@BigAbe75 @scot71 You guys still on for weekend after next?
Anything I can do to help with your stay? Need any information, or supplies ahead of time?
We'll be driving up one or both days (depending on weather). It's only about 45min for us, so we don't stay up there often. Here's a "quick" dissertation on the lake. I won't lie, I'm filling time before a meeting and am having a hard time concentrating on much else.
Water was warm Saturday and Sunday, lake reports 82 deg water temp. Pretty comfy for floating all day. I didn't do well with my sunscreen and am nursing both a hangover and a sunburn today.
Found us a new place to hang out, FAR FAR less waves and traffic (and less biting blue gill fish) than our previous spot. Should have no problems getting under the bridge at regular pool (even with a monster bimini on a 242XE). We call it "little Patoka". Doesn't take long to get there, and the traffic is light, and the waves are almost non-existent. Anchored in ~20ft of water yesterday.
Best ski sites depend on the days conditions. This weekend it was super windy, so just under the bridge on the east side of highway 145 was the smoothest water. The ski area isn't huge there, and there are some stickups, so keep towards the center of the water as best you can with traffic. If you go up painters creek (towards the north east where highway 145 crosses over the second time going north), Just before the bridge there are some good "little" coves to hang out in. Have a nice rocky shore to skip rocks.
The ramp to avoid is the "north" ramp. It has a TINY no wake zone is on the path that most people take around the lake. Loading a jet here is a mess between being unprotected from the wind, and the waves from traffic. We used the north ramp ONCE and said "NOPE, Never again". We use the south ramp. Takes a bit to drive to from the campground (5-10min), but it's worth it. 7-8 lanes wide, and rarely so crowded you have to wait more than 2-3 trucks to get in. There is a bath house there, but no garbage cans, or ventilation in them, so its......well, they aren't great, but will get the job done. You can see the courtesy docks just north of the ramp, and the parking lot is rarely overfull, even on holiday weekends.
You can access the beach at the state park from the water. You'll see where it is, there is a LARGE boat keep out zone, but we've experienced no problem backing in to shore and walking over to play in the sand. Bring some water shoes. The shore is rocky, and the ground under the water in that area is mostly THICK mud that lets your foot sink in just enough to find the super sharp rocks underneath. I haven't drawn blood yet, but have gotten close a few times. It is exposed to the main lake traffic, and prevailing winds, so I recommend either being REALLY REALLY confident in your anchor, or leaving someone competent with the boats to keep them off the shoreline.
Hoosier Hills Marina, and State Park Marina both have fuel and restrooms. Pizza isn't great at either, but there is a little restaurant/ice cream shop at Hoosier Hills that isn't terrible. Limited menu, and it's outside seating only I think now. State Park Marina has some coin operated dog food dispensers for the carp that live around the dock. It's something neat to see and feed the fish. Bring a handful of quarters, the kids usually get a kick out of it.
There is an old Quarry that is pretty cool to go see. We haven't been back this year, and honestly I'm not sure we can make it back at this point. It was pretty "boondocked" the last time we were back there year before last. Water was to high to get under the bridge all last year, and it's low enough now I'm not sure I could make it . Might give it a shot and see what we can do, hard to say though. Last time I was back there I had to drop the tower to get under the bridge to even get back to little Patoka, and even then I once I was to the quary entrance I was only in 2-3ft of water in a few spots. Lake is easily down 10+ft from that point.
Overall, to get from say little Patoka over to Hoosier hills......you're looking at about a 15-20min ride. It's about 11miles or so. THe lake isn't huge, but it's wide and relatively shallow. With the water down there are a few places in the main lake that are marked "shallow" with buoys. As of this weekend I could skim across them all in my 190, but there are a couple that are just over a foot deep, so be aware. Watch the water color, light brown is shallow, green is deep. They're well marked and obvious.
Everything "past" Hoosier hills marina going south is no wake zone or 10mph limit (which might as well be no wake for us). Neat scenery back there, but I wouldn't swim in that direction. There are a TON of stickups, and underwater obstructions. Just not safe to jump off the boat in that area.
Here's a quick map. It's not great, but you'll get the idea.
There are a couple of retaraunts and the winery just outside the park entrance. I'm sure you'll see them on the way in. The winery will sell you wine slushies to go if you like. They are like $12/ea, are pretty sugary, but have enough wine in them to make it worthwile. At 225lbs I can drink two and have a good day. "Bennys off the water" is a bbq place right in with the winery, they have surprisingly good pizza. There is another place just further on the left (as you leave the park) that has Karaoke on weekend nights, and sometimes a live band. Then there is "the Ridge" that is on hwy 164 just beyond that. Good ice cream there, and decent pizza. Patoka Station just outside the park, and Gilligans Boat Rental are both good places to find some basic boating supplies. They don't gouge you because of location, and if they do it isn't much that I can tell. Patoka Station also has a small little "grocery" section that should have most of the "last minute" supplies you might need. You next nearest "large" town is Jasper, and it's 30-45min due to construction having the main road there closed.
That's about all I know. I have some friends that know the local area better if you get in need of something else. We can always reach out to them for more info if you need/want it. Let me know if you guys needs anything else. Like I said I'm pretty close and don't mind making a weeknight run up there if you need info.
Looking forward to making some new friends......or rather meeting some friends in person for the first time!
will have to be more organized next year.