Lakes / New York / Skaneateles Lake
Skaneateles Lake, New York
8,960 acres
Surface Area
300 ft
Max Depth
145 ft
Average Depth
34 mi
Shoreline
862 ft
Surface Elevation
Where It Sits, and How Deep It Goes
Locator - New York
42.86 degrees N, 76.36 degrees W - spans Onondaga, Cortland, Cayuga Counties. State and county outlines drawn from Census boundary data; the lake marker is placed by its New York State DEC coordinates, not by eye. Schematic - not a survey map.
Depth Profile - Skaneateles Lake
Schematic cross-section drawn to one shared depth scale - not a survey or bathymetric map.
How Skaneateles Lake Stacks Up
- Ranks #3 for depth among the 142 natural lakes counted in New York so far.
- The largest lake in Onondaga County among those counted.
- Its average depth of 145 ft is more than 14 times a typical shallow New York lake, which averages under 10 ft.
- About 17 miles from Syracuse, as the crow flies.
Fish Species
WalleyeSmallmouth BassLargemouth BassBlack CrappieBluegillPumpkinseedYellow PerchLake TroutRainbow TroutCiscoRock BassAtlantic SalmonBrown BullheadChain PickerelLandlocked SalmonWhite Sucker
Species recorded for this lake. Presence only - no abundance ratings.
Facts and Figures
Waterbody ID87961508
CountyOnondaga, Cortland, Cayuga
Coordinates42.8572, -76.3613
Deepest Natural Lakes in New York
| # | Lake | County | Surface Area | Max Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seneca Lake | Ontario, Yates, Seneca, Schuyler | 43,343 acres | 618 ft |
| 2 | Cayuga Lake | Cayuga | 42,956 acres | 435 ft |
| 3 | Skaneateles Lake | Onondaga, Cortland, Cayuga | 8,960 acres | 300 ft |
| 4 | Canandaigua Lake | Ontario, Yates | 10,558 acres | 276 ft |
| 5 | Lake George | Essex, Warren | 28,451 acres | 187 ft |
Largest Lakes in New York
| # | Lake | County | Surface Area | Max Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Erie | Erie | 6,360,010 acres | - |
| 2 | Lake Ontario | Jefferson | 4,656,925 acres | - |
| 3 | Lake Champlain | Washington | 277,117 acres | - |
| 4 | Oneida Lake | Oswego | 51,324 acres | - |
| 5 | Seneca Lake | Ontario, Yates, Seneca, Schuyler | 43,343 acres | 618 ft |
Sources: New York State DEC lake data (ID 87961508); USGS. Verified October 30, 2026.