If
you have been to Ooty and not seen the Ooty Lake, then you have
seen nothing at all. The Lake is synonymous with Ooty itself.
This is an artificial lake that was initiated as ling back as
1823 by the then collector of Coimbatore Mr. John Sullivan. The
lake has been formed by throwing a dam through a narrow outlet
of the valley. The Origin of the Lake is as old as the discovery
of Ooty by Mr. Sullivan.
The Ooty Lake has a lot of aquatic vehicles in its stock by
which the tourists can indulge in their trip across the lake.
Row boats, paddle boats or motor boats can be hired and proves
to be very exciting. The big boat jetty here is very attractive
to children. A mention of the Ooty Lake is 
incomplete
without the mention of boat house that is maintained by the
Tamilnadu Tourism Development Corporation. This is also a major
attraction of the lake.
The lake is about 2km in length and is in an irregular L shape.
The mini train and the pony rides near the lake is a major attraction
here. During summer, boat races and boat pageantry are held
which are great crowd pullers. The Lake has however over the
years shrunk from its original size. The lake is very accessible
as it is located at a convenient distance from the bus stop
and the railway station. This lake is a great place to visit
for people who love to be outdoors. Definitely among the must
see places of Ooty.
