My dad and I need a place, does anyone have suggestions?

What exactly are you looking for?  

Does it have to be on the lake and just how close to St Louis?

To give an example we went to Lake Sherwood near New Melle yesterday and it looked great. We had super high pressure and the water is crystal clear (for a lake) so we caught only dinkers but the scenery and lake itself were awesome.

Within an hour of STL, a lot that has access to a lake, not necessarily on the water.

Goose creek comes to mind. It's down I-55 at Bloomsdale. If you stop at the main office, they can hook you up with properties down there that have back taxes due on them and are for sale for nothing more than the cost of the taxes. There are lots of lots in the $500-1000 range. Most of them can't be built on due to the inability to put in septic tanks but you can drag a camper there and set it up or tent camp. Mind you, these are not lake front lots.

Incline village, out between Foristell and Wright city is another place.  My parents had property there many years ago.  The lake is 200 acres,  there are still properties for sale out there but they're pricey due to the much improved golf course and club house.  

You might want to check out Terre Du Lac in Bonne Terre, MO. It's about an hour south of South County. Our family has a house on one of the smaller lakes. I think there are 16 lakes in the community with the biggest a little over 100 acres.

terredulac.com