Lake Walter F. George

A 45,180-acre USACE reservoir on the Chattahoochee River, Lake Walter F. George, also known as Lake Eufaula, is a nationally known destination for anglers in search of largemouth bass. Best way to fish: boat, shore. Lake Walter F. George, named in honor of a Georgia Senator from the post–World War II era, is better known among anglers as Lake Eufaula. The name Lake Eufaula comes from a town of the same name on the Alabama side of the lake. Lake George was impounded in 1963 for the purposes of navigation and hydropower. The USACE maintains a channel 100 feet wide by 9 feet deep through the lake for barge traffic. The lake is long and narrow and follows the old Chattahoochee River channel. Lake George stretches across 85 miles from the dam to the headwaters, with the upstream half very riverine in nature, and forms part of the Georgia-Alabama border. Because of its clay bottom and fertile watershed, heavy rains can quickly muddy the lake’s water. When the lake basin was cleared, all the trees within 20 feet of the shoreline were removed, and the remainder topped off 10 feet below full pool level. Shoreline cover on the lake is sparse. Agencies responsible for the management of the lake have taken several steps to improve this situation though. More than 20 fish attractors are maintained around the lake, and some shallow water areas have received plantings of cypress trees. Key species: largemouth bass, crappie, hybrid striped bass.