Minnesota · Cass County
George Lake Fishing guide
George Lake sits in Cass County, Minnesota, and covers 613 acres, reaching 20 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 8 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 4 times, most recently in 2025, with largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassPresent1.5per gill net11"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 10 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 10 fish
2025Lengths measured · 15 fish
2012Northern pikeOne of the best around15.5per gill net20"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 36 fish
BluegillJust a few13per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 55 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 55 fish
2025Lengths measured · 30 fish
2012Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish George Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. With 99% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn.
- Early summer
- Largemouth are on the shallow spawning flats and protected bays, where beds go on firm bottom next to isolated cover.
- Summer
- Largemouth are in and along the weeds: cabbage and milfoil edges, matted cover and shade. With 99% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Northern pike | Largemouth bass | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26" | 12" | 7" |
| 2012 | — | 9" | 11" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Northern pike · Hardbaits
Weedless Spoon + Trailer (Silver Minnow)
3/8–1/2 oz weedless spoon
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Live bait
Slip Bobber + Leech
jumbo or large leech
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 700,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 500,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 700,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 1,000,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 700,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
George is a 612-acre lake near the city of Outing in Cass County. It has a DNR owned access, with a concrete ramp, on the south end of the lake. A standard survey using gill nets and trap nets was conducted in June 2025 to assess fish populations from recent winterkill events and provide information to anglers.
Walleye is the primary management species, although none were captured in the 2025 survey. George frequently winterkills and it appears stocking combined with an aeration system run by lake residents has not been successful in creating a Walleye fishery.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern Pike numbers were the highest to date (15.5 per net), with fish ranging from 13.2 to 26.7 inches. A large portion of the sample, 67%, was below the 22 to 26 inch protected slot. Anglers have an opportunity to take advantage of the limit of 10 Northern Pike under 22 inches on George Lake. All of the Northern Pike in the 2025 survey were age 4 or younger.
The Bluegill catch was also the highest to date (13.0 per net). Size was good, with 42% measuring 8 inches or larger. If they make it through another winter, they could continue to provide opportunities for anglers to catch quality panfish.
Yellow Perch, Black Crappies, and Largemouth bass were caught in low numbers of small sized fish. These species are unlikely to be of much interest to anglers unless George can go a few more years without significant winterkill. The lake is currently dominated by large numbers (110.5 per net) of small Brown Bullheads (7.4 inch average). Other species sampled in the latest survey include Black Bullhead, Bowfin (Dogfish), Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Bullhead.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
George Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on George Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- George Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
George Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Washburn Lake · 1,590 ac · 2.1 mi
- Margaret Lake · 18 ac · 2.9 mi
- Marion Lake · 12 ac · 3 mi
- Island Lake · 358 ac · 3.3 mi
- Mitten Lake · 113 ac · 3.7 mi
- Bass Lake · 195 ac · 3.7 mi
- Little Andrus Lake · 27 ac · 3.7 mi
- Pavelgrit Lake · 18 ac · 3.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is George Lake?
George Lake reaches 20 ft at its deepest point; about 99% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is George Lake?
George Lake covers 613 acres with about 6.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in George Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on George Lake average 8 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in George Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is George Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does George Lake have a public access?
Yes. George Lake has one public access site: George Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in George Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 26"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2012.
When was George Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed George Lake in 2025, the most recent of 4 surveys on record.
Page updated .
Featured guide spot
Your guide service here
One featured guide per lake, with your photo, your writeup and a link straight to your booking page. Free through December 31, 2026.
Then $20 a month from January. Cancel any time.
The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for George Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open George Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report