Oneida Lake

Oneida Lake is the largest lake completely within NY boundaries! Its watershed spans across central and upstate NY. Water from this lake flows to Lake Ontario via the Oneida and Oswego Rivers.

About the Lake  

Oneida Lake is the largest lake entirely within New York with a surface area of 207 square km (80 square miles) and is 33 km (20.5 miles) long and 8.7 km (5.4 miles) wide.  The lake has an average depth of 6.7 m (22 ft) and a maximum depth of 16.7 m (54.8 ft).  The lake has numerous shoals with the largest near the center of the lake where it is quite shallow.  The lake’s watershed is almost 3,532 square kilometers (1,364 square miles) and has portions of 6 counties and 69 municipalities within it.  Oneida Lake and its watershed make up almost 6% of the Lake Ontario watershed!

History and Future  

Oneida Lake is a remnant of glacial Lake Iroquois which had covered most of Central New York nearly 12,000 years ago.  Prior to the European’s arrival, indigenous people populated the area.  The Oneidas and Onondagas settled in the region and originally called the lake “Tsioqui (meaning “white-water” – a reference to the impressive wave action in the lake).  The lake was highly valued for its productive fishery.  In the late 18th century, European/white settlers claimed much of the land around the lake. Development of the area came in different stages, through grants to veterans of the military, the “Yankee Invasion”, development of lakeside communities, and the Erie Canal contributed to a growing population and local economy. By the 1990’s development around the lake left very little land in its original wild state.  

The lake has a history of algae blooms, in fact French trappers and settlers called it "le lac vert" which translates to "the green lake" in the early . Introductions of invasive species including zebra mussels, quagga mussels, and spiny water fleas affect the amount of planktonic algae in the lake and can affect water transparency and the biological communities present in the lake. Researchers from the Cornell Biological Field Station at Shackelton Point have been monitoring water quality and assessing fish populations to better understand the past and provide guidance for the future of Oneida Lake.

Resources and Links  

•  Cornell Biological Field Station at Shackelton Point

• Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board's 2003 State of the Lake and Watershed Report

• Oneida Lake Education Initiative

• Cornell Scientists Mark & Recapture Lake Sturgeon-2019