Honeoye Lake is one of the eleven Finger Lakes in New York, located near the City of Rochester. Honeoye Lake is the shallowest of the Finger Lakes, with a maximum depth of just 30 feet. Honeoye Lake is a popular destination for boating and is surrounded by camps and second homes. In recent years, Honeoye Lake has experienced harmful algal blooms which can affect the recreational use of the lake.
Honeoye Lake is a popular destination for recreational boating, especially given its close proximity to Rochester, NY.
The Honeoye Lake Public Boat Launch located at the south end of the lake is available for launching trailer motorboats and cartop boats. The Sandy Bottom Beach at the north end of the lake is available for small trailered boats and cartop canoes and kayaks.
The shallow depth of Honeoye Lake means that it is a warm water fishery best for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, black crappie, walleye, chain pickerel, and yellow perch.
Honeoye Lake is eutrophic and has frequent harmful algal blooms (HABs) which can affect the recreational use of the lake. HABs are driven by both nutrient pollution and weather conditions. Everyone living in the Honeoye Lake watershed has a role to play in reducing excess nutrients from entering the lake. Homeowners can limit the use of fertilizers and lakefront property owners can maintain vegetative buffers along the lakeshore. Famers in the watershed should practice agricultural best management practices to reduce runoff and limit nutrients from entering streams.
Honeoye Lake has several aquatic invasive species, including Eurasian watermilfoil and curly-leaf pondweed. When visiting Honeoye Lake it is important the prevent the introduction of new invasive species and stop the spread of those in the lake to other lakes. The best way to prevent the spread of invasive species is to follow the Clean, Drain, Dry principles when launching or retrieving your boat.
In the 1920s the City of Rochester was planning to purchase Honeoye Lake, build a dam at its outlet, and use it as a source of drinking water. The planned reservoir would have been sixteen miles long. The project was abandoned in the 1930s.
Land cover in the Honeoye Lake watershed. Map created with Model My Watershed.
Open Water
2.83mi²
Perennial Ice/Snow
0.00mi²
Developed, Open Space
1.93mi²
Developed, Low
0.44mi²
Developed, Medium
0.05mi²
Developed, High
0.00mi²
Barren Land
Deciduous Forest
23.86mi²
Evergreen Forest
0.97mi²
Mixed Forest
3.97mi²
Shrub/Scrub
0.25mi²
Grassland/Herbaceous
0.05mi²
Pasture/Hay
3.17mi²
Cultivated Crops
0.59mi²
Woody Wetlands
1.69mi²
Emergent Wetlands
0.11mi²
7.08%
0.00%
4.84%
1.11%
0.14%
0.01%
59.75%
2.43%
9.93%
0.25%
0.14%
7.93%
1.48%
4.23%
0.28%
Stream network and watershed slope in the Honeoye Lake watershed. Red areas indicate locations with steep slopes. Map created with Model My Watershed.
1st Order Streams
62.57mi
2nd Order Streams
14.46mi
3rd Order Steams
13.91mi
Length in agricultural areas
5.14mi
Length in non-agricultural areas
85.80mi
Total stream length
90.94mi
10.74%
4.77%
0.22%
Hydrologic soil groups in the Honeoye Lake watershed. Map created with Model My Watershed.
A – High Infiltration
1.85mi²
A/D – High/Very Slow Infiltration
0.00mi²
B – Moderate Infiltration
5.69mi²
B/D – Medium/Very Slow Infiltration
0.76mi²
C – Slow Infiltration
18.07mi²
C/D – Medium/Very Slow Infiltration
5.68mi²
D – Very Slow Infiltration
7.88mi²
4.64%
0.00%
14.24%
1.90%
45.26%
14.24%
19.72%
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.
40.15mi² Honeoye Lake is eutrophic and has frequent harmful algal blooms (HABs) which can affect the recreational use of the lake. HABs are driven by
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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Saranac Lake, NY 12983
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