Cayuga Lake (/kəˈjuːɡə/, /keɪˈjuːɡə/ or /kaɪˈjuːɡə/) is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area (marginally smaller than Seneca Lake) and second largest in volume. It is just under 39 miles (63 km) long. Its average width is 1.7 miles (2.8 km), and it is 3.5 mi wide (5.6 km) at its widest point, near Aurora. It is approximately 435 ft deep (133 m) at its deepest point, and has over 95 miles (153 km) of shoreline.^[2]

Quick Facts Location, Group ...

Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake as viewed in the late afternoon from Cornell University in November 2005
Cayuga Lake Location of Cayuga Lake in New York state Show map of New York Adirondack Park Cayuga Lake Cayuga Lake (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location	Cayuga / Seneca / Tompkins counties, New York, U.S.
Group	Finger Lakes
Coordinates	42°41′17″N 76°42′8″W
Lake type	Ground moraine
Primary inflows	Fall Creek, Cayuga Inlet, Salmon Creek, Taughannock Creek, Six Mile Creek
Primary outflows	Seneca River
Catchment area	2,033 km2 (785 sq mi)
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	61.4 km (38.2 mi)
Max. width	3.5 mi (5.6 km)
Surface area	172 km2 (66 sq mi)
Average depth	54.5 m (179 ft)
Max. depth	133 m (436 ft)
Water volume	9.4 km3 (2.3 cu mi)
Residence time	18.2 years
Shore length1	153.4 km (95.3 mi)
Surface elevation	381.9 ft (116.4 m)
Islands	2 (Frontenac Island and Canoga Island)
Settlements	see article
References	[1][2][3]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

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The lake is named after the indigenous Cayuga people.^[4]

The city of Ithaca, site of Ithaca College and Cornell University, is located at the southern end of Cayuga Lake.

Villages and settlements along the east shore of Cayuga Lake include Myers, King Ferry, Aurora, Levanna, Union Springs, and Cayuga. Settlements along the west shore of the lake include Sheldrake, Poplar Beach, and Canoga.

The lake has two small islands. One is near Union Springs, called Frontenac Island (northeast); this island is not inhabited. The other island, Canoga Island (northwest), is located near the town of Canoga. This island has several camps and is inhabited during the summer months. The only other island in any of the Finger Lakes is Skenoh Island in Canandaigua Lake.

The fish population is managed and substantial sport fishing is practiced, with anglers targeting smelt, lake trout and smallmouth bass. Fish species present in the lake include lake trout, landlocked salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, smelt, alewife, atlantic salmon, black crappie, bluegill, pickerel, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed sunfish, rock bass, and yellow perch. There are state owned hard surface ramps in Cayuga–Seneca Canal, Lock #1 (Mud Lock), Long Point State Park, Cayuga Lake State Park, Deans Cove Boat Launch, Taughannock Falls State Park, and Allan H. Treman State Marine Park.^[10]

The major inflows to the lake are: Fall Creek, Cayuga Inlet, Salmon Creek, Taughannock Creek, and Six Mile Creek;^[1] while the lake outflows into the Seneca River and other tributaries. Ungaged tributaries that inflow to the lake include:

The lake is the subject of local folklore.

An Ithaca Journal article of January 5, 1897, reported that a sea serpent, nicknamed "Old Greeny," had been sighted in Cayuga Lake annually for 69 years.^[11][12][13] A sighting in that month described the animal, 200 feet (61 m) from shore, as "large and its body long," though a "tramp" suggested it was a muskrat.^[13] In 1929, two creatures, about 12 to 15 feet (3.7 to 4.6 m) in length, were reportedly spotted along the eastern shore of the lake.^[11] Further sightings were reported in 1974 and 1979.^[12]

Cornell's alma mater makes reference to its position "Far Above Cayuga's Waters", while that of Ithaca College references "Cayuga's shore".

A tradition at Wells College in Aurora holds that if the lake completely freezes over, classes are canceled (though for only one day).^[14] According to Wells College records, this most recently happened in 1979 and the record cold month of February 2015. However, other sources suggest that the only time the entire lake froze over solid end to end in the 20th century was in 1912, when even the deeper Seneca Lake last froze over completely.^[15][16]

Cayuga Lake, like nearby Seneca Lake, is also the site of a phenomenon known as the Guns of the Seneca, mysterious cannon-like booms heard in the surrounding area. Many of these booms may be attributable to bird-scarers, automated cannon-like devices used by farmers to scare birds away from the many vineyards, orchards and crops. There is, however, no proof of this.^[17][18]

Cayuga Lake is included in the American Viticultural Area with which it shares its name. Established in 1988,^[19] the AVA now boasts over a dozen wineries, four distilleries, a cidery, and a meadery.^[20]

• Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
• Taughannock Falls