Lake George

Lake George sits in a granite cirque right under Crystal Crag, at about 9,000 feet at the top of a short spur road above Lake Mary. It is only about 38 acres, but it is the deepest lake in the basin, and the shore falls away fast almost everywhere. Most fish are rainbows, with wild brook trout in the 10 to 12 inch range and a few holdover browns. Do not expect a steady run of plants. CDFW stocked it once in 2026, in late June, far fewer times than Lake Mary or Lake Mamie got fish. The town and county trophy plants and the holdovers carry it, and the lake record is a rainbow of 11 lb 6 oz.

This is a drop-off lake, not a weed-flat lake, so think in depth. A float tube and an intermediate or sinking line let you count a black or olive leech or a Woolly Bugger down the ledge and swim it back up the slope. The best water is along the south shore under the crag, where small inlets come in from Crystal Lake and the slopes and the bottom drops hard. The other spot worth a float tube is about 50 yards off the outlet at the east end, where a lot of fish hold. After ice-out, hang a size 16 to 20 chironomid under an indicator off the ledge in 8 to 20 feet of water. The water is very clear, so midday sun in July and August drives the fish deep. Fish the first and last light, when rainbows and the odd big brown come up to cruise the shallows. There is little weed, so callibaetis and damsels count for far less here than on the lower basin lakes.

The catch is a short season and a busy lot. Ice often holds into late May or June, and the lake is above the Lake Mary Road gate, which opened May 2 in 2026. The gate closes after the first big storm, often before the November 15 close. The parking lot doubles as the trailhead for Crystal Lake, TJ and Barrett Lakes and the Mammoth Crest, so it fills by mid-morning on summer weekends. The free Lakes Basin Trolley runs up from the Village into the basin in summer and can save the parking hunt. Woods Lodge runs the boat rentals and the small store by the dock. Sources disagree on what boats and motors are allowed here, so ask Woods Lodge before you plan around a boat.