Seneca Lake Information

Finger Lake Charters

Beautiful Seneca Lake holds more water than any other lake entirely within New York. It is also the second deepest lake in the United States, when gauged by its depth below sea level. It is promoted as being the lake trout capital of the world, and is host of the National Lake Trout Derby. Because of its depth, Seneca Lake has been a testing site for submarines and underwater listening devices. The lake takes its name from the Seneca nation of Native Americans. At the north end of Seneca Lake is the city of Geneva, New York, home of Hobart and William Smith Colleges and the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, a division of Cornell University. At the south end of the lake is the lovely village of Watkins Glen, New York, famed for auto racing and waterfalls.

Due to Seneca Lake’s unique micro climate it is home to over 50 wineries, many of them farm wineries and is the location of the Seneca Lake American Viticultural Area.

At 38 miles (60 km) long, It is the second longest of the Finger Lakes and has the largest volume, estimated at 4.2 trillion US gallons (16 km³), roughly half of the water in all the Finger Lakes. It has a maximum depth of 618 feet (188 m), and a mean depth of 291 feet (89 m). It has a surface area of 42,800 acres (171 km²).

The two main inlets are Catharine Creek at the southern end and the Keuka Lake Outlet. Seneca Lake outlets into the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, which joins Seneca and Cayuga Lakes at their northern ends.

The lake is fed by underground springs and is replenished at a rate of 328,000 gallons (29,520 m³) per minute. These springs keep the water moving in a constant circular motion. This coupled with the lake’s great depth gives it little chance to freeze over. During the summer months however, the top 10 to 15 feet (3-5 m) does warm up to a pleasant 70-80 degrees (21-26º C).

Over 200 years ago, there were Iroquois villages on Seneca Lake’s surrounding hillsides. During the Revolutionary War, their villages, including Kanadaseaga (“Seneca Castle”) were wiped out during the Sullivan Expedition by troops that invaded their homeland to punish them for assisting the British. Today roadside signs trace Sullivan and Clinton’s route along the east side of Seneca Lake where the burning of villages and crops occurred.

After the war, the land of the Iroquois was parceled out to veterans of the army in payment for their military service. A slow stream of white settlers began to arrive circa 1790. Initially the settlers were without a market nearby or a way to get their crops to market. The settlers’ isolation abruptly ended, though, in the 1820s with the opening of the Erie Canal.

The Canal linked the Finger Lakes Region to the outside world. Steamships, barges and ferries quickly became Seneca Lake’s ambassadors of commerce and trade. The former, short Crooked Lake Canal linked Seneca Lake to Keuka Lake.

There are numerous canal barges resting on the bottom of the lake. A collection of barges on the southwest end of the lake, near the village of Watkins Glen, is being preserved and made accessible for scuba diving by the Finger Lakes Underwater Preserve Association.

*Content from Seneca County Chamber of Commerce

Pricing and Reservations

 Half Day 4-Hour CharterFull Day 8-Hour Charter
1 Person$325$525
2 People$395$595
3 People$525$775
4 People$650$985

Call or Text to Book Your Charter
315-440-4191

Charters include all fishing gear and tackle. We will also fillet/clean your catch.

Seneca and Cayuga Lakes Fishing Charters

Experience the best fishing with our Premier Finger Lakes Fishing Charter.