Cayuga Lake
Tompkins County, New YorkView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- 436 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Cayuga Lake in Tompkins County, New York is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 7.4 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 7.4 ft
- Max depth
- ~436 ft est.
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Cayuga Lake’s letter
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Why Cayuga Lake has no grade
Cayuga Lake has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Cayuga Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 7.4-foot median from 36 readings collected 2020 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by NYSDEC and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Cayuga Lake is a lake in Tompkins County, New York with an estimated average depth of about 436 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NYSDEC, last sampled 2020-09-30. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Cayuga Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Cayuga Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.4 ft. TSI 48.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 48 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~436 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. New York has not published bathymetry for Cayuga Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Taughannock Falls State Park, Mile 33.65Public
- Myers Park, Mile 36.06Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Cayuga Lake
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Cayuga Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Cayuga Operating Company, LlcLansing · 1.4 mi away · NPDES NY0001333Major
- Trumansburg (V) StpTrumansburg · 2.9 mi away · NPDES NY0024902Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Graded lakes near Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Tompkins County
Frequently asked questions about Cayuga Lake
Where is Cayuga Lake?
- Cayuga Lake is a lake in Tompkins County, New York. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Cayuga Lake?
- Cayuga Lake in Tompkins County, New York is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 7.4 ft visibility.
Is Cayuga Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Cayuga Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Cayuga Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 436 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Cayuga Lake?
- Cayuga Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Taughannock Falls State Park, Mile 33.65, Myers Park, Mile 36.06. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Cayuga Lake across LakeQuality
4 documented falls within 13 mi, nearest Taughannock Falls
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
36 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS36 samples · 2020
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory