Table Rock Lake Missouri

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Table Rock Lake is a 43,000-acre Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the White River. Its east end starts at the edge of Branson, Missouri. Access is free through Table Rock State Park, the only sand beach charges about $5 a car, and a rented boat starts around $139. It is the Ozarks pick when you want open water, a pontoon and a dinner cruise instead of a river float.

I grew up on Midwest farm summers. The water I learned on was ponds first, then Missouri rivers I floated and fished. Table Rock is the opposite kind of day: big, slow and planned around a boat instead of a current. I have driven into the Ozarks more times than I can count. This is where I send anyone who wants a lake weekend with Branson close enough for dinner.

How big is Table Rock Lake?

Table Rock Lake covers about 43,000 acres at normal pool. It has roughly 745 miles of shoreline and water near 220 feet deep beside the dam. The Corps finished the dam on the White River in 1958 for flood control and hydropower. The southern end of the lake crosses into Arkansas.

All that shoreline is mostly coves, so boats spread out instead of stacking up. Most trips still use the Branson end. The dam, the state park, the showboat landing and Moonshine Beach sit within a few miles of each other. If you would rather have moving water than a reservoir, our best float trips in Missouri covers the rivers.

Table Rock State Park camping

Table Rock State Park is the easiest way in. Entry is free, as it is at every Missouri state park. The park sits on Highway 165 in Branson with a marina, a paved trail, a mountain bike trail and two campgrounds. Sites run from basic to full sewer, electric and water hookups. They wind along the shoreline under oak and hickory.

Reservations open up to 12 months ahead. The park’s camping page says showers and water run March 1 through November 30. The six yurts are the comfortable option. At $159 plus tax a night, each sleeps up to six and comes with a kitchen, a bathroom and a two-night minimum, per the park’s lodging page. For a tent weekend, our camping checklist covers the gear. The list does not change between a national park and a state park.

Table Rock Lake boat rentals

Budget $140 to $650 for a boat, depending on the size and the length of the rental. Indian Point Marina’s rental page lists a fishing boat or small ski boat from $139. A 150-horsepower tritoon (a pontoon with three tubes) starts at $169 and a slide boat at $219. Those are starting prices, so a full day on a big group boat lands higher.

Campbell Point Marina in Shell Knob prices a 25-foot tritoon at $549 for six hours and $649 for eight. Gas and tax are extra. That is the number to plan around for a pontoon day with a group. The State Park Marina rents everything from ski boats to paddleboards.

Anyone born after January 1, 1984 needs a Missouri boater safety card to drive a rental. Marinas tell you to take the course before you arrive. Rock Lane’s marina sells a temporary 7-day card for $9. Minimum renter ages also differ. Rock Lane wants the primary renter to be 21, and Campbell Point wants drivers to be 25. Book ahead for summer weekends.

Table Rock Lake fishing

Table Rock is a bass lake first. Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass are the draw, with crappie, walleye, bluegill and catfish filling out the stringer. Trout live below the dam in Lake Taneycomo, not in the lake itself.

Missouri’s fishing permit costs $14 a year for residents and $57 for nonresidents. A daily permit is $9 for anyone, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. The daily bass limit is six, with 12 in possession. Since April 30, 2026, spotted bass can be kept at 12 inches, down from 15. Largemouth and smallmouth still need 15.

Moonshine Beach

Moonshine Beach is the lake’s only sand swimming beach, and it is where a family day makes sense. It has showers, flush toilets, picnic tables, a pavilion, a playground and a boat launch. Parking costs about $5 a car.

The Corps’ fee machines take credit or debit cards only. America the Beautiful pass holders skip the fee by hanging the pass on the dashboard. The state park has no designated beach, though people swim from non-designated spots. Most lake swimming happens off a boat anchored in a cove. That is the better plan on a hot afternoon.

Dewey Short Visitor Center

The Dewey Short Visitor Center is the Corps’ stop at the dam, and it is the best hour on dry land. Inside are a 22-minute film on how the dam was built and why. There is also an augmented-reality sandbox where kids shape their own watershed. Outside, the viewing decks look over the lake and the dam.

The center runs on a seasonal schedule. The Corps has closed it from December 1 to March 1. It has run Tuesday through Saturday in spring and fall, then daily in summer, so confirm current hours before you drive over. The grounds, the picnic area and the 2.2-mile Lakeshore Trail stay open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. all year. That makes an easy walk even in winter.

Silver Dollar City Showboat

Silver Dollar City’s Showboat is the dinner cruise on the lake. It ran for years as the Showboat Branson Belle. The paddlewheel boat boards at 4800 Historic State Highway 165, and you should arrive an hour early. On silverdollarcity.com on the date checked, the 2026 main show ran March 10 through October 31. The Christmas cruise runs November 6 through December 23.

Adult tickets are $69 or $75 in general seating and $110 in the Captain’s Club, plus tax. Children 4 to 11 pay $49 or $55 in general seating and $80 in the Captain’s Club. The ticket covers a three-course dinner and the show.

What to do at Table Rock Lake

Plan one full day around a six-hour boat rental. Start early and walk the Lakeshore Trail at the dam while the lot is empty. The grounds open at 6 a.m. Pick up the boat by 10 a.m.

Run to a quiet cove by noon and anchor for lunch and a swim. Fish the shaded banks if you brought rods. Have the boat back by 4 p.m. so you are not racing the dock.

Finish with the showboat dinner cruise, which starts around $69 an adult before tax. Check the sailing time on the Silver Dollar City site first. Add Moonshine Beach for a morning instead if you have children along. The rental plus the cruise is the day’s big spend. Entry to the state park costs nothing.

Table Rock Lake access points

Six places cover most visits, and the first four are in Branson. Pick one as a base, then add a second stop on the same day.

Access point	Where	What is there	Cost
Table Rock State Park	Highway 165, Branson	Marina, campgrounds, yurts, paved trail	Free entry; camping extra
Moonshine Beach	Branson end	Sand beach, showers, boat launch	About $5 a car
Dewey Short Visitor Center	At the dam	Film, viewing decks, Lakeshore Trail	Grounds open daily
Indian Point Marina	Branson	Rentals, diving center, floating cafe	Rentals from $139
Kimberling City	Highway 13 bridge	Resorts, restaurants, lake views	Varies
Campbell Point Marina	Shell Knob	Public tritoon rentals	$549 for 6 hours

Kimberling City is the better base if you want a resort weekend away from the Branson traffic. Put the lake on a loop with our Missouri Ozarks road trip if you are making a week of it.

Best time to visit Table Rock Lake

I would pick the weeks after Labor Day. The crowds thin and the water is still warm enough to swim. Memorial Day through Labor Day is the peak, with the beach open, every rental boat booked and the showboat adding Sunday sailings. Summer weekends mean full parking and a wait at the ramp.

Fall color on the hillsides usually peaks in the second half of October. A pontoon is a slow way to see it. Winter is quiet. The visitor center is closed and the state park showers shut off after November 30. The lake belongs to the anglers. Spring brings cool water, so save the swimming for later.

Table Rock Lake facts

Is Table Rock Lake clear?

Yes, for a Midwest reservoir it is very clear. Spring-fed tributaries and limestone bottoms keep the silt low, which is why Indian Point Marina runs a diving center. Expect it to cloud up after heavy rain.

Do you need a fishing license for Table Rock Lake?

Yes. Anglers need a Missouri fishing permit, and a daily permit costs $9 for residents and nonresidents alike. Annual permits cost $14 for residents and $57 for nonresidents.

Is Table Rock State Park free?

Entry is free, because Missouri state parks charge no entrance fee. You pay for camping, yurts and anything you rent from the marina.

How far is Table Rock Lake from Branson?

The lake starts at the edge of town. The dam, the state park and the showboat landing all have Branson addresses on Highway 165. Branson is about 45 minutes from Springfield, 3.5 hours from Kansas City and 4 hours from St. Louis.

Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.

Published October 8, 2026.