where the cruising, watersports, and fishing all happen a long way from any coast.

Lake of the Ozarks has earned its nickname, the 'Midwest Coast.' Full-service marinas line the shore around Osage Beach, Lake Ozark, and Camdenton (transient slips, fuel, pump-outs, repair yards), and the charter menu runs from party barges to fishing guides. The lake's winding shape is its secret weapon: countless bays and inlets mean a wide-open wake-boat afternoon and a silent anchored evening can happen a few coves apart. Boat-up restaurants and a busy social calendar round out the picture.