How many Kansasans here ??

[204 Escape]

Any one on here boat at El Dorado Lake ??

 

[83Evinrude]

Re: How many Kansasans here ??

We used to boat at El Dorado when we lived in Wichita but moved to Missouri in 1991, it sure beat the heck out of Cheney. Can't imagine going back now though, Tablerock is only 40min from home.

 

[dirtyoldman]

Re: How many Kansasans here ??

We used to boat at El Dorado when we lived in Wichita but moved to Missouri in 1991, it sure beat the heck out of Cheney. Can't imagine going back now though, Tablerock is only 40min from home.

I'm usually on Perry or Clinton near lawrence. I've been wanting to go see tuttle creek and Melvern lakes. I've never been on El Dorado.

 

[porker99]

Re: How many Kansasans here ??

All I can say is stay a way from hillsdale lake out to many trees under water. I have got the stupid idea of keeping the water level the same for 20 plus year. Don't they get the trees are breaking off at the water level.

 

[mpod]

Re: How many Kansasans here ??

Perry is our normal weekend lake. Good size, plenty of ramps, and Rock Creek Marina has a good restaurant (just renamed Mulligans) and indoor facilities. There is a cove that's unofficially designated as an anchoring / swimming cove on weekend afternoons. You can still expect one or two morons in go fast boats to blow through there, pull a power turn, and screw up everyones good time. There's also a designated party cove if that's your thing.

Went to Milford for the first time a few weeks ago. Eleven of us rented a big cabin at Acorns resort and had a great time. I highly recommend the lake and the cabins. The lake was beautiful but we were dealing with 20-30 winds most of the weekend. Even so, the cove that the cabins sit on was fine for water sports. The main channel was a mess though.

I agree with staying away from Hillsdale unless you are just going to fish on a weekday. It's less than 30 min's from us so we used to go there if we just wanted to float around in the sun for a couple of hours. Last time I was there, someone backed into my trailer did some damage then took off. I haven't been back since. A lot of craziness at the State Park boat ramp as well.

Went to Pomona once this summer. Water was way up and as a result there was a lot of branches and logs floating in the lake. Spent the day wake boarding by the dam and had no issues there. Seemed like a nice quiet lake and about the same distance from KC as Perry.

I've pretty much avoided Clinton to this point but I'll have to give it a shot. I usually take my son and my sister in law wakeboarding early weekend mornings but I hear it's hard to find an open stretch of calm water at Clinton on the weekends.

Tell us more about the facilities at El Dorado. I'd like to hit more unfamiliar lakes this summer.

 

[dirtyoldman]

Re: How many Kansasans here ??

Perry is our normal weekend lake. Good size, plenty of ramps, and Rock Creek Marina has a good restaurant (just renamed Mulligans) and indoor facilities. There is a cove that's unofficially designated as an anchoring / swimming cove on weekend afternoons. You can still expect one or two morons in go fast boats to blow through there, pull a power turn, and screw up everyones good time. There's also a designated party cove if that's your thing.

Went to Milford for the first time a few weeks ago. Eleven of us rented a big cabin at Acorns resort and had a great time. I highly recommend the lake and the cabins. The lake was beautiful but we were dealing with 20-30 winds most of the weekend. Even so, the cove that the cabins sit on was fine for water sports. The main channel was a mess though.

I agree with staying away from Hillsdale unless you are just going to fish on a weekday. It's less than 30 min's from us so we used to go there if we just wanted to float around in the sun for a couple of hours. Last time I was there, someone backed into my trailer did some damage then took off. I haven't been back since. A lot of craziness at the State Park boat ramp as well.

Went to Pomona once this summer. Water was way up and as a result there was a lot of branches and logs floating in the lake. Spent the day wake boarding by the dam and had no issues there. Seemed like a nice quiet lake and about the same distance from KC as Perry.

I've pretty much avoided Clinton to this point but I'll have to give it a shot. I usually take my son and my sister in law wakeboarding early weekend mornings but I hear it's hard to find an open stretch of calm water at Clinton on the weekends.

Tell us more about the facilities at El Dorado. I'd like to hit more unfamiliar lakes this summer.

I know the unofficial party cove is just at the south end of the slough creek bridge, but where is the other cove at perry you are referring to?

I really don't enjoy actually boating at clinton, but the swim beach there is busy and a lot of fun. The kids really like anchoring right off the beach and playing there. I wish they had a beach like that at perry. They are supposed to, but it's all mud. It's a shame because the ramp at perry is about fifteen minutes from my house. But, last time I was there there was a lot of debris in the lake at perry also.

 

[Intermediate Mariner]

Re: How many Kansasans here ??

Definitely prefer El Dorado to Cheney in Wichita area. Cheney is a little bigger but filthy... and rundown! El Do has nicer marina (but cheney has bigger mini mart at the marina) and cleaner water... lots of darn rocks at El Do though whereas Cheney has lots of sand. El Do is deeper.

I will say this... that John Redmond Reservoir is nice and big too!

Shawn T
Wichita, KS

 

[mpod]

Re: How many Kansasans here ??

I know the unofficial party cove is just at the south end of the slough creek bridge, but where is the other cove at perry you are referring to?

It's at the far north-west part of the lake where rock creek enters the lake. From the main channel you go north, under the state park bridge, through the rock creek marina no wake zone, then just keep going north and west until you run out of lake. On weekend mornings, this cove is usually empty and a great place for water sports. Around noon people start anchoring to have lunch and swim. By 2-3 there are usually a dozen or more boats anchored with kids swimming, floating, playing. That's why it drives me nuts when someone spins a 30' fountain through there at WOT.

Note that the area just north of the rock creek no wake zone is where people will pull tubes pretty much all afternoon. To reach the quiet part of the cove you have to keep going past that stretch.

I'm with you on the beach. They really need one.

 

[dirtyoldman]

Re: How many Kansasans here ??

It's at the far north-west part of the lake where rock creek enters the lake. From the main channel you go north, under the state park bridge, through the rock creek marina no wake zone, then just keep going north and west until you run out of lake. On weekend mornings, this cove is usually empty and a great place for water sports. Around noon people start anchoring to have lunch and swim. By 2-3 there are usually a dozen or more boats anchored with kids swimming, floating, playing. That's why it drives me nuts when someone spins a 30' fountain through there at WOT.

Note that the area just north of the rock creek no wake zone is where people will pull tubes pretty much all afternoon. To reach the quiet part of the cove you have to keep going past that stretch.

I'm with you on the beach. They really need one.

I'll have to check that out! I've never gone past the marina - didn't realize there was anything else there. I always put in at old town, so sometimes miss some of those things at the far south end of the lake. Thanks!

 

[204 Escape]

Re: How many Kansasans here ??

We bought both of our boats from Shady Creek, at El Dorado. Ilike the staff, at the dealership, and the service that they give. Good, knowledgeable folks.

The marina serves a decent meal, that isn't greasy to eat, and reasonably priced. The main ramp, is a 3 lane ramp, with room for about 5-6 boats to tie up to, while getting your truck, to load up. There are nice public (almost new), public toilets.

The lake itself, is nice size, and as stated, there are areas that are rocky, but it is (IMO), easy to notice, and you can stay out of trouble.

There are pretty nice areas to swim, and there is a rock quarry, even though I haven't been there.

Folks are friendly, and the water patrol is pretty good to get along with.

Never been to Cheney, I WON'T go to Hillsdale. (THe tree issue, I have heard about).

Memoial week-end, I noticed that gas at the marina, was $3.36/gal. It is 91 octane, I believe the kid said. (We buy our gas at the Quck Trip in El Dorado, usually when we go there, which is about 5 miles from the lake.

There is also, a smaller lake called Crawford State Lake, which is over by Pittsburg, Ks. It's alot smaller, and alot of times to congested to suit me. However fishing there is pretty good, and the lake is clean of trees, etc. The water patrol is pretty good there as well, and there is a pretty good resturant there as well.

 

[mikeasb]

Re: How many Kansasans here ??

I mostly go to Milford. Went to Tuttle creek last weekend for the first time and was not impressed with the lake. There seemed to be alot of trees right at the level of the water starting from about halfway up the lake and north to the Blue river. Geary State lake is really good for fishing but water sports are not allowed (its only about 100 acres). Council Grove Resovoir is also a good lake and usually not as crowded as Milford.

 

[Highrider2471]

Re: How many Kansasans here ??

I grew up fishing on cheney with my grandpa, caught alot of nice walleye there. But now that I am older I travel to kanopolis with my friends for weekends of water sports. That's the only two lakes I've been on but as soon as I make my final choice of boat to buy I will explore new waters.