Cayuga Lake

Cayuga Lake, one of the Finger Lakes of central New York State. Cayuga Lake lies on the boundary between Cayuga and Seneca counties, and extends into Tompkins County. The lake has an area of 170 sq km (66 sq mi), is 61 km (38 mi) long, and ranges from 1.6 to 5 km (1 to 3 mi) wide. The water depth of the lake is 120 m (400 ft), with a surface elevation of 116 m (381 ft). Taughannock Creek and its 66-m (215-ft) cataract flow into the lake. Cayuga Lake is drained to the north by the Seneca River, which joins the Oswego River and flows into Lake Ontario. Cayuga Lake is connected by canal with Seneca Lake on the west and with the Erie Canal on the north. The city of Ithaca lies at the lake’s southern end. The Cayuga, a North American tribe, and a branch of the Iroquois, once lived around the lake.