Lake George (New York)

Lake George
Lake George from the village of Lake George at the southern end.
Location	Adirondack Mountains, Warren / Essex counties, New York, United States
Coordinates	43°37′20″N 73°32′48″W / 43.62222°N 73.54667°W / 43.62222; -73.54667Coordinates: 43°37′20″N 73°32′48″W / 43.62222°N 73.54667°W / 43.62222; -73.54667
Primary inflows	Streams 55%, Precipitation on lake surface 27%, groundwater 18%
Primary outflows	La Chute River
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	32.2 mi (51.8 km)
Max. width	2 mi (3.2 km)
Surface area	45 sq mi (120 km2)
Average depth	70 ft (21 m)
Max. depth	196 ft (60 m)
Surface elevation	320 ft (98 m)
Islands	Over 170 (172-178)
Settlements	Lake George, Ticonderoga, Bolton Landing, Huletts Landing

Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long, narrow oligotrophic lake located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains, in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York. It lies within the upper region of the Great Appalachian Valley and drains all the way northward into Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River drainage basin. The lake is situated along the historical natural (Amerindian) path between the valley of the Hudson River and that of the St. Lawrence, so lies on the direct land route between Albany, New York and Montreal, Canada. The lake extends about 32.2 mi (51.8 km) on a north-south axis, is quite deep, and varies from one to three miles (1.6 to 4.8 km) in girth, presenting a significant barrier to east-west travel. Although the year-round population of the Lake George region is relatively small, the summertime population can swell to over 50,000 residents, many in the village of Lake George region at the southern end of the lake.

Lake George drains into Lake Champlain to its north through a short stream, the La Chute River, with many falls and rapids, dropping 226 feet (69 m) in its 3.5-mile (5.6 km) course—virtually all of which is within the lands of Ticonderoga, New York and near the site of the famous Fort Ticonderoga. Ultimately the waters flowing via the 106-mile-long (171 km) Richelieu River drain into the St. Lawrence River downstream and northeast of Montreal and then into the North Atlantic Ocean above Nova Scotia.