Lake of the Ozarks / Osage Region
The Osage River runs through Miller County above and below the dam
Miller County is defined as much by the Osage River as by the lake: the river passes the seat at Tuscumbia and continues below Bagnell Dam, which matters for floating, fishing, and floodplain land along the river corridor
The Osage River threads through Miller County. It passes below the bluff at Tuscumbia and continues below Bagnell Dam toward its mouth at the Missouri River. Above the dam, the water is the lake. Below it, the Osage is a flowing river again, with its own feel for paddling and fishing.
For landowners, river-corridor ground can carry floodplain questions that are separate from lake-shoreline rules. The Missouri Department of Conservation is the source for fishing and access on the Osage. FEMA flood maps cover floodplain questions. Anyone buying river-corridor land should check the flood map for the specific parcel rather than assuming the whole corridor is treated the same.
That parcel-level check is the useful habit here.
References
More from Miller County: browse every local note for the county.
Last checked against the sources above: June 15, 2026.