Information: Wappapello Lake, MO is a 45,000-acre project nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains on the St. Francis River in Southeast Missouri. Completed in 1941, Wapppapello Lake annually provides an estimated $3.9 million in flood protection to agricultural lands and developed areas along the St. Francis River. In 1996, the mascot Ranger Willie B. Safe was created at Wapppapello Lake as part of a water safety awareness campaign. Selected as the 1999 Natural Resources Project of the Year, Wappapello Lake averages nearly 2.5 million visitors per year.