Big Cedar acquires destination resort lease for Bent Hook Marina

Big Cedar Lodge announced late yesterday that the Bent Hook Marina and Market, located on its 4,600-acre Table Rock Lake property west of U.S. 65, recently received an official destination resort lease from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

That means the marina, open since 2010, is now open for public use, said Big Cedar spokesperson Brooke Crockett. Previously, Bent Hook was open only to resort guests.

Big Cedar officials called the designation a major milestone for the resort and nearby communities as Bent Hook becomes a public access destination for boaters, anglers, families and day visitors for accessible lake recreation.

A destination resort lease is a new type of real estate agreement created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Table Rock Lake, said Jay Woods, a spokesperson for the USACE’s Little Rock District office, which oversees Table Rock Lake. It is designed for specific, established, preexisting resorts that have grown beyond their original limited motel/resort lease and are now operating in a more commercial capacity.

In a written statement, Woods said the destination resort lease concept was created to provide a middle ground between a limited motel/resort lease and a full-service commercial concession lease, tailored to the unique nature of these expanded resorts.

Destination resort leases allow the sale of fuel, food, beverages, sundries and boat cruises to the public, Woods said. But boat rentals, mooring, battery charging and minor boat repairs are strictly limited to registered overnight resort guests. The leases prohibit long-term boat slip rentals, high-dry boat storage, sales of boats and timeshares.

Applicants must own an existing limited motel/resort qualifying for a "high density" land classification, Woods said. Under the USACE master plan for Table Rock Lake, those resorts include Still Waters, Indian Point Resorts, Chateau on the Lake, and several specific Big Cedar Resort properties. The resort must also own the adjacent private land with the lodging facilities. Resorts applying for the destination resort lease must go through a thorough review including site inspection and an assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act, public comment period and maintain $1 million in liability insurance once the lease is approved, among other federal requirements.

Those who visit Bent Hook can purchase fuel, ice, retail supplies, drinks and fishing supplies, according to the release. Additionally, guests can rent stand-up paddleboards, kayaks and pedal boats at Bent Hook. Motorized boat rentals are not available to the public at Bent Hook but are available at the nearby Bass Pro Shops Long Creek Marina, according to the release. They comprise 2026 White River Marine Group ski boats, pontoons, bass boats and personal watercraft.

With 43,100 acres of surface area and 745 miles of shoreline, Table Rock Lake and the land at its edges is owned and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to the USACE website, along with other nearby lakes including Bull Shoals, Beaver and Norfolk.