Best Lakes for Boating Near Syracuse
New York
9 boating lakes within driving distance of Syracuse, New York, ranked by water quality and boating-specific filters. Filtered for at least 100 acres and public access. The largest lakes with boat-worthy water are listed first.
A moderate cluster of 9 graded lakes lies within reach of Syracuse, averaging a grade of B. Deruyter Reservoir (A) is the cleanest of the set.
The boating-specific ranking layered on top of the LakeGrade rubric is what produces the list below: a grade-good lake that does not also support the boating use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deruyter Reservoir | Madison | A | 20.6 mi | 17.6 ft | - |
| 2 | Tuscarora Lake | Madison | A | 23.4 mi | 20.5 ft | - |
| 3 | Bradley Brook Reservoir | Madison | A | 28.7 mi | 20.7 ft | - |
| 4 | Lake Moraine | Madison | A | 34.5 mi | 20.3 ft | - |
| 5 | Upper Little York Lake | Cortland | B | 23.8 mi | 11 ft | - |
| 6 | Hatch Lake | Madison | B | 27.9 mi | 13.4 ft | - |
| 7 | Genegantslet Lake | Chenango | B | 41.3 mi | 12 ft | - |
| 8 | Jamesville Reservoir | Onondaga | D | 6.5 mi | 5.3 ft | - |
| 9 | Otisco Lake | Onondaga | D | 14.3 mi | 5.2 ft | - |
Other activities near Syracuse
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.