Owasco Lake

About Owasco Lake

Lake Owasco is the sixth largest of the eleven Finger Lakes, covering 3,921 square kilometers and an average depth of 2.5 meters.

Finger Lakes were formed thousands of years ago by the region's receding glaciers, and Owasco Lake is entirely located in Cayuga County. Although it is an impressive 177 feet deep, Lake O Wasco is relatively shallow compared to the Seneca, at a depth of 600 feet. The name means "crossing" in Mohawk and Iroquois, while the eponymous ones cross in English.

The water of Finger Lakes in New York flows from south to north and flows into Lake O Wasco at a speed of about 1.5 million cubic meters per day. Before reaching the lake, the stream floods a 750 hectare wetland, the Owasco plain, and then flows back into the river.

Tundra swans and divers rest in the lake during the migration period, and large blue herons live on the flat land; bald eagles and ospreys are sighted during the breeding season. A section of Owasco Inlet Creek is ideal for canoeing and kayaking, and there is a flat area of about 1,000 acres of open water.

The park offers leisure facilities and offers special events throughout the year, but public access is limited. Much of the Owasco Lake shore is part of the New York State Park System, which has been built over the years, and the park is open to the public.

Public access has been possible for several decades, with the exception of a few years in the early 1990s.

Canoeists and kayakers can enjoy a picturesque view of Lake Owasco and the river and its tributaries. A dam owned and operated by the city of Auburn controls the drainage and water level of the lake. The O Wasco River leaves this lake to flow into the town of Augusta and then back to its original source in the Hudson River.

Lake Owasco provides more than 70% of the drinking water for Cayuga County, and the lake offers anglers a wonderful world of opportunities.

Fishing is great, and fishing in Owasco is popular in New York State and other parts of the U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The lake has a wide variety of fish species, from small to medium sized.

Even if fishing is not your pleasure, you will be attracted by the many activities that the Finger Lakes region offers. Paddle along the coast, swim in cool depths, relax in the blue waters, fish, boating, kayaking, canoeing and much more.

When it's time for activities on land, you'll be delighted with what awaits you in the Finger Lakes region, especially in the winter months, the most popular time of year for fishing, boating, kayaking, canoeing and much more.