Ooty Lake & Boat Club - History, Timings & Entry Fee

About Ooty Lake

At a distance of 1 km from Ooty Bus Station & Railway Station, Ooty Lake is an artificial lake situated in the beautiful hill station of Ooty. It is one of the top attractions you must include in Ooty packages.

Ooty Lake is surrounded by Eucalyptus trees and greenery all around and is a great place to experience the beauty of this hill station. One can also spot numerous streams coming out through the hills. This is a perfect place to capture some postcard pictures. The lake is filled with beautiful water birds with the exotic Nilgiri mountain ranges in the background.

History of Ooty Lake

Ooty Lake was built by John Sullivan in 1824 AD, the then Collector of Coimbatore. Covers an area of 65 acres with an average depth of 40 feet, the lake is fed by the mountain streams in the Ooty valley. The lake was originally intended to be used for fishing with ferries being used to travel across the lake. It is now one of the most visited tourist places in Ooty. It gradually shrunk from its original size giving place to the current bus stand, racecourse, and lake park. The lake came under the possession of the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation in the year 1973 on behalf of the Tourism Department to provide boating facilities at the lake for tourists.

Boating at Ooty Lake

Ooty Lake is a pretty fun as well activity-filled place. There is a boat house operated by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation on the shores of the lake. One can hire paddle boats, rowing boats, and motor boats from the boathouse here. The 30-minute boat ride offers amazing views of the green trees, houses, and the view of distant hills. The lake is also the venue for Boat races, as well as other events, that are organized in May as part of the Ooty Summer Festival. There is a Mini Garden with an amusement park for children with a toy train next to the Lake. There is a large parking area with several shops selling woolen clothes and toys. One can also enjoy pony rides here.

Boating Timings: 9 AM - 5. 30 PM

Best Time to Visit Ooty Lake

Ooty Lake can be visited throughout the year. However, the best time to visit the lake is from October to May, when the skies remain clear, and the temperature is moderate. May is the peak season to visit the lake as you can get an opportunity to catch the colorful boat race event here as part of the Summer Festival.

Ooty Lake Timings

Monday: 9 AM - 6 PM & Boatings: 9 AM - 5.30 PM
Tuesday: 9 AM - 6 PM & Boatings: 9 AM - 5.30 PM
Wednesday: 9 AM - 6 PM & Boatings: 9 AM - 5.30 PM
Thursday: 9 AM - 6 PM & Boatings: 9 AM - 5.30 PM
Friday: 9 AM - 6 PM & Boatings: 9 AM - 5.30 PM
Saturday: 9 AM - 6 PM & Boatings: 9 AM - 5.30 PM
Sunday: 9 AM - 6 PM & Boatings: 9 AM - 5.30 PM

Ooty Lake Entry Fee

Entry: Rs. 15 for Adults, Rs. 30 for Camera & Rs. 150 for Video

Boating:

Pedal Boat: Rs. 250 for 2 Seater & Rs. 350 for 4 Seater
Row Boat: Rs. 400 for 4 Seater, & Rs. 450 for 6 Seater
Motor Boat: Rs. 800 for 8 Seater, Rs. 1000 for 10 Seater, & Rs. 1400 for 15 Seater

How to Reach Ooty Lake

Ooty Lake s located near the town center and is conveniently accessible from the bus stand and the railway station, both of which are within 2 km from the lake. One can hire taxis and auto-rickshaws to reach the lake.