Lake George, located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains, has been called the “Queen of the American Lakes.” The origin of the nickname is unknown, but it was used in the book Descriptive Guide to the Adirondacks (1878).
 
   
Wikipedia: Lake George
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.
     
Google Books
Descriptive Guide to the Adirondacks:
And Handbook of Travel to Saratoga Springs..
(Sixth Edition)
By Edwin R. Wallace
New York, NY: The American News Company
1878
Pg. 172:
Upon the beauty of the situation, (Caldwell,) the ruins of Fort George and Fort William Henry crumbling here, and the unrivaled loveliness of this queen of American lakes, it seems almost unnecessary to dwell, as the subject is familiar to nearly all our readers.
 
13 August 1885, New-York (NY) Evangelist, pg. 4, col. 6:
A NEW CHURCH AT LAKE GEORGE.
The tourist passing through the queen of American lakes, while still under the shadow of Black Mountain facing the north, catches the first glimpse of the undulating meadows of Sabbath Day Point.
 
Chronicling America
28 April 1890, The Sun (New York, NY), pg. 10, col. 4 ad:
WHY NOT HAVE A SUMMER COTTAGE of your own? Where? Lake George, of course, Queen of American Lakes.
 
OCLC WorldCat record
Lake George, State of New York, illustrated : the queen of American lakes
Author: William Henry Tippetts
Publisher: Lake George, N.Y. : Tippetts, 1901.
Edition/Format:   Print book : English
 
OCLC WorldCat record
Lake George, queen of American lakes
Author: Video Resources Unlimited.
Publisher: Glens Falls, NY : Video Resources Unlimited, ©1997.
Edition/Format:   VHS video : VHS tape   Visual material : English
 
OCLC WorldCat record
Painting Lake George: Nineteenth-century views of the “Queen of American Lakes”
Author: E B Coe
Publisher: [New York, N.Y. : Straight Enterprises, 1971-
Edition/Format: Article Article : English
Publication: The magazine antiques. 168, no. 2, (2005): 70-81
Database: ArticleFirst
 
OCLC WorldCat record
25 dives and snorkels in Lake George, NY
Author: Roseann Anzalone; Al Faller
Publisher: [Glens Falls, NY] : Common Man Books, ©2015.
Series: Common Man’s exploration series
Edition/Format:   Print book : English
Database: WorldCat
Summary:
Here is your opportunity to explore Lake George, NY. Named the “Queen of American Lakes”, it is 32-miles long with over 100 miles of shoreline and over 180 islands. However ... you won’t be exploring the shoreline or the islands or the scenic views above the lake. In this book, we will take you beneath the lake to explore submerged railroads tracks from the late 1800’s, airplane wrecks, an underwater classroom, boat wrecks from the 1780’s and more!
 
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@LakeGeorgeArea
Replying to @TWtravelnews
. A5 @TWtravelnews @CruiseBuzz All ages find Lake George “the Queen of American lakes” unforgettable. Uncas Island
2:29 PM - 18 Jan 2017