Memorial Day Start Of Busy Season For Keystone Lake, Marina Manager Says

Memorial Day Weekend marks the beginning of the busy season for Oklahoma lakes, and this year could be busier than ever.

Amanda Little and her family come out to Keystone Lake for Memorial Day every year.

"We have a whole bunch of family and our kids love the water, so this is our favorite holiday to start that tradition," said Little.

Thousands of families visited Keystone Lake this weekend to rent boats, swim, and just to spend time on the water.

Sean Adair, the General Manager of the Pier 51 Marina, says this year looks like it could be a success.

"The Corps has done a great job of maintaining the lake levels this year, the clarity of the water is beautiful, I've never seen it this beautiful in years,” said Adair.

Adair says Memorial Day can help the industry figure out what people are planning to do this summer.

“This year, we were kind of thinking the economy, inflation's kind of high right now, people will be backing off and slowing down, but we have not seen any of that," said Adair.

He says more people going on to the water and renting boats is a trend they've been seeing for the past few years.

"With 2021, it just keep growing and getting bigger,” said Adair. “2022, I would say, kind of flattened out for us a little bit, people were still kind of concerned. That's why I was concerned going into 2023, but fuel prices are still staying manageable, which is great for us on the water."

The kids say the weather was great this weekend and they had a lot of fun.

"We went up big hills, waves,” said Weston, a six-year-old who lives in Kellyville.

Little says she is looking forward to the rest of the year.

Boating experts say if you are headed back to the lake this summer, it's important to follow the rules and be responsible.