Fish house cruises Okoboji’s waters

From shore or on the water, it routinely turns heads. Tucked up tight against the docks at Okoboji Boat Works, or meandering across West Okoboji Lake, it’s always a sight to see.

It’s the Fish House at Okoboji Boat Works.

Designed and built in 2006 by Brady Parks and Buck Harriman from Parks Marina, the original idea was for a year-round indoor fishing destination alongside.

A large opening in the floor accomplished that feat no matter the weather or season and combined with a fully stocked bar customers soon came knocking.

Another grand opportunity was soon realized — why stay tied to the dock?

So the protective walls were taken down, twin engines attached and required infrastructure installed to steer the Fish House out into open water.

It quickly became a phenomenon and the most popular excursion vessel in the Okoboji Boat Works fleet.

Shake the Lake is the boat’s weekly cruise making a slow and steady crawl from 1-5 p.m. out to Millers Bay and back every Saturday afternoon throughout the summer.

But don’t mistake the slow speed for a snooze of a cruise.

Shake the Lake sells out its 120-person capacity every week and comes with a long waitlist for tickets.

Cruise director Tara Messerole says they regularly have folks hang by the docks just in case there are any no shows so they can snag a spot.

“It’s become such a popular cruise — we have businesses and sometimes groups of people call in and buy out all 120 tickets and make it into a private event. When you do buy those tickets your DJ is included and you basically have a built-in party,” Messerole said.

Boarding begins at 12:15 with ticket holders being checked off the manifest as they stroll in and stake out their spot.

The boat typically leaves promptly at 1 p.m. though Messerole says they do factor in traffic and parking if there are any stragglers.

With the bar fully stocked, the DJ ready to roll, power switched over from electric to generator, a team of dock attendants untie the house and two captains, front and rear, steer the Fish House into open water.

“Once it’s on the water it’s definitely a spectacle,” Messerole said. “It looks so cool and it’s so full of people with the music going. If people see it go by they wonder what they have to do to get on that boat because it just looks so fun. On Saturday we get constant calls from people asking how they can get a ticket.”

Part of the appeal is that sheer spectacle, and the space the unique vessel affords for multiple large groups, from bachelor and bachelorette parties to family reunions, to enjoy a party on the water together, meeting new people and making new friends along the way.