US lakes & ponds
New York › Seneca County › Ledyard › Cayuga Lake

Cayuga Lake

Ledyard · Lansing · Romulus · Covert · Varick · Springport, New York — Seneca County.

Share:TextEmailFacebookX
42,910Surface acres
10Public access sites
5.1 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 87964232).

Location & fast facts

Where Cayuga Lake is in New York

The red circle marks Cayuga Lake.

Fast facts

About Cayuga Lake

  • Counties: Seneca, Cayuga, Tompkins
  • Shore towns: Ledyard, Lansing, Romulus, Covert, Varick, Springport, Fayette, Ulysses
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 150 mi from Albany and 37 mi from Syracuse, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in New York

Official NYSDEC pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Boating. 10 public trailer launches listed (see access)
  • Fishing. Northern pike, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass and Lake trout
  • Swimming. 1 public beach or swim spot on the map (details)
  • Walking. 5.1 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 16 campgrounds within 15 mi (list)

Watch for

  • Non-native/invasive species. Zebra mussel, Eurasian watermilfoil and Variable-leaf watermilfoil recorded. Clean, drain and dry your boat and gear.
  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.
  • No lifeguard listed. None of our sources lists a staffed lifeguard. Swim at your own risk and watch children closely.
  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Official fishing data (NYSDEC)

Fish species listed by NYSDEC for this recommended fishing water: Brown trout, Rainbow trout, Lake trout, Landlocked salmon, Smallmouth bass, Largemouth bass, Sunfish, Yellow perch, Crappie, Northern pike, Chain pickerel, Carp.

Stocked by the state: Lake sturgeon (2013, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2021; 11,814 fish in all, fry included)

Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation: Recommended Fishing Lakes and Ponds and Fish Stocking Lists (2011 on) on data.ny.gov, records for Cayuga Lake (Cayuga/Tonpkins/Seneca County). NYSDEC page.

Lake map

Cayuga Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Cayuga Lake State Park Campground (campground)Boat ramp (Boat launch)1Boat ramp (Boat launch)2Cayuga Lake DEC boat launch (Boat launch)3Cayuga Lake State Park Boat Launch (Boat launch)4Deans Cove Boat Launch (Boat launch)5Frontenac Park Boat Launch (Boat launch)6Long Point State Park Boat Launch (Boat launch)7Myers Park Boat Launch (Boat launch)8Salt Point boat launch (Boat launch)9Taughannock Falls State Park Boat Launch (Boat launch)10Taughannock Falls State Park Beach (Beach)111 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchBeachShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Lansing
  2. 2Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Aurelius
  3. 3Cayuga Lake DEC boat launch
    Boat launch · Ledyard
  4. 4Cayuga Lake State Park Boat Launch
    Boat launch · Seneca Falls
  5. 5Deans Cove Boat Launch
    Boat launch · Romulus
  6. 6Frontenac Park Boat Launch
    Boat launch · Springport
  7. 7Long Point State Park Boat Launch
    Boat launch · Ledyard
  8. 8Myers Park Boat Launch
    Boat launch · Lansing
  9. 9Salt Point boat launch
    Boat launch · Lansing
  10. 10Taughannock Falls State Park Boat Launch
    Boat launch · Ulysses
  11. 11Taughannock Falls State Park Beach
    Beach

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 87964232), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: NYSDEC boat launch sites (data.ny.gov) and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

5.1 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 5%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
South shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 5.1 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Cayuga Lake shoreline, mostly along the south shore.

Trails along the shore

Trailheads & parking

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Cayuga Lake

We found 16 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Cayuga Lake, 3 of them within 5 miles. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

10 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in New York

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: Recreation.gov (RIDB) · OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (42.7034, -76.7183). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Cayuga Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Cayuga Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in ET (America/New_York), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    10 public access sites listed, 10 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat rampLansing—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating42.5359, -76.5457
    Boat rampAurelius—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating42.9423, -76.7318
    Cayuga Lake DEC boat launchLedyardNYSDECTrailer - Improved · Yes ramp16 trailer—Boating
    Restrooms
    42.9464, -76.7339
    Cayuga Lake State Park Boat LaunchSeneca FallsNYS OPRHPBoat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating42.9003, -76.7495
    Deans Cove Boat LaunchRomulusNYS OPRHPBoat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating42.7448, -76.7680
    Frontenac Park Boat LaunchSpringportVillage of Union SpringsBoat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating42.8424, -76.6967
    Long Point State Park Boat LaunchLedyardNYSOPRHPBoat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating42.7152, -76.7080
    Myers Park Boat LaunchLansingTown of LansingBoat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp—FeeBoating42.5364, -76.5484
    Salt Point boat launchLansing—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp—No feeBoating42.5421, -76.5498
    Taughannock Falls State Park Boat LaunchUlyssesNYS OPRHPBoat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating42.5472, -76.5976

    NYSDEC boat launch sites (data.ny.gov) and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Public beaches

    On OpenStreetMap: 1 beach or swimming spot on the shore of Cayuga Lake not marked private, residents-only or members-only.

    BeachTypeAccessDirections
    Taughannock Falls State Park BeachBeachAccess not tagged; check posted rules; lifeguards (seasonal); hours: 11:00-19:00Get directions

    Beaches: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), within about 150 m (500 ft) of the lake outline. A mapped beach is not a guarantee that swimming is allowed, supervised or safe; some town beaches need a resident sticker even when the map doesn't say so. Check posted rules and water-quality advisories before you swim.

    Non-native/invasive species

    Reported on or near Cayuga Lake

    Clean, Drain, Dry. Remove plants and mud, drain all water, and dry your boat, trailer and gear before moving to another water.

    USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

    USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Cayuga Lake

    How big is Cayuga Lake?

    Cayuga Lake covers about 42,910 acres in Ledyard, Lansing, Romulus and Covert, New York (Seneca County).

    What fish are in Cayuga Lake?

    NYSDEC fishing and stocking data lists Northern pike, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Lake trout, Rainbow trout, Landlocked salmon, Brown trout, Crappie, Yellow perch and Sunfish and 2 more.

    Is there a public boat launch on Cayuga Lake?

    Yes. 10 public trailer launches are listed: Cayuga Lake DEC boat launch, Long Point State Park Boat Launch and Myers Park Boat Launch. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Can you swim in Cayuga Lake?

    OpenStreetMap shows 1 public beach or swimming spot on the shore. None of our sources lists a lifeguard, so swim at your own risk and follow posted rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Cayuga Lake?

    Yes. We list 16 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 3 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Cayuga Lake?

    Cayuga Lake touches Ledyard, Lansing, Romulus, Covert, Varick and Springport in Seneca County, Cayuga County and Tompkins County, New York.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Cayuga Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All New York lakes & ponds · All waters in Ledyard