Cayuga Lake is the second largest Finger Lake behind Seneca Lake. It is the longest and second deepest of the eleven Finger Lakes. Due to its large size and significant depth, it takes water that draining into the lake over 10 years to cycle through the lake. Cayuga Lake also has the largest watershed covering 785 square miles. The watershed includes 6 counties and 44 municipalities and is home to over 120,000 people.
Cayuga Lake Physical Features
Elevation: 381 feet
Area: 67.1 square miles
Shoreline Length: 106 miles
Length: 38 miles
Maximum Width: 3.5 miles
Maximum Depth: 435 feet
Mean Depth: 181 feet
Towns adjacent to the Lake: Towns of Aurelius, Genoa, Ledyard, and Springport in Cayuga County. Towns of Ithaca, Lansing, and Ulysses in Tompkins County. Towns of Covert, Fayette, Ovid, Romulus, Seneca Falls and Varick in Seneca County.
Cities/Villages adjacent to the Lake: Villages of Aurora, Cayuga and Union Springs in Cayuga County. City of Ithaca in Tompkins County.
Cayuga Lake Watershed Features
Area: 785 square miles
Counties: Cayuga, Tompkins, Seneca, Cortland, Schuyler and Tioga Counties.
Towns within the watershed: Towns of Aurelius, Fleming, Genoa, Ledyard, Locke, Scipio, Sempronius, Springport, Summerhill and Venice in Cayuga County. Towns of Caroline, Danby, Dryden, Enfield, Groton, Ithaca, Lansing, Newfield and Ulysses in Tompkins County. Towns of Covert, Fayette, Lodi, Ovid, Romulus, Seneca Falls and Varick in Seneca County. Towns of Cortlandville, Harford, Homer, Scott and Virgil in Cortland County. Town of Catharine and Hector in Schuyler County. Town of Spencer in Tioga County.
Cities/Villages within the watershed: Villages of Aurora, Cayuga and Union Springs in Cayuga County. City of Ithaca and Villages of Cayuga Heights, Dryden, Freeville, Lansing and Trumansburg in Tompkins County. Village of Interlaken in Seneca County.
Cayuga Lake Watershed Plans and Guiding Documents
Cayuga Lake Watershed Characterization
This 2000 document outlines the physical characteristics and data of the Cayuga Lake watershed, the many uses of the land within the watershed, protective actions taken, threats, and gaps in data. It provided the foundation for the Cayuga Lake Watershed Restoration and Protection Plan.
Cayuga Lake Watershed Restoration and Protection Plan
This Watershed Plan for Cayuga Lake was first published in 2001 and updated in 2017.
Cayuga 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 Cayuga Lake.
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Phosphorus in Cayuga Lake.
A TMDL which is a type of clean water plan that targets a specific pollutant and sets daily limits for its introduction into the water body of concern has been prepared for Cayuga Lake and was released in 2024.
Groups involved with protecting Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake Watershed Network (CLWN)
Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization (CWIO)
Research and Data on Cayuga Lake and its Tributaries
Community Science Institute (CSI) Water Quality Database
Includes data from their stream and lake monitoring and their harmful algal bloom monitoring.
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 Cayuga Lake.
Wells College 2023 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
Water Quality Data for Fall Creek New York USA 1972-1995
Water Quality North End Cayuga Lake 1991-2006, Makarewicz et al 2007
Additional Resources
Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP)
An LWRP aligns local, state, and federal actions needed to achieve community goals for the waterfront. The Village of Union Springs has an approved LWRP that can be found here. The Village of Cayuga has a draft LWRP that can be found here.
Cayuga Lake Watershed Network Newsletters
CWIO Watershed Manager Summary
Community Science Institute Water Bulletin Newsletters
Hydrilla
Hydrilla is an invasive species that has been found in Cayuga Lake. Information on hydrilla here. Information on the hydrilla treatment and sampling results can be found here.
Finger Lakes Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management Cayuga Lake Fact Card