Hemlock Lake
Livingston County, New York2,054 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.
- 62 ft max depth
- Limited data
Hemlock Lake in Livingston County, New York is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Surface area: 2054 acres.
- Clarity
- 12.5 ft
- Max depth
- ~62 ft est.
- Area
- 2,054 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Hemlock Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Hemlock Lake in Livingston 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 Hemlock 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 Hemlock Lake’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Why Hemlock Lake has no grade
Hemlock 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, Hemlock Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 12.5-foot median from 18 readings collected 2020–2022 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.
Hemlock Lake is a 2,054-acre lake in Livingston County, New York with an estimated average depth of about 62 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NYSDEC, last sampled 2022-07-26. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Hemlock Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.5 ft of visibility
- Big water2,054 acres
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Hemlock Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.5 ft. TSI 41.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 12.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~62 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~21 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 2,054 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 Hemlock 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 Hemlock Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.1 m/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Hemlock Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Hemlock Lake Dam (completed 1926), built primarily for water supply on the SPRINGWATER CREEK; earth-type dam, 12 ft tall and 3,200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,054 ac
- Normal storage
- 22,356 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 41,101 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 43.13 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF ROCHESTER
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NY00477 · Operator website
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Hemlock Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Hemlock Lake - Shoreline, Outlet, Dam & ComplexHemlock · 3.5 mi away · NPDES NY0228478Recent violation
- Hemlock Operations Center / Maintenance GarageHemlock · 3.7 mi away · NPDES NY0245968
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 Livingston County
Frequently asked questions about Hemlock Lake
Where is Hemlock Lake?
- Hemlock Lake is a lake in Livingston 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 Hemlock Lake?
- Hemlock Lake in Livingston County, New York is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Surface area: 2054 acres.
Is Hemlock Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Hemlock Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Hemlock Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 62 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 2054 acres.
Explore Hemlock Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
24.3 mi away · 107 ft
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Top lakes and where to stay in the Finger Lakes area
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
18 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS18 samples · 2020–2022
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)