Skaneateles Lake is the fifth largest Finger Lake and the highest at about 863 feet above sea level. Its watershed is only 59 square miles, and the lake itself has a surface of area of 13.6 square miles, resulting in a ratio of 4.3 acres of watershed to each acre of lake.
The favorable relationship between the relatively small watershed and the large volume of water in Skaneateles Lake provides a natural protection for Skaneateles Lake that few other lakes enjoy. Skaneateles Lake is classified as “oligotrophic,” or a lake with low productivity due to low levels of nutrients. This keeps aquatic vegetation to a minimum. It also helps keep the water clear and transparent.
Water from Skaneateles Lake flows unfiltered to more than 220,000 households as the primary source of water for residents in and around the city of Syracuse.
Skaneateles Lake Physical Features
Elevation: 863 feet
Area: 14 square miles
Shoreline Length: 35 miles
Length: 16 miles
Maximum Width: 1.5 miles
Maximum Depth: 300 feet
Mean Depth: 145 feet
Towns adjacent to the Lake: Towns of Niles and Sempronius in Cayuga County. Towns of
Skaneateles, and Spafford in Onondaga County. Town of Scott in Cortland County
Cities/Villages adjacent to the Lake: Village of Skaneateles in Onondaga County.
Skaneateles Lake Watershed Features
Area: 59 square miles
Counties: Cayuga, Onondaga and Cortland Counties.
Towns within the watershed: Towns of Niles and Sempronius in Cayuga County. Towns of
Scott, Skaneateles, and Spafford in Onondaga County. Town of Scott in Cortland County
Cities/Villages within the watershed: Village of Skaneateles in Onondaga County.
Skaneateles Lake Watershed Plans and Guiding Documents
Skaneateles Lake Watershed 9-Element Plan
The Town of Skaneateles has received funding from the New York State Department of State to develop a Nine Element (9E) Plan for the Skaneateles Lake Watershed. A 9E Plan is a plan that describes a community’s water quality concerns and provides a strategy to address those concerns. 9E Plans are developed in partnership with people who live, work, visit, and enjoy the watershed and its water resources, with guidance from state and local agencies. The Town of Skaneateles will complete this plan with support from the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNY RPDB) and in cooperation with a Watershed Advisory Committee (WAC).
Skaneateles Lake Harmful Algal Bloom Action Plan
This Watershed Plan was prepared by NYS DEC in 2018 to guide efforts to reduce harmful algae blooms in Skaneateles Lake.
Groups and Programs protecting Skaneateles Lake
Skaneateles Lake Watershed Inspection Program
Skaneateles Lake Watershed Partnership
The Skaneateles Lake Watershed Agricultural Program
Skaneateles Watershed Education Program
City of Syracuse Watershed Programs
Research and Data on Skaneateles Lake and its Tributaries
Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) Reports
CSLAP reports are created from data collected by sampling volunteers from member lake associations. Reports from 2019-present are available here. Reports from 1997 through 2020 can be found on the NYS Federation of Lake Associations (NYSFOLA) website here.
Data and information can be found on the NYSDEC’s Division of Water Monitoring Data Portal. Go to the portal and search for Skaneateles Lake.
Skaneateles Lake Data on the Skaneateles Lake Watershed Partnership website
Skaneateles Lake and Watershed Annual Reports
Additional Resources
Skaneateles Lake Friendly Living Guide
Skaneateles Lake Association 2023 Special Report
Finger Lakes Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management Skaneateles Lake Fact Card