Best Lakes for Swimming Near Rochester
New York
2 swimming lakes within driving distance of Rochester, New York, ranked by water quality and swimming-specific filters. Filtered for grade A or B water quality, low algae (chlorophyll-a under 15 µg/L), and public access. Always check local advisories on the day you swim.
Rochester is not lake-dense — only 2 graded lakes are within easy reach. The cleanest of those is Conesus Lake (B).
Filtered for swimming, the nearby-lake list narrows further. swimming-specific signals — fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion — interact with the LakeGrade rubric in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conesus Lake | Livingston | B | 29.6 mi | 10.7 ft | - |
| 2 | Hemlock Lake | Livingston | B | 29.8 mi | 12.5 ft | - |
Other activities near Rochester
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.