Georgetown Lake Homeowners Association
Announcements
No new announcemens at this time
Services
Georgetown Lake Volunteer Fire Department
The fire hall can now host your community events including meetings and weddings. Please contact Fred to discuss your ideas as to how you might use the fire hall.
Fred Bjorklund, Fire Chief
406-560-3260
Anaconda Sheriff Dept
Please call 911 if a crime is in progress, someone is hurt or threatened, a weapon has been used or is present, or for any other emergency situation.
​
If you have an emergency. please dial 911
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
​
Phone: 911
The Lake
Georgetown Lake Update – May 11, 2026
Current Lake Elevation - 6428.94 ft
(Provisional Data from Georgetown Lake near Philipsburg, MT - USGS Water Data for the Nation)
The water surface elevation is above average for this time of year based on 80 years’ worth of lake elevation data. The lake is thawed.
Elevation and Inflows
Although March and April showed much higher-than-average inflows to Georgetown, conditions have once again swung the other way as we enter the first half of May. Snow has started melting in the basin and much of the lower lying hills around the lake have lost most of their snow. In April, the lake gained 446 acre-feet of storage. With average monthly outflows of 25 cfs, the total inflow to the lake is estimated at 32.5 cfs for April. The inflows were about normal at 97% of average for April! April had consistent inflows that were likely driven by the lower elevations melting snow, which based on nearby SNOTEL, started around April 10 (that’s 3-4 weeks earlier than normal). Also, this melt started with a less-than-normal low elevation snowpack. These inflows seem to have slowed now, as the snow is all gone and daily inflows are estimated at 19-20 cfs, and two-week average inflows around 22 cfs. However, higher elevations still are higher than average and just began the melt phase 5 days ago. We will see what this higher snow does to the inflows, remember, based on DNRC’s stream gage on the NF of Flint Creek, the inflows typically peak between June 4 and June 20.
Precipitation
Snowpack varies greatly in the Georgetown area by elevation right now. The Peterson Meadows SNOTEL site accumulated 3.3 inches (106% of normal) of precipitation in April. Peterson Meadows reports 0.8 inches of snow water equivalent. The Warm Springs SNOTEL site, which gives an idea of the higher elevation precipitation conditions, accumulated 4.5 inches of precipitation (105% normal). The Warm Springs station is reporting 29.8 inches of snow water equivalent (130% of normal).
Climate Forecast
The latest CPC climate forecast for Western Montana (created May 8, 2026) shows mostly average air temperatures and average precipitation for the rest of May. The local weather in Philipsburg is predicting a chance of thunderstorms and some precipitation this week with temperatures dropping in the next few days, lows possibly below freezing.
Model Forecast
I used the end of April lake elevation to start this model run. The May NRCS Water Supply Forecast for the USGS Flint Cr at Southern Cross gage estimates 92% of normal total inflow to the lake from May to July. Based on current snowpack, DNRC NF Flint Creek stream gage (which is currently much higher than it was in 2024 & 2025 this time of year), and Net Inflow calculations I went ahead and used 60% of normal inflows for May; 85% for June and July; and 75% for the rest of the year. Although there is always uncertainty in predictions, current information suggests there will be enough water to fill Georgetown this year.
Wildlife
Protecting Montana's Waters
John O'Bannon AIS Area Supervisor for Southwest Montana, with the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks AIS Bureau, Presented a slide show on protecting Montana's lakes, rivers and streams from invasive mussels, snails and fish at the August Georgetown Lake Homeowners Association meeting and BBQ.
For more information please contact:
John O'Bannon
406.210.5054
john.o'bannon@mt.gov
cleandraindrymt.com
To help stop the spread of invasive aquatic species:
1. Help spread the Clean, Drain, Dry message
2. Boats traveling on the Interstate should be inspected prior to launch
3. Aquarium dumping must be STOPPED! Aquariums fish and plants can cause serious damage to our lakes and streams.
Help Protect Our Bears
-
Help us prevent conflicts with bears around Georgetown Lake. People and Carnivores is available to help any resident with information and resources on how to reduce the chance for conflicts with bears at your home and in your neighborhood.
​
​
At Home Bear Safety Toolkit
We developed one toolkit for Homeowners & Residents in Bear Country with a flyer with bear aware information, a bear-safe property checklist, information on where to get bear-resistant garbage canisters and other resources to reduce conflicts with bears.
Vacation Rentals in Bear Country toolkit
We also created a toolkit for vacation rental properties, that has information for the property owner along with materials they can put in the rental for their guests with reminders to not leave attractants outside. We've seen a growing number of vacation rental properties where guests are leaving coolers on the porch and leaving the trash cans overflowing and not locking the lids, even when they have bear-resistant cans. We created stickers to go on the bear cans with a reminder for guests to keep them locked and not overfill, along with a magnet and other materials with helpful tips.
Montana Sport Fish Consumption Guidelines
What you need to know about Mercury, PCBs, and other contaminants when fishing in Montana. This guide provides information about how to enjoy healthy meals from wild fish caught in Montana.
​
It provides specific scientific data about the water bodies which have been tested, plus more general information for areas that have not yet been tested.
​
-
For more information contact Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks
-
For information on collection and laboratory testing of fish from Montana waters, call MT Fish, Wildlife and Parks at 406-444-2449.
-
For information on the health risks of eating fish, call MT Health & Human Services 406-444-2837 or email: HHSFCS@mt.gov.
-
Or visit the MFWP website at www.fwp.mt.gov/fishing
Gallery
Georgetown Lake Homeowners Association Meeting and Lunch was held Saturday August 23, 2025 at12:00 PM at theFire Hall on Fire Lane.
Speakers included:
​
1. Cameron Raisor, Forest Service (Visit www.fs.usda.gov). ​The Forest Service has started planning for a vegetation management project at Georgetown Lake. Please remember that it is illegal to shoot fireworks on Forest Service land.
2. Max Rebholz, Northwestern Energy spoke on Wildfire Management Information (visit northwesternenergy.com/wildfire)​, you are asked to Go to the "My Energy Account" and toggle "Update Me" to get updates on fires.
​
3. Brad Liermann, Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Fish Specialist (Visit myfwp.mt.gov) Visit myfwp.mt.gov/fishMT/plan/planreport to view fish stocking dataJohn Fitzpatrick, State LegislatorState Representative for Georgetown Lake​.
What does the Georgetown Lake Homeowner’s Association do for our community?
-
Water Management: We are on a committee that advises Granite County on lake management. We cosponsored and participated in a Clean Lake Study to assure our lake is healthy. It is!
-
Homeowners at the lake wanted a “soft touch” zoning or development rules so we guided that process through meeting and hearings until that was achieved. ( 3 years).
-
Wildlife Management issues: We work closely with FWP and other groups to address wildlife issues in our area. This includes public presentations and promoting good management practices such as bear proof garbage cans.
-
We support the Georgetown Lake Fire Department with equipment donations and funding for equipment for the Emergency Response Unit.
-
We have had a member sit on the Granite County Planning Board to guide development at the lake.
-
GLHA holds two meetings at the lake every year to keep members informed of current issues. There are usually speakers from various agencies to inform us on topics of interest.
-
GLHA has a representative sit on the Granite County Watershed Committee. This group is designed to preserve and protect the watershed including Georgetown Lake. They also promote maintaining our rural lifestyle.
-
GLHA also shares in the cost of maintaining a USGS flow gauge on Flint Creek. This measures the water coming out of Georgetown Lake on a real time basis. This enables us to monitor management of the reservoir by Granite County.
-
GLHA offers a $1,000.00 reward for information leading to arrest and conviction of person or persons damaging a member’s property.
-
We welcome new members to help us with these endeavors. The cost of membership is $50. You can send a check to GLHA, PO Box 643 , Anaconda, Montana 59711. Include your address at the lake and for future mailings, email is appreciated also.