An unsigned road near the lake's southeastern banks veers northeast to Meadow Lake Road above English Mountain's now uninhabited Baltimore Town and Summit City in unincorporated Nevada County.

[3][4] Prior to the Maidu, French Lake was inhabited by the Martis people, a now extinct Native American tribe.

The Martis' Meadow Lake Petroglyphs (also known as 4-Nev-3) are a historical landmark.

[5] In 1878, the world's first long-distance telephone line operated between French Lake and French Corral, California, 58 miles to the west, including the towns of North San Juan, and North Bloomfield on the phone route.

[6][7] The phone line was used to pass information regarding water flow from French Lake for post-California Gold Rush hydraulic mining.