Georgetown Lake, Montana
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member T0SHEA
N 46° 12.882 W 113° 16.768
12T E 324181 N 5120428
Georgetown Lake is an unnatural lake beside Highway 1 about midway between Philipsburg, to the north, and Anaconda, to the southeast. We were lucky enough to catch the lake in its natural state, under a few feet of ice and snow.
Waymark Code: WMTKJN
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 12/04/2016
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member Math Teacher
Views: 1

Unnatural in the sense that it is, for the most part, man made. It has, for many years, been ranked among Montana's Top 10 fishing destinations. The 3,000 acre reservoir is at an altitude of over 6,000 feet and is now rated Montana’s most prolific lake, with more fish caught per person than any other lake in Montana.

At the lower end of the lake is Flint Creek Dam which created Georgetown Lake by containing Flint Creek as it passes from east to west through the Flint Creek Valley. It last produced electricity in 1969, when a water line ruptured and economics forced its closure as a hydroelectric facility.

The small two megawatt hydro facility operated by Granite County went back online in 2012, after rehabilitation, and the Montana Standard published a story on its rebirth on September 05, 2011, which not long before it went back online.

Under a vast sky providing endless days of sunshine, set against the dramatic backdrop of the soaring, snow capped peaks of the Anaconda Pintlers, is the stunning alpine body of water known as Georgetown Lake.

At 6,425 feet above sea level, averaging 16 feet in depth, Georgetown Lake expands over 3700 acres. It is nestled within three mountain ranges; the Anaconda Pintlers to the South, the Sapphire Range to the West and the Flint Creek Range to the East. The closest municipalities are the historic mining towns of Anaconda, 14 miles to the East and Philipsburg 10 miles to the North.

The Lake, encompassing both Deer Lodge and Granite Counties, was created in 1885 by damming N. Flint Creek. Originally used to produce power, the lake is now primarily used for outdoor recreation and to provide water to down valley ranchers.
From Georgetown Lake

The entry from the American Series book Montana, A State Guide Book follows.
GEORGETOWN LAKE (L), 26.5 m., an irregularly shaped artificial body, was created to supply hydroelectric power. Several fine summer homes are on its shores and it is noted for its large rainbow trout. During the winter of 1936-37 thousands of fish died in the lake because of a lack of oxygen caused by low water, long-continued ice cover, and a large amount of decaying organic matter.
From Montana, A State Guide Book. Page 372
Book: Montana

Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 372

Year Originally Published: 1939

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