Two canoes crossing open water between forested points in the Boundary Waters

Updated August 2026

Biggest Lake in New York: Oneida Lake (50,894 acres)

Oneida Lake is New York's largest inland lake per the NYS DEC. Below: 50 New York lakes ranked by surface area.

The largest lake in New York is Oneida Lake at 50,894 acres , in Madison, Onondaga, Oswego and Oneida County, according to the NYS DEC. Lake Ontario is a Great Lake shared with Ontario, Canada; Lake Erie (9,910 sq mi, also shared) and Lake Champlain (shared with Vermont and Quebec) likewise exceed Oneida. DEC's own framing is that Oneida is the largest lake lying wholly within New York State.

See our Oneida Lake water-quality readings —

Source: NYS DEC (2026-07-30). The table below ranks the New York lakes in our own index by surface area.

Lakes with area data

51,324

Largest (acres)

2,160

Median of top 50

5/50

Reservoirs (vs natural)

Reading New York's size profile

New York's largest lake by surface area is Oneida Lake in Oswego County, spanning 51,324 acres and reaching 55.1 ft deep. Most of New York's biggest waters are natural basins left by glaciers, with stable shorelines and deep main basins.

Surface area is a poor proxy for water quality on its own — a large lake can hold a clean, deep core and a nutrient-loaded bay at the same time. Each lake below links to its full page with nutrient readings, clarity, depth, and EPA impairment status. Area figures come from state DNR surveys and the USACE National Inventory of Dams; water-quality readings come from EPA and state monitoring data.

The 50 biggest lakes in New York by surface area

#	Lake	County	Surface area	Max depth
1	Oneida Lake	Oswego	51,324 acres	55.1 ft
2	Great Sacandaga Lake	Fulton	20,651 acres	74 ft
3	Black Lake	St. Lawrence	7,856 acres	16.1 ft
4	Cranberry Lake	St. Lawrence	6,909 acres	31.2 ft
5	Stillwater Reservoir	Herkimer	6,233 acres	32.8 ft
6	Pepacton Reservoir	Delaware	5,727 acres	223.8 ft
7	Raquette Pond	St. Lawrence	5,231 acres	-
8	Ashokan Reservoir	Ulster	5,162 acres	184.4 ft
9	Upper Saranac Lake	Franklin	4,870 acres	-
10	Cannonsville Reservoir	Delaware	4,718 acres	171.6 ft
11	Indian Lake	Hamilton	4,304 acres	-
12	Otsego Lake	Otsego	4,171 acres	180.4 ft
13	Long Lake	Hamilton	4,168 acres	44.9 ft
14	Carry Falls Reservoir	St. Lawrence	3,074 acres	-
15	Onondaga Lake	Onondaga	2,976 acres	65.6 ft
16	Piseco Lake	Hamilton	2,850 acres	78.7 ft
17	Grass Pond	Hamilton	2,808 acres	55 ft
18	Hinckley Reservoir	Herkimer	2,708 acres	41 ft
19	Upper Chateaugay Lake	Clinton	2,550 acres	78 ft
20	Delta Reservoir	Oneida	2,378 acres	57.4 ft
21	North Pond	Oswego	2,339 acres	13 ft
22	Otisco Lake	Onondaga	2,291 acres	-
23	Little Tupper Lake	Hamilton	2,288 acres	35 ft
24	Great Sacandaga Lake	Saratoga	2,207 acres	74 ft
25	Lake Placid	Essex	2,173 acres	-
26	New Croton Reservoir	Westchester	2,160 acres	-
27	Lower Saranac Lake	Franklin	2,151 acres	49.2 ft
28	Rondout Reservoir	Ulster	2,120 acres	120.1 ft
29	Hemlock Lake	Livingston	2,054 acres	-
30	Cross Lake	Cayuga	1,999 acres	65 ft
31	Chazy Lake	Clinton	1,845 acres	62 ft
32	Tomhannock Reservoir	Rensselaer	1,709 acres	50 ft
33	Union Falls Pond	Franklin	1,631 acres	25 ft
34	Sacandaga Lake	Hamilton	1,608 acres	62.3 ft
35	Neversink Reservoir	Sullivan	1,539 acres	187 ft
36	Lake Lila	Hamilton	1,437 acres	60 ft
37	Middle Saranac Lake	Franklin	1,415 acres	56.1 ft
38	Kensico Reservoir	Westchester	1,336 acres	120 ft
39	Alcove Reservoir	Albany	1,321 acres	75 ft
40	Peck Lake	Fulton	1,300 acres	-
41	Lake Bonaparte	Lewis	1,286 acres	-
42	Big Moose Lake	Herkimer	1,233 acres	80.4 ft
43	Meacham Lake	Franklin	1,203 acres	-
44	Muscoot Reservoir	Westchester	1,163 acres	-
45	Schoharie Reservoir	Schoharie	1,159 acres	-
46	Fulton Chain Lakes	Herkimer	1,136 acres	-
47	Lake Clear	Franklin	1,108 acres	57.4 ft
48	Woodhull Lake	Herkimer	1,088 acres	89.9 ft
49	Lake Montauk	Suffolk	1,078 acres	-
50	Seventh Lake	Hamilton	951 acres	85.3 ft

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the largest lake in New York?

Oneida Lake, at 50,894 acres, in Madison, Onondaga, Oswego and Oneida County. Lake Ontario is a Great Lake shared with Ontario, Canada; Lake Erie (9,910 sq mi, also shared) and Lake Champlain (shared with Vermont and Quebec) likewise exceed Oneida. DEC's own framing is that Oneida is the largest lake lying wholly within New York State. Source: NYS DEC, 2026-07-30.

How is lake surface area measured?

Surface area comes from state DNR lake surveys and, for reservoirs, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) National Inventory of Dams records. Area is reported in acres at normal pool level. Reservoirs rise and fall with management and drought, so their listed area is the long-term normal rather than a single-day reading.

Are New York's largest lakes natural or reservoirs?

Of the top 50 New York lakes by area, 5 sit on a dammed river (reservoirs) and 45 are natural basins. Glacial states (MN, WI, MI, NY) skew natural; plains and southern states (MO, IA, ND, OH) skew toward reservoirs built for water supply, flood control, and recreation.

Do larger lakes have better water quality?

Not reliably. Quality varies more within a big lake than between lakes — a large lake can have a clean, deep main basin and a murky, algae-prone bay fed by a tributary, so one reading can mask wide swings. Depth, watershed land use, and how fast the lake flushes matter far more than raw surface area.

How big is the typical New York lake in this ranking?

Across the top 50 New York lakes by surface area, the median is 2,160 acres (New Croton Reservoir). This list is biased toward the biggest waters; the typical New York lake is far smaller.

Where to stay near New York's largest lakes

Planning a trip? Jump to live cabin, resort, and hotel availability near New York's biggest lakes.

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