Besides hundreds of miles of rivers to float, the Ozarks are blessed with dozens of man made reservoirs with clean water, healthy fish and easy access. All of them are fantastic for kayaking.We personally find the quieter areas of the lakes to be a bit more relaxing. Incidentally on both Stockton and Truman lakes the Corps of Engineers maintains a perimeter of land around the lake which means these lakes are less developed and perhaps a bit less trafficked.

Don’t rule out smaller lakes, either. Springfield has two smaller lakes, Lake Springfield and Fellows Lake that are used for water and power supply that are quite nice for a few hours’ float. Check for posted regulations, though. We got caught out at Fellows Lake when we didn’t realize that kayaks did, in fact, need a paid sticker ($35 per boat per year – 2012). We thought we were exempt.