Iowa lakes

[drknute3]

Live in Cedar Rapids and getting back into boating. The Coralville lake is very close but seems small and very crowded on the weekends. I pretty much grew up boating on Rathbun and Red Rock and was wondering how the non holiday weekend traffic was on those lakes? Never boated Saylorville much but willing to give that a shot. What you say Iowa boaters?

 

[tdunakey2951]

Re: Iowa lakes

I live in waterloo and I dont think you want to drive that far

 

[mrboat]

Re: Iowa lakes

I live by Ames, and am going to check out saylorville tomorrow. not nearly as big as red rock though. okoboji is fun, but kinda a far drive.

I didn't know there were other iowans on here, thought i was the only one!

 

[chrisg]

Re: Iowa lakes

YOU FOUND A LAKE!!!

Tell me were, I'd like to know!

I'm in CR and the river here just does not cut it when you are orignally from Ontario (Thats another country if you need to know)!

Its bad when your kids think that all water is brown!

The only good thing is that you dont hit rocks around here.

Someone got us all excited a few years ago when they invited us to their cabin on 'the lake'. We got up there, I went down to the dock, nice place, and asked how far is the lake. Said this was it, Its just a DAMed river!

But needing someplace to go, we bought a cabin here and now have 4 boats to run up and down the river. ( you get about 7-8 mile one way.) and its just 3/4 hour from CR.

The river is complete with Zebra Mussels.

 

[drknute3]

Re: Iowa lakes

YOU FOUND A LAKE!!!

Tell me were, I'd like to know!

I'm in CR and the river here just does not cut it when you are orignally from Ontario (Thats another country if you need to know)!

Its bad when your kids think that all water is brown!

The only good thing is that you dont hit rocks around here.

Someone got us all excited a few years ago when they invited us to their cabin on 'the lake'. We got up there, I went down to the dock, nice place, and asked how far is the lake. Said this was it, Its just a DAMed river!

But needing someplace to go, we bought a cabin here and now have 4 boats to run up and down the river. ( you get about 7-8 mile one way.) and its just 3/4 hour from CR.

The river is complete with Zebra Mussels.

And I thought Ontario was just a province. What river are you boating on? We hit Coralville a few times, but its just too busy on the weekends. Tried the Cedar river at all? I know what you mean about water color, we travle to Ontario twice a year to go fishing and cant believe how clear the water is after spending the summer in Iowa. Gonna plan a trip to the Ozarks or Table Rock next summer.

 

[Sea Ray]

Re: Iowa lakes

Another Iowan here!!

We live very close to Saylorville but avoid going there on the weekends. It's way too crowded for us.

It is not nearly as big as Red Rock or Rathbun. They are better choices for weekend getaways.

We haven't had our boat in any rivers yet, been tempted but too scared of hitting something.

Also, we consider the water more green then brown . Someday we will go to Table Rock or Lake of the Ozarks were we can see our knees under the water!!

 

[drknute3]

Re: Iowa lakes

I used to work at Birdland Marina on the Des Moines river in HS and college. It was quite decent and usually had calm waters. Not too much concern of hitting things unless river levels were quite low. If the water was slightly higher than normal, you could boat all the way from downtown DSM to below the Saylorville spillway.

 

[chrisg]

Re: Iowa lakes

And I thought Ontario was just a province. What river are you boating on? We hit Coralville a few times, but its just too busy on the weekends. Tried the Cedar river at all? I know what you mean about water color, we travel to Ontario twice a year to go fishing and cant believe how clear the water is after spending the summer in Iowa. Gonna plan a trip to the Ozarks or Table Rock next summer.

Ya, OK, I did not know people know there is life above the 64th parallel ( or was it the 32nd?) I should have said IN another country! . We want to try Coralville with our boat, some friends took us out on their boat, it was nice, ordered Pizza and they delivered to the dock! found a little inlet to sit and eat. As for the DAM river I'm on, Hartwick ( also known as Delhi, although the town is 5mi from the lake), Manchester is closer. Only reason we are on it is because we have a cabin there. We can run up after work, its only 45Min. and go out on the water. that's whats nice about having a place up there ( and it was not an arm, leg and first born to get).

There is also that man made lake in Palo, just above the Nuclear station, Just don't pay attention to the glow coming from the lake bottom.

 

[drknute3]

Re: Iowa lakes

Do you know the name of the lake by Palo?

 

[chrisg]

Re: Iowa lakes

Do you know the name of the lake by Palo?

I don't know the name of it, but being the emergency cooling for the nuclear power plant, I heard 'glowing' reports from it. and its small. ( I think sailboats and small boats only, no wake)

Just follow the glow.