Canandaigua Lake is the fourth largest of the Finger Lakes. The name Canandaigua is derived from the Seneca name Ga-nun-da-gwa, meaning “the chosen spot.” The lake serves as the source of drinking water for the City of Canandaigua.
Given its large size, Canandaigua Lake offers lots of opportunities for visitors to explore the lake and its shores.
There are several public boat launches on the lake. The Canandaigua Lake State Marina Park is located off Route 5 & 20, the Woodville boat launch is located on Route 21, and the Onanda boat launch is off West Lake Road. All of these boat launches have hardened ramps suitable for motorboats. The West River launch located off Route 245 is a hand launch only.
Due to its size and depth, Canandaigua Lake supports a diversity of fish species including lake trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, and black crappie.
If you want to go for a boat tour on the lake you should check out the Canandaigua Lady, it is a double-deck paddle boat that offers tours from May through October.
Canandaigua Lake has many invasive species present, including Eurasian watermilfoil, curly-leaf pondweed, water chestnut, starry stonewort, fishhook waterflea, Chinese mystery snail, Asian clam, quagga mussel, and zebra mussel. Invasive species can have extremely detrimental effects on a lake and cost millions of dollars to manage. Boaters visiting Canandaigua Lake should follow the Clean, Drain, Dry principles to prevent the introduction of new invasive species. It is also important to follow these principles after visiting the lake to prevent spreading invasive species from Canandaigua Lake to other lakes.
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have been documented on Canandaigua Lake in recent years. HABs can form cyanotoxins which can be harmful to humans, pets, and wildlife. The formation of HABs is tied to elevated lake nutrients and weather. Shoreowners around Canandaigua Lake can help reduce the likelihood of HABs by following lake-friendly practices such as reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides, as well as planting vegetation along the lakeshore.
Canandaigua Lake is home to one of the only two islands found in the Finger Lakes. Skenoh Island is located at the north end of the lake. Seneca women and children were hidden on the island during the Sullivan Expedition against the Six Nations in 1779. The island was formerly known as Squaw Island but was changed in 2021 out of recognition of the insensitivity of this term. Skenoh Island is made of a unique rock that becomes fragile when dried out. As a result, the island is easily eroded and has been shrinking in size. In 1825 the first steamboat to ply the waters of the Finger Lakes was the Enterprise, it was launched on Canandaigua Lake.
Land cover in the Canandaigua Lake watershed. Map created with Model My Watershed.
Open Water
16.79mi²
Perennial Ice/Snow
0.00mi²
Developed, Open Space
10.97mi²
Developed, Low
3.91mi²
Developed, Medium
1.33mi²
Developed, High
0.32mi²
Barren Land
Deciduous Forest
67.29mi²
Evergreen Forest
2.69mi²
Mixed Forest
13.30mi²
Shrub/Scrub
1.95mi²
Grassland/Herbaceous
0.58mi²
Pasture/Hay
23.81mi²
Cultivated Crops
36.11mi²
Woody Wetlands
5.27mi²
Emergent Wetlands
1.11mi²
9.05%
0.00%
5.91%
2.11%
0.72%
0.17%
36.28%
1.45%
7.17%
1.05%
0.31%
12.84%
19.47%
2.84%
0.60%
Stream network and watershed slope in the Canandaigua Lake watershed. Red areas indicate locations with steep slopes. Map created with Model My Watershed.
1st Order Streams
246.88mi
2nd Order Streams
81.87mi
3rd Order Steams
27.37mi
4th Order Steams
18.77mi
5th Order Streams
21.19mi
Length in agricultural areas
60.19mi
Length in non-agricultural areas
335.88mi
Total stream length
396.07mi
6.01%
3.31%
1.83%
0.96%
0.09%
Hydrologic soil groups in the Canandaigua Lake watershed. Map created with Model My Watershed.
A – High Infiltration
17.96mi²
A/D – High/Very Slow Infiltration
0.00mi²
B – Moderate Infiltration
39.69mi²
B/D – Medium/Very Slow Infiltration
11.79mi²
C – Slow Infiltration
109.35mi²
C/D – Medium/Very Slow Infiltration
73.08mi²
D – Very Slow Infiltration
46.65mi²
6.02%
0.00%
13.29%
3.95%
36.63%
24.48%
15.63%
Lake Protection Groups
Water Quality Data & Lake Management
Research Papers & Presentations
Physical Properties
This status does not necessarily represent the current status of HABs in the lake. It indicates whether HABs have ever been reported in the lake.
186.1mi² Canandaigua Lake has many invasive species present, including Eurasian watermilfoil, curly-leaf pondweed, water chestnut, starry stonewort, fishhook waterflea, Chinese mystery snail, Asian clam, quagga
Harmful algal blooms, commonly referred to as HABs, occur due to the rapid growth of specific species of algae. HABs are most often the results
Invasive species are non-native organisms that outcompete native species when introduced to a new environment. They can be animals, plants, or disease-causing organisms. These species
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