Findley Lake
Chautauqua County, New York330 acresView 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.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 59 ft max depth
- Limited data
Findley Lake in Chautauqua County, New York is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Surface area: 330 acres.
- Clarity
- 8 ft
- Max depth
- ~59 ft est.
- Area
- 330 acres
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Findley Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Findley Lake in Chautauqua County, New York — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Findley Lake
Prices for Sep 11–13, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at New York’s top lakes →
Watch Findley Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Why Findley Lake has no grade
Findley 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, Findley Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 8-foot median from 5 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.
Findley Lake is a 330-acre lake in Chautauqua County, New York with an estimated average depth of about 59 feet.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NYSDEC, last sampled 2020-08-31. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Findley Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Findley Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. TSI 47.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 47 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~59 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~20 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 330 acres |
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 Findley 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.
Fishing Findley Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Findley Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Findley Lake Dam (completed 1820), built primarily for recreation on the FRENCH CREEK; earth-type dam, 10 ft tall and 150 ft long.
- Surface area
- 330 ac
- Normal storage
- 500 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,275 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 5.1 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- FINDLEY LAKE PROPERTY OWNERS INC
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NY00752 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Findley Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NY0202-0004 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Findley Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Rose Foster SrstpNorth East · 4.6 mi away · NPDES PA0271632Recent violation
- Family Affair CampgroundNorth East · 4.8 mi away · NPDES PA0032026Recent 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.
Nearby Lakes in Chautauqua County
Frequently asked questions about Findley Lake
Where is Findley Lake?
- Findley Lake is a lake in Chautauqua 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 Findley Lake?
- Findley Lake in Chautauqua County, New York is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Surface area: 330 acres.
Is Findley Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Findley Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Findley Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Findley Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 59 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 330 acres.
Explore Findley Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at New York's top lakes, each with its grade
New York's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More New York Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in New York
Mesotrophic Lakes in New York
Where this data comes from
5 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
NALMS5 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)