Best Lakes for Swimming Near Syracuse
New York
13 swimming lakes within driving distance of Syracuse, 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.
A moderate cluster of 13 graded lakes lies within reach of Syracuse, averaging a grade of A. Cazenovia Lake (A) is the cleanest of the set.
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 | Cazenovia Lake | Madison | A | 15.5 mi | 16.7 ft | - |
| 2 | Skaneateles Lake | Onondaga | A | 16.9 mi | 27.4 ft | - |
| 3 | Song Lake | Cortland | A | 19.3 mi | 15.4 ft | - |
| 4 | Deruyter Reservoir | Madison | A | 20.6 mi | 17.6 ft | - |
| 5 | Tuscarora Lake | Madison | A | 23.4 mi | 20.5 ft | - |
| 6 | Eaton Reservoir | Madison | A | 26.1 mi | 18.2 ft | - |
| 7 | Bradley Brook Reservoir | Madison | A | 28.7 mi | 20.7 ft | - |
| 8 | Owasco Lake Platform | Cayuga | A | 22 mi | 11 ft | - |
| 9 | Crooked Lake | Onondaga | B | 18 mi | 12.6 ft | - |
| 10 | Tully Lake | Cortland | B | 18.8 mi | 11.9 ft | - |
| 11 | Owasco Lake | Cayuga | B | 23.6 mi | 11 ft | - |
| 12 | Upper Little York Lake | Cortland | B | 23.8 mi | 11 ft | - |
| 13 | Hatch Lake | Madison | B | 27.9 mi | 13.4 ft | - |
Other activities near Syracuse
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.