Lakes & More Lakes

CONESUS LAKE

Conesus Lake is one of the minor Finger Lakes. It is located at the western end of the Finger Lake Region. The lake is in Livingston County, New York in the USA, south of Rochester, New York.

Conesus Lake is eight miles (13 kilometers) long. Conesus Lake Boat Launch is a state park at the east shore, near the village of Livonia.

CANANDAIGUA LAKE

In the northwestern corner of Yates County, continues north into Ontario County. This prepossessing sight is 15 ½ miles long, 1½ mile wide and reaches a depth of about 262 feet, making it the fourth largest of all the Finger Lakes by length and third largest by volume. Canandaigua Lake was given the name the “Chosen Spot,” by the Iroquois Indians and is well deserving of this quintessential reputation.

As a haven for Lake Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass, and Yellow Perch, Canandaigua Lake possesses exemplary fishing. The pristine water of Canandaigua Lake is also conducive for many aquatic sports such as windsurfing, boating, kayaking, and waterskiing.

The lush Canandaigua lakeshore stretches about 36 miles from its northern end near the city of Canandaigua, to its southern end near the town of Naples, the Grape Pie Capitol of the World. Nestled along the glacier-made shores of Canandaigua Lake are superior golf courses, hiking trails, ski resorts, vineyards, shopping malls and Victorian mansions.

KEUKA LAKE

Stretching across the northern tier of Yates County, southern tier of Steuben County and just touching the eastern front of Schuyler County, Keuka remains the most unique of all the Finger Lakes because it flows into Seneca Lake. This Y-shaped Finger Lake is 19.6 miles long, 1.9 miles wide and reaches a depth of about 187 feet, making it the third largest Finger Lake by length and fourth by volume. Keuka Lake is also known as “The Lady of the Lakes,” for its unmatched natural beauty.

Keuka Lake has a good population of Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Landlocked Salmon. Keuka’s clear and well-oxygenated water enables fish to occupy both shallow and deep-water habitats thus allowing for superior fishing. The sanitary fresh water serves as a public water supply for Hammondsport, Branchport, Penn Yan and Keuka College.

The hillsides surrounding Keuka Lake are home to local Mennonite handcrafted furniture, antique malls and numerous vineyards with dozens of award-winning wineries.

SENECA LAKE

Seneca Lake, one of western New York’s glacial Finger Lakes, is the second deepest lake in the United States, when gauged by its depth below sea level. It is promoted as being the lake trout capital of the world, and is host of the National Lake Trout Derby,

The lake takes its name from the Seneca nation of Native Americans. At the north end of Seneca Lake is Geneva, New York, home of Hobart and William Smith Colleges and the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, a division of Cornell University. At the south end of the lake is Watkins Glen, New York, famed for auto racing and waterfalls.

Due to Seneca Lake’s unique microclimate it is home to over 40 wineries, many of them farm wineries on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail.

At 38 miles (60 km) long, It is the second longest of the Finger Lakes and has the largest volume, estimated at 4.2 trillion US gallons (16 km³) which is half of all the water in all the Finger Lakes. At its deepest point it is 618 feet (188 m) deep. It has a surface area of 42,800 acres (67 sq mi).

The two main inlets are Catharine Creek at the southern end and the Keuka Lake Outlet. Seneca Lake outlets into the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, which joins Seneca and Cayuga Lakes at their northern ends.

CAYUGA LAKE

Cayuga Lake is the longest of western New York’s glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area (marginally smaller than Seneca Lake) and volume. It is just under 40 miles long. Its average width is 1.7 miles, and it is 3.5 miles wide at its widest point near Aurora and Wells College. It is approximately 435 feet deep at its deepest point.The water level is regulated by the Mud Lock at the north end of the lake.

It is connected to Lake Ontario by the Erie Canal and Seneca Lake by the Seneca-Cayuga Canal. The north end is dominated by shallow mudflats and is an important stopover for migratory birds, where Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is located. The Town of Seneca Falls is located at the north end of the lake and is home to the New York Chiropractic College. The southern end is also shallow and is anchored by the City of Ithaca, home to Ithaca College and Cornell University.

The fish population is managed and substantial sport fishing is practiced, including smelt, lake trout and smallmouth bass fishing. Cayuga Lake is very popular among recreational boaters. A large state marina and boat launch is located at the southern end of the lake in Ithaca (Allan H. Treman State Marine Park, the largest inland marina in New York). Other boat launches dot the lake including the Cayuga Lake State Park and Also near the southern end of the lake are Taughannock Falls. At 215 ft high they are the tallest falls east of the Mississippi.

Due to Cayuga Lake’s unique microclimate it is home to over 40 wineries, many of them farm wineries on the Cayuga Wine Trail.

OWASCO LAKE

Owasco Lake is the sixth largest and third easternmost of the Finger Lakes of New York in the USA.

The lake is eleven miles (17 km) long and the city of Auburn, New York is located at the northern end and takes its drinking water from the lake.

SKANEATELES LAKE

Skaneateles Lake is one of the Finger Lakes in central New York in the United States. The name Skaneateles (local pronunciation: skinny-atlas) means long lake in the Iroquois language. The lake is sometimes referred to as “The Roof Garden of the Lakes” because its altitude is higher than the other Finger Lakes. It is 14 miles (23 km) long and up to one mile (1.6 km) wide, with a surface area of 13.6 square miles (35.2 km²)[1]. The water is so pure that the city of Syracuse and other municipalities uses it unfiltered.

The village of Skaneateles (population about 2500) is at the northern end of the lake. The lake is especially popular for recreational sailing. The lake, especially around Skaneatles, is a resort area for Syracuse and is noted for arts, especially performing arts.

LAKE ONTARIO