Lake Ontario, the 14th largest lake in the world, is bordered to the north by Ontario, Canada, and to the south by New York State. Among the Great Lakes it is the smallest in surface area, fourth in maximum depth, but second only to Lake Superior in average depth.
Five of the eight miles of Cayuga County shoreline along Lake Ontario is publicly owned. Sterling Nature Center, owned by the County, has 2 miles of shoreline; West Barrier Bar Park, owned by the Village of Fair Haven has 0.3 miles of shoreline; and the Fair Haven State Park has 2.7 miles.
Lake Ontario Physical Features
Elevation: 243 feet
Area: 7,340 square miles
Length: 193 miles
Maximum Width: 53 miles
Maximum Depth: 802 feet
Mean Depth: 283 feet
Shoreline Length in Cayuga County: 8 miles
Towns adjacent to the Lake in Cayuga County: Town of Sterling
Village adjacent to the Lake in Cayuga County: Village of Fair Haven
Lake Ontario Watershed Features
Towns within the watershed in Cayuga County: Town of Sterling
Villages within the watershed in Cayuga County: Fair Haven
Lake Ontario Initiatives
Lake Ontario has several major issues that the Lake Ontario Lakewide Action and Management Plan is looking to address. These issues include degradation of the lower food chain, loss of biodiversity, fish consumption restrictions, invasive species and nearshore water quality.
Additional Resources
For information on the Great Lakes, visit the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Great Lakes.