George Lake
Rock Island County, Illinois167 acresView mapDirections
Illinois EPA publishes the water-quality measurements for George Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 30 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
George Lake in Rock Island County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 17 µg/L. Surface area: 167 acres.
George Lake is a 167-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Rock Island County, Illinois with an estimated average depth of about 30 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Illinois EPA, last sampled 2021-10-19. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What George Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether George Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency 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 Illinois EPA 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.
Murky, only visible to about 4.2 ft. Phosphorus 40.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 17 µg/L. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 40.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 17µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about George Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
George Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 62°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 63°F) and coldest in May (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (63°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 625 field readings (2010–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full George Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~30 ft est.
Surface area
167 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Illinois EPA
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Illinois has not published bathymetry for George Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
8 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
620 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Lake GeorgePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near George Lake
- Clarks Ferry4.4 kmReserve
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near George Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near George Lake in Rock Island County, Illinois — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near George Lake
Prices for Oct 23–25, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at George Lake → · more Illinois lake trips
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Fishing George Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
George Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake George Dam (completed 1962), built primarily for recreation on the BIG BRANCH CREEK; earth-type dam, 78 ft tall and 1,090 ft long.
- Surface area
- 167 ac
- Normal storage
- 4,014 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 6,355 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7.27 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- ROCK ISLAND COUNTY FOREST PRESERVE DIST.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL00136 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
6 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of George Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 4 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Riverview SubdivisionMuscatine · 2.3 mi away · NPDES IA0077453Recent violation
- Montpelier Sanitary District, Village OfMontpelier · 2.5 mi away · NPDES IA0073890Recent violation
- Camp Abe LincolnBlue Grass · 3.6 mi away · NPDES IA0067059Recent violation
- Ssab Iowa Inc.Muscatine · 3.8 mi away · NPDES IA0074101Recent violation
- Central Iowa Power Cooperative - Fair StationMuscatine · 2.9 mi away · NPDES IA0001562
- Snowstar Corporation Ski Lodge StpAndalusia · 4.1 mi away · NPDES IL0062839
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Rock Island County
Frequently asked questions about George Lake
Where is George Lake?
- George Lake is a lake in Rock Island County, Illinois. Its water-quality measurements are published by Illinois EPA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of George Lake?
- George Lake in Rock Island County, Illinois has water-quality measurements published by Illinois EPA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 17 µg/L. Surface area: 167 acres.
Is George Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of George Lake?
- George Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in October, from 625 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is George Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers George Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 30 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 167 acres.
Are there boat ramps on George Lake?
- George Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake George. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at George Lake?
- George Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Illinois's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on George Lake?
- George Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Clarks Ferry. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore George Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
52 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- illinois epa
IL_EPA_WQX52 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- MEASURED IN FIELD
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles