Intruder,
Continuing remembering your basic aerodynamics
OK, in an aircraft flying straight and level, LIFT = WEIGHT. If lift is any other value than weight, the aircraft will accelerate vertically either up or down as LOAD FACTOR = LIFT/WEIGHT.
When talking about "Maximum lift" you obviously mean "Maximum CO-EFFICIENT OF LIFT" which is indeed achievied at the stalling angle of attack. This has nothing to do with either max endurence in a powered aircraft (achieved at Max excess thrust) or minimum sink in a glider (achieved at minimum drag).
Both these speeds are well above stall,as Total Drag rapidly increases as stall is approached because of a massive increase in Induced Drag.
The term "Maximum lift" is meaningless. L= CL*1/2rho*Vsquared. As V can have any value, Lift can increase exponentially until the wings fall off!