Musky Shop Northwoods Lake of the Month: George Lake

Just in time for Musky Season Opener, this Lake of the Month sees a little more pressure than some but still manages to deliver some fine fish.  George Lake just slightly Southeast of Rhinelander proper is a great place to take a day trip if you’re looking to catch a biggun’.  Because of the make-up of George Lake, you be boating near a lot of pleasure boaters or swimmers.  This lake is a bit on the swampy side.  It is chalked full of weeds, reeds, and rocks, and water clarity is non-existent.  Though maybe not the best for swimming, it’s great for a stalking musky.

This lake is a good size for a day trip: not small, not huge.  At 443 acres, with 6 miles of shoreline, you will find plenty of honey holes to park and cast.  George Lake is a drainage lake with an entering creek, Little George Creek, on the North end and an exiting creek on the Southern end which keeps the levels consistent year-round.  It has a mixed bag on the bottom with muck, sand, and rocks.  For convenience’s sake, there is a great boat ramp for those launching on George Lake complete with a walkout dock and parking.  It can sometimes be busy during the spring and summer seasons, but launching is not a problem.

George Lake is a great lake for those who want to wet their whistle in structure fishing.  It really is a lake that has it all including all species of gamefish and panfish.  You can target rocks, steep drops, deep weeks, shallow weeds, and slop.  As mentioned, this lake does see a good deal of fishing pressure, but the most recent 2022 study captured muskies as large as 46.5” that still make the lake home.  Despite the pressure, stocking efforts have been underway to keep the gamefish plentiful for each year’s anglers.

Outside of musky, George Lake has a commendable population of perch, walleye, and pike.  These numbers give anglers an increased target window if perhaps you don’t catch a musky.  Pike are ferocious predators as well and a good size class can be found here in the upper 30” range.  When targeting any species in George Lake, it’s recommended to give loud colors a try.  As the visibility in this lake is low, using variations of loud patterns and colors will help you stand out against the weeds.  Try a selection of oranges, chartreuse, white, and uv to get the job done.  Weedless spinners, Small to mid-size gliders and cranks, as well as a deep weighted dive and rise to work the outer edges will definitely get the job done and put a whopper in the boat.

If you are a traveler and wish to stay in the George Lake area, there are plenty of restaurants and shopping nearby to keep you fed and comfortable.  George Lake also has a convenient campsite nearby, Lake George Campsite, that can host tents and campers both short and long-term.  Around the lake can also be found many resorts if you are looking for more amenities and direct access to the water from your stay.  Restaurants and Bars can be found around the lake and in the surrounding area to make you quite comfortable for any length of stay.  And while you get a taste of Northwoods seclusion while you fish, Rhinelander is right down the road for all those creature comforts you need.  So, take a look at George Lake if you are visiting Oneida County, and let us know if you catch a trophy.

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