George Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota826 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for George Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 29 ft max depth
- Public access
George Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 825.72 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 10, 2024 caught 4.79 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at George Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–18 inches. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of George Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 25 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
George Lake is a 826-acre mesotrophic lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 29 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Public access is available. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in Hubbard County, George Lake ranks #15 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-12. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What George Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.6 ft of visibility
- Fishing13 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 21
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. George Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether George Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for George Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for George Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.6 ft. Phosphorus 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.6 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.6µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about George Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
George Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 76°F) and coldest in Sep (about 63°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (63°F) to its warmest (76°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2018–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full George Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for George Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (59,156 cells/mL) on April 3, 2024.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 10, 2024 caught 4.79 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at George Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–18 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows George Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
14 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-07-10 (Targeted Survey).
14 surveys on file · most recent 2024-07-10 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Bullhead | 22.32 | 5–15 in 2024-06-17 | 0.56 lb |
| Bluegill | 20.81 | 3–8 in 2024-06-17 | 0.2 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 17.79 | 5–18 in 2024-06-17 | 1 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 11.03 | 5–9 in 2024-06-17 | 0.14 lb |
| Spottail Shiner | 10.42 | ||
| Pumpkinseed | 8.81 | 3–9 in 2024-06-17 | 0.22 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Yellow Bullhead
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Perch
From the 2024-07-10 survey
Lake George (29-0216-00) is an 825.72-acre lake with a maximum depth of 29 feet located near Lake George, MN. Park Rapids Fisheries staff conducted a survey targeting near shore fish species on July 10 and 11, 2024, to assess populations of non-game and small sport fish. Fourteen 100-foot sampling sites were evenly…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for George Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — GeorgeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — George (1269)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — GeorgeFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — GeorgePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
29 ft
Surface area
826 acres
Shoreline
5.8 mi
Littoral zone
55%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near George Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing George Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.51 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.11 µg/L/yr5 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 21
Earliest Mar 14, 2024 · Latest May 11, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 19
Earliest Nov 7, 1986 · Latest Nov 30, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Apr 20
2025
41 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
George Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN29-0216-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Hubbard County
Frequently asked questions about George Lake
Where is George Lake?
- George Lake is a lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of George Lake?
- George Lake in Hubbard County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.6 µg/L. Maximum depth: 29 ft. Surface area: 825.72 acres.
Is George Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. George Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of George Lake?
- George Lake typically sits around 63°F at the surface in September, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is George Lake?
- George Lake has a maximum depth of 29 feet. The lake covers 825.72 acres.
What fish are in George Lake?
- Fish species found in George Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. George Lake is located in Hubbard County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at George Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 10, 2024 caught 4.79 largemouth bass per hour of electrofishing at George Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 5–18 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows George Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 5 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does George Lake thaw?
- George Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 21. Ice typically forms around Nov 19. The open water season is approximately 212 days.
Does George Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for George Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (59,156 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Can I fish at George Lake?
- Public access to George Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore George Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
28 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA28 samples · 2020–2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate